Don’t know what to wear to the next Eagles game? Well, Mr. Brad Hosbach has you covered.
With an idea that started out as a joke, Hosbach turned inspiration from one “Virginia is for lovers” shirt into his small business, Primitive Shirts, where he screen prints an array of apparel for Delaware County fanatics.
“When I saw that there was such a passion for the area that we live in, I just kept going with it,” Hosbach said. “Making a shirt out of every funny landmark or people eating sandwiches off of a Wawa trash can wouldn’t work in Montgomery or Chester county.”
It all began when Hosbach fell in love with screen printing during an independent study in college, feeling inspired to make his own t-shirts.
“My dad said for a few hundred dollars, you could invest in all the equipment and do it on your own, and it would be a great side business in the summer when you’re not teaching,” Hosbach said.
Although the process of screen printing involves lots of trial and error, Hosbach always finds a rhythm that keeps him going.
“If there’s not enough space in between the screen and t-shirt, the print might come out wonky, but once you have those first couple shirts done, you can adjust. It’s very repetitive, almost therapeutic,” Hosbach said.
Balancing Primitive Shirts with being an art teacher is no easy task, but Hosbach makes it possible through his passion.
“I’m truly a one-man show. I’m printing my own stuff and running to the post office right after school. Usually people that know me cut me some slack if I’m a few days late shipping something out, because they know I have other stuff going on,” Hosbach said.
Hosbach’s commitment to his work can be clearly seen through the engagement in his middle school art class.
“He [teaches] in a way that’s very intriguing, and we actually get to learn about artists. He even has paintings and different prints he shows us, so that’s really neat,” freshman Evelyn Smith, a previous student of Hosbach’s, said.
For Hosbach, meeting people during events and markets is the biggest perk of owning a business, as he has formed many connections with other local small business owners and even some big Philly names.
“Jason Kelce wore a couple of my shirts on his podcast, and then in the movie [about him] on Amazon Prime. I felt cool for a couple minutes,” Hosbach said.
Sean Bruton, owner of Lunch Break Vintage, has seen the growth of Hosbach’s process through working alongside him.
“When something comes into his brain, he puts it down on a piece of paper and then it turns into a sticker that I end up carrying at my shop, which is really cool,” Bruton said.
Hosbach’s designs, namely his “Phishadelphia” logo, are worn all across Delco.
“Sometimes I’ll say, ‘Hey, I made that shirt.’ It’s cool to see somebody on the train or downtown wearing that shirt, and I’d say it’s probably one of my best sellers,” Hosbach said.
