The Lost Borough

ABOUT ME:

Welcome to The Lost Borough maker page, a collection of shirts and prints that celebrate the history, culture, and pride of our cities. I’m Matt Rogers, founder and fellow explorer behind the business. I launched this company in 2013 as Transit Apparel to combine my passion for history, art, and urban life into something I could share with others, choosing shirts as a familiar yet unique medium for illustration and story-telling. After three successful years in my hometown of Rochester, I sought to expand my concept and seek other cities to explore. Two rules guided my search: I looked for cities that had a public rail system (a sign of urban prosperity), and that people were proud to call their hometown. Enter Pittsburgh. I also chose to take a piece of Rochester with me, renaming my project The Lost Borough, a lesser known yet fascinating city nickname for Rochester.

ABOUT MY PRODUCTS:

Each shirt design is personally illustrated, hand printed, and limited edition, making for a special art piece that happens to be wearable. The prints are also personally illustrated, thoroughly researched, and provide a complex and thoughtful story that works better on paper than on fabric. With each piece, the colors, illustration, and design elements all factor into the main themes, including neighborhoods, subway stops, trolley lines, seasons, urban legends, city nicknames, and more. These shirts and prints are perfect for showing pride in your hometown and sharing why your city is awesome and unique.