What began as a mural by artist Ruben Rojas in 2018 evolved into a T-shirt line, and now the brand includes tank tops, hoodies, joggers, bra tops, shorts, leggings, hats, masks and even a 14-karat-gold necklace and earrings—all to spread the “love.”
L.A. TO A TEE
Ruben Rojas Falls in Love With Sharing an Important Message on T-shirts
Photo Gallery
Ruben Rojas Falls in Love With Sharing an Important Message on T-shirts
Photos courtesy of Ruben Rojas and Colton Duncan
As he was painting his “Love Yourself” mural in Sherman Oaks, Calif., in 2018, Los Angeles artist Ruben Rojas thought the piece would also work well as a T-shirt graphic. After posting a picture of the mural, followed by an image of the complementary T-shirt, Rojas sold 100 of the pieces. With a lifelong interest in fashion, Rojas saw an opportunity and officially launched his apparel at the end of 2019, promoting a message that he feels has been lost amid a lot of noise resulting in a trend of fear. The Ruben Rojas T-shirts feature the artist’s handwriting spelling out the word “love” in an array of colors and designs.
“We either operate out of love or we operate out of fear. You turn on the T.V. at any given moment and all you’re seeing is fear—everything out there is not showing how good life is. Yes, there are all those bad things,” said Rojas, who believes individuals are able to overcome this negativity. “We can do a lot in our power, so live through love and this whole notion of taking responsibility, it comes from self-love and believing you’re enough and this is where this comes from.”
Choosing T-shirts as his apparel platform, Rojas believes that the billions of people on the planet can serve as the perfect amplifiers to share a message of love. The ubiquitous pieces of clothing are worn in an array of ways, from the focal point of a stylish outfit to an undergarment, making the T-shirts an excellent medium for building the “live through love” messaging.
“[T-shirts] are accessible, we wear them all the time, they’re comfy—even if you throw on a button-up on top, it could be under there. That was really the notion with the T-shirts, and I am really picky about them. Trying to find the perfect blank was really the biggest challenge,” Rojas said. “I want to be as big as Nike as the Love logo is like the Nike swoosh and ‘Live through love’ is like ‘Just do it.’”
The brand is made in Los Angeles, affording control to Rojas, who maintains a hands-on approach to building his apparel line. While he started with a T-shirt, the brand has grown to include tank tops, hoodies, joggers, bra tops, shorts, leggings, hats, masks and even a 14-karat-gold Love necklace and earrings, which are made in the Los Angeles Jewelry District.
“The Love symbol is so powerful, so clean,” Rojas said. “If you Google ‘love,’ there is tons of love stuff out there. It’s how I am doing it. The community I am building around it. The lifestyle I am building into it is what people are really gravitating to.”
Available at rubenrojas.com and boutique retailers, T-shirts are priced from $35, with other pieces ranging in price from $20 for masks to $525 for the handcrafted Love necklace. T-shirts are created in sizes S–XXXL.
During the fall, Rojas will release the Remmy blanket, in honor of his son, who was born in 2021. Later this year, Rojas will release a sweatsuit that will be covered in the Love messaging for the holidays. A luxury line will eventually follow, allowing Rojas to maintain the existing accessible brand while also offering a premium product.
