Everyone Loves Austin's Sophia Erian poses with Foster the People.
When I first met Sophia Erian, founder of Everyone Loves Austin, I was struck by her infectious enthusiasm for the city. She talked about Austin like it was her child. Pride and ardor run deep through her veins and she knows that there are other people out there like her too- tons of us, actually. That is why she created the new movement Everyone Loves Austin.
Everyone Loves Austin is a two-fold initiative. The first part is “merely to make an assertion that we love Austin,” says Erian. Similar to (but better than, in my opinion) the “I Love NY” logo, Erian has created an “Everyone Loves Austin” minimalist black and white graphic with heart emblem that she’s printed on t-shirts and stickers. “I Want Austin represented on the T-shirt worldwide to represent the growing presence and appeal of our city,” say Erian. In addition, Everyone Loves Austin has pledged to donate 10% of their annual profits to Keep Austin Beautiful and another 10% to HAAM.
Now before you get your panties in a bunch thinking Erian is encouraging truckloads of newbies to our city, that is not her point. The second part of Everyone Loves Austin is about preservation. Erian hopes that by creating a pride movement in Austin it will make all of us think about how we can preserve the city we love so much.
Considering how popular Austin has become, Erian understands the threat exists that Austin can become just like another Dallas or Phoenix, but she remains optimistic. “I have faith that the kind of people Austin attracts won’t pose a threat to our culture and sense of place, but by amping up our pride in this time of growth, I really hope we can all make a conscious effort to be grateful for what we have here and see to it that nothing threatens that.”
If you're interested in learning more or become involved with this movement, please visit the website and let the world know you love Austin.
