Detroit woman keeps clothing brand going after son's death: "Giving up was not an option"
(CBS DETROIT) - A mother's love comes in many forms, and for Lisa Underwood, owner of "I'm a Detroit Girl," that form is business.
Underwood, her son Lamar, and their family started an apparel line, a Detroit-style brand, to show off their love for the city in 2015.
"He would always tell people when he was a little boy ... they would say, 'Lamar, what do you want to be when you grow up?' And he would say, 'I want to be a businessman.' And that's what he was." said Underwood.
But after Lamar's death, that love wasn't enough.
"In 2022, I lost my son, Lamar, to stage four cancer. And I felt like my world had come crashing crashing down. I didn't even think I could keep going. But I knew that giving up was not an option. I knew that I had to keep going for him," Underwood said.
She needed to pour herself into something more uplifting. So she shifted her focus to her brand, "I'm a Detroit Girl."
"I make t-shirts, I make hats. I make bags, handmade items like keychains. I make some everything's right here in my kitchen/warehouse," Underwood said.
She said it's not really about the products. It's about reminding Detroit girls that they can get through anything.
"What it means to be a Detroit girl is to have hustle, have heart, strength and resilience. My goal with 'I'm a Detroit Girl' is to help girls in Detroit believe in themselves and go after their dreams. Nowhere, no matter what life throws at them, I want them to know that they can handle it and keep going," she said.
"So I just want all Detroit girls around the world to know that no matter what comes your way. You can, you can do it. You can keep going, you know, keep fighting because they're Detroit girls."