North Lamon

North Lamon is a lifestyle apparel brand inspired by my family’s journey from Poland to Chicago in the early ’90s. They first settled in Jackowo, a hub for Polish immigrants, and after months of English classes and night shifts, my grandparents, mom, aunt, and uncle purchased their first home on North Lamon. That street—my second home—represents not only their resilience but also the enduring legacy of Polish immigrants who continue to shape Chicago.

As a first-generation college graduate, I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to pursue my passion for art at DePaul University. While earning my BFA, I explored a range of mediums and became especially drawn to block printing, screen printing, and film photography. The hands-on, meditative nature of these techniques gave me a meaningful way to reflect on my identity as a Polish American.

Every visual element in the North Lamon collection—such as the stork, home, and brownstones—was created by hand-carving linoleum blocks. I transferred these designs onto apparel by exposing them onto silk screens using diazo emulsion and UV light. To document the collection, I photographed my friends wearing the pieces using both black-and-white film and a Nikon D700. I developed the film in the DePaul darkroom and printed each image by hand using a photo enlarger.