Inside My “Motor City Motion” Collaboration (Creative Directed by Big Sean)

On March 13th, Detroit’s most important holiday of the year, I had the opportunity to collaborate with the Detroit Pistons on an official 313 Day clothing release.

What started as a design project became something far bigger:

✔ Shirts sold out before arena doors even opened
✔ A second presale run sold out within days
✔ My artwork (and face) featured throughout Little Caesars Arena
✔ Interviewed live by FanDuel Sports Network
✔ Art direction involvement from Detroit icon Big Sean

For a Detroit artist, it was SURREAL.

The Concept: “Motor City Motion”

If you know me, you know I always want to design in a way that makes people stop, stare, and look a little closer. So when I sat down and thought about what makes Detroit feel like Detroit, it hit me: MOTION.

Detroit has always been defined by movement. From assembly lines to music to sports culture, the city runs on energy, resilience, and momentum. I wanted the design to capture that feeling, not just represent Detroit visually, but emotionally.

Motor City Motion was created as a split-world concept:

• The visible skyline and identity of Detroit above ground

• The pulse of underground culture below: basketball, music, dance, and grit

• A basketball bridging both worlds as the unifying force

But in all honesty, my goal wasn’t just to design another piece of merch. I wanted to tell a story about Detroit.

Art Direction & Collaboration

This release was part of the Pistons’ 313 Day celebration, with creative involvement from Detroit native Big Sean.

The collection itself was designed as a capsule (DETailed Design Capsule) featuring work from three Detroit artists, each bringing their own creative perspective to the release. Being included alongside other artists from the city made the project feel even more meaningful, as the goal was to highlight Detroit creativity as a whole.

What made this experience especially exciting for me is that I’m not just an artist, I’m a creative. I studied advertising, so I understand how artwork fits into a bigger campaign and how visuals translate across different platforms. Because of that, I was able to contribute ideas and perspective during the creative direction of the photo shoot, which was something I really enjoyed being part of.

Large projects like this are always a team effort where designers, producers, marketers, and retail teams all work together toward one launch moment.

Leading up to the event, the design was also shared through collaborative posts with the Pistons across social media, helping build excitement around the release.

Seeing My Art Across the Arena

Inside Little Caesars Arena, my design wasn’t just on shirts.

It was EVERYWHEREEEEE.

• Digital signage throughout the venue

• JumboTron features

• Promotional displays

• Retail presentations

• My own face appearing on screens as part of the activation

Walking through the arena was one of those moments where everything slows down for a second. All the countless late nights and the energy I’ve poured into building my business, the work people don’t always see, suddenly felt recognized on a whole new level.

During the event, myself and the other artists were also interviewed live by FanDuel Sports Network, where we spoke about the inspiration behind our designs and what it was like working with Big Sean on such a large project.

It was one of those moments that reminds you exactly why you do what you do.

Selling Out Before Doors Opened

The most unbelievable moment came on game day.

My shirts were fully sold out in arena and online before the arena doors even opened to the public. Walking around the team store and seeing the frenzy of fans scrambling to find the “Juliana design,” people already wearing it before tip-off and others asking where they could get one, was something I’ll truly never forget.

Due to a strong demand, a second presale run was released online a week later and also fully sold out within days.

For an artist, there’s nothing more validating than seeing your work embraced by thousands of people in real time.

Players Wearing the Design

Another surreal moment came after the 313 Day release. Pistons players Daniss Jenkins and Jalen Duren were both seen wearing the Motor City Motion shirt; Jenkins during a game day walk-in and Duren during a media interview.

Seeing the design move from concept, to arena retail, to players wearing it themselves was an incredible full-circle moment as well.

Why This Project Meant So Much

I’ve had the opportunity to work with the Pistons on several different projects in the past, but this one felt truly one-of-a-kind.

Being able to create something for a day that means so much to the city, and seeing it sell out within hours, was an incredible honor. Even now, almost two weeks later, my brain keeps going back to that moment, the fact that the design completely sold out. It’s something I’m still processing, and a reminder of how powerful it is when art connects with people in a real way.

What’s Next?

At this point in my career, I’m realizing more and more how naturally my artwork fits within the sports world. There’s something about the energy, the scale, and the culture around sports that aligns really well with how I approach design.

Moving forward, I’m excited to keep building within that space while continuing to collaborate with teams and organizations in Detroit and eventually beyond. I’m also really interested in exploring the automotive world, especially motorsport and Formula 1–style creative projects where art, speed, and design intersect.

My goal is to continue growing into a nationally recognized artist, while always staying rooted in the city that shaped me. No matter where the work takes me, Detroit will always be home.

If you have a project, space, or collaboration in mind, you can start one here.