This is the story of La Muerta

In most countries in the world, art is marginal at best. Artists are either sellouts or freaks. And most of us never know their names.

So we thought, let's found a company that brings the globe's coolest, freakiest, most talented artists into your home. Kind of like a carnival, a design/indie/art sideshow led by inveterate Carnies. And just like in a real carnival, we thought we'd give every Carnie credit--after all, without Carnies, the show can't go on.

That's what La Muerta is all about: it's a troupe of mobile, global artists bringing YOU awesome indie clothing--and bringing our artists the freedom and recognition they deserve. We gathered a bunch of artists from all over the world (Mexico, Bolivia, U.S., U.K., Netherlands, Poland, New Zealand, and beyond) whose work we love and we said, “Here’s the first concept. Go nuts.”

And we put the names, faces and websites of those artists on the pieces and our site. So you can hire them. Admire them. Get to know them. And then tell all of your friends.

Welcome to La Muerta. It’s going to be an odd one!

Fleshy Limbless Spectacle

Spidora

What is a La Muerta shirt like?

Soft. Stunning. Handmade. Featuring a limited-edition print, custom created for the brand by an amazing artist, AND a custom care tag designed by the artist with the artist’s name or logo. Every single shirt is sold in limited quantities, just like an art print.

How are your designs printed?

Screenprinted by hand, with love and affection. Since each shirt is limited edition and made-to-order, slight variations in ink and color may occur. All shirts are printed in the United States.

What kind of clothing do you print on?

At the moment, the highest quality: American Apparel brand gear. It’s soft, cuddly, and produced without sweatshop labor. And it wears really well. As the owners of about 200 t-shirts, we can attest that AA still produces the best shirts, wash to wash.

What size should I order?

We can’t answer that question for you. But here’s a size chart.

How will I know if an item is about to be restocked or discontinued?

The only way to know without telepathy or smoke signals is to sign up for our newsletter. That’s our main channel of communication with our buyers, who tend to be return visitors!

What’s an act?

Every release of new shirts is organized into Acts, which is a fancy way of saying, “Groups of shirts with a common theme.”

Why are the shirts limited edition?

We are a small company. We want to deliver the highest quality indie shirts, shirts that you can't get at big box stores. We pay artists for their amazing designs and sell them directly to you in limited quantity to ensure the best possible printing, quality, and uniqueness. Top that!

Can you get me in touch with your artists? I want to thank them and hire them.

Check out the artists' page for links to their own websites and contact them. We strongly encourage you to interact with the artists, follow them on Twitter or Facebook or whatever, click on their links, and support them in any way you can. It ain't easy making art these days. But we can make it easier!

Where do I buy La Muerta stuff?

Check our stockists list or right here, right now. Click on one of the t-shirts you like. It’s easy. Maybe too easy…

Why can’t I buy all the shirts right now? Why wait?

We like to focus on promoting a few shirts at a time. All our prints are limited edition and screenprinted by hand, so we like to give them their time in the spotlight. Sign up for our newsletter if you want reminders about a new shirt dropping.

What is a pre-order?

Pre-orders are tshirts that are offered for sale while they are being printed. Pre-order tshirts come with a limited time discount (3usd to 5usd off the normal price). After the pre-order period has been closed, the tshirt will go back to it's normal price. Pre-orders have a shipping date, which is the date when they will arrive at our warehouse and start getting shipped out to you.

What types of payment do you accept, and will my payment info be secure?

The store works through PayPal, one of the most trusted payment solutions on the web. That means you get the same protections and security as you would via PayPal. You do NOT need a PayPal account--you can use any major credit or debit card.

Do you ship anywhere in the world? Really?

Amazing but true: the answer is yes.

How long will it take for my order to arrive?

That depends on where you are and what shipping method you selected, captain. We ship several times a week using USPS first class mail (or airmail). Remember to check your shirt’s ship date, which is the day we start sending out that product, and then add about 6 to 12 days for domestic orders. International orders may take up to several weeks to arrive. If you want to know if your order is en route or should you require other shipping options, just email customer service.

What’s your return policy?

You want to return something?!? Well, that’s just strange. But not impossible! Any item that is unworn, unwashed, and undamaged can be returned or exchanged for store credit within 15 days of receipt. Please keep the shirt in its original package, and drop us a line at customer service email to let us know why you decided to return it. We want to make sure you’re happy with your purchase!

What if I have more questions that I don’t see in your help section?

Contact us directly here. We try to answer every message we get, unless it’s designed to rattle us in a hateful or discriminatory way. That has no place in our inboxes or yours.

Are there physical stores that carry La Muerta?

Yes! We are very proud to be carried by the following stores at the moment:

In the U.K.:

• Team Hell Co. (as of end of February 2012)
  42 York Street,
  Clitheroe,
  Lancashire.
  01200 426711
  
  

In the U.S.:

• Coming soon...

I own a store and would like to carry La Muerta... How do we go about it?

That's rad homie! Please send us an email through our form here. Make sure you use the "Stockists" option from the subject line drop down menu. This will get sent to our accounts manager a.k.a. The Bearded Lady.

I know of a pretty damn cool store that should carry La Muerta products. Why aren't you there?

Well, the Bearded Lady needs to look into this right away! Send us the info. It wouldn't hurt if you give the store owners our link. Let their eyes drool for a bit. That's it, butter them up.

How do I get my design onto a t-shirt for La Muerta?

By getting in touch with us, nicely. For the first Act of La Muerta, we selected the artists--and we’ll continue to approach people we like. But we do take submissions from qualified artists. Send us a link to your portfolio of work, a comment or two about why you’d like to be considered, and your contact information to us.

How do I become the featured artist for La Muerta’s next Act?

You create the most banging piece of art we’ve ever seen, ever.

What’s in it for me as an artist if I work with La Muerta?

Community. Pride. Creative freedom. Money (to buy your design). And your own page on La Muerta’s site. Oh yeah, and we promote the hell out of our artists. We’re basically in love with them.

Can I help promote La Muerta on my own website, in my store, or with unusual guerrilla street tactics?

That depends. We’re not stocking in stores just yet, but that could change--maybe even while you’re reading this. For promotional ideas, affiliate marketing deets, and/or to become a street team member, email us here.

What’s your next Act going to be?

Check out the Acts page to get a flavor for our past themes. Then drop us a line. We do the big reveal of the next act after we decide to work with you. Otherwise, it’d be no fun.

Will La Muerta sponsor me, my band, my art, or something else I do?

Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps. That depends on what you do. Don’t just send us a bunch of stuff--send us a link to your site and a clear email explaining what you do and why you think you’re a good fit. We are super-duper busy, but if we like what we see, I bet we can think of a good way to help. Also, we have a soft spot for cool non-profits that support women, the arts, and the disenfranchised, not necessarily in that order, and we’re always happy to come up with a way to support a non-profit organization first.

Get in touch with La Muerta

Get in touch with La Muerta's staff of hard-working carnies, from the sexy Girl in a Fishbowl to the Fleshy Limbless Spectacle as he plots his next sideshow coup. We can’t promise the Bearded Lady won't be the first to answer, though. She's a woman of many, many words.