Tony Maggiotto thinks he’s got a pretty good handle on the T-shirt industry, hawking T’s from his fledgling company on the internet and in local shops, while using his Elmwood Avenue apartment as his base of operations.
It’s something he’s driven to do while getting his urban planning degree and dreaming about his eventual run for mayor of Buffalo. “I love this town,” Maggiotto said. Hence the name of his company, CityLove, that he started with his friend Michael Clyde of Buffalo Promotions.
The company, whose mission it is to spread a positive image of Buffalo, borrows from many of Buffalo’s iconic elements in order to broadcast the love, and the company slogan embodies that: Whether you are a prideful Buffalonian living in WNY or part of the traveling herd roaming the globe, it’s always a great time to show your CityLove.
Currently in nine local stores, CityLove employs five local artists. “My goal is to employ and share a partnership with these artists,” Maggiotto said. “My custom shirts, the Elmwood Strippin’, the I Believe in Main Street, were created with the idea of generating local commotion and getting people excited about what Buffalo is doing and what artists are doing in Buffalo.”
Maggiotto likes having a creative hand in the designs CityLove produces, and works closely with the artists, starting with a concept. Vinny Lopez, who Maggiotto has known since he was in 2nd grade at St Rose’s is happy to comply, tweaking designs over and over until they represent Maggiotto’s vision.
Maggiotto’s concept and the shirt (and tattoo) it spawned.
Printed on high-quality American Apparel shirts, Tony’s T’s are “Gap meets Fruit of the Loom,” according to Tony. These are shirts that will last forever, and are not touristy, so the aesthetic becomes universal. Still, they have a certain recognizable quality to anyone in the know. Tony’s sister gave an Elmwood T to her boyfriend who wore it in Cleveland. Though that’s all the shirt said, a girl approached him, “That’s not Elmwood in Buffalo, is it?” she asked.
“Excatly what I was going for,” Maggiotto said.
Vinny Lopez in his own design.
Daniel Maritato in his chicken wing design.
www.citylovebuffalo.com to place an order. Also available at Spoiled Rotten, Chique Boutique, Skunk Tail Glass, Urban Clothing, Definitely Buffalo, Buffalo Marriott, UB Campus Tee – North Campus, New World Record and The Cut.