"Alki" (sounds like al-kai) is the unofficial motto of Washington State. This word was placed on the territorial seal for Washington before it was even a state. Alki is a Chinook word that seems to hold many interpretations. "Bye and bye", "Hope for the future", "Eventually", "Into the future" or even "I will see you again". The combination of these phrases gives a sense of hope, longing, and cosmic optimism.
Alki Supply Co. launched in 2019 as The Alki State and was aimed solely at celebrating Washington State. Since 2020, Alki Supply's scope was broadened beyond Washington State but its home state will forever be its origin story.
...and where is it going?
I used to collect baseball cards as a kid. I still have binders full of them, but there's one card that's pretty special to me - because I'm on it, diving onto my bed to make the game saving catch. It was my older brother's idea and we each got our own card. "We can do that?" was my response. We can just make our own cards? Yep, you most certainly can. Although I'm not making my own baseball cards these days, I suppose that's the same feeling I'm chasing by making my own stickers - and hats and everything else.
I have no formal education or training in design. Everything I've learned has been on my own time and my own dime. I sold my first stickers online back in 2016 on a little website called www.bellinghamstickers.com - a webstore dedicated to celebrating Bellingham through the sticker medium. Years later I got a beer with Bellingham's favorite graphic designer: Brad Lockhart. He recommended I give Etsy a try. I did so but wanted to try something a little bit different. The store I created focused on Washington State and was named The Alki State. A year or two after that and I was ready to stop giving myself such strict limitations on my online shops so I rebranded the Etsy shop as Alki Supply Co. and that's where things stand today.
Where is Alki Supply going? I suppose I've been asking myself that a lot lately. Alki Supply is my favorite brand, and I hope it becomes one of yours too. I hope one day to see people wearing Alki branded gear around town. If you've read this far, thank you. If you've made a purchase with me, thank you. If you've told a friend about this brand, thank you.
See you out there. - Evan
