Wearing her story – ELIZABETH HARVEY, 24, Storyville creative director

If Elizabeth Harvey were to wear her story, she’d probably need more than a T-shirt, even though she’s only 24 years old.

Harvey and her 10 siblings are the creative force behind Storyville, the apparel and screenprinting business that encourages customers to “wear your story.” Born in Monroe and raised there and in Hammond, Harvey majored in religious studies at LSU; Storyville was launched in January 2007, a semester before she graduated. Older brother Josh (“our overachiever”) has law and MBA degrees, but the other siblings have mostly learned the business by doing. “Storyville has made us grow. We’re constantly learning, “ says Harvey. “It’s a little bit too much family at times, but we have complete trust. We can really get a lot of stuff done.”

Storyville gained national attention with its “Brad Pitt for Mayor” design. “That was really fun for us this summer,” Harvey says, adding that the phenomenon mostly involved the New Orleans store, which opened in March 2009. It spread internationally at first, appearing in the UK’s Mirror and on Yahoo! India before making the rounds here, even earning a mention in the New York Times.

The “mayor” design was suggested by Tulane art professor Thomas Bayer and is typical of how many of Storyville’s creations come into being. Harvey and her sibs come up with some of the designs (Storyville Originals), but many are the brainchildren of local artists, who work on consignment.

“Everything stays local,” Harvey says. “At least half the money goes back to local designers.” Part of the proceeds from the Brad Pitt shirt go to the actor’s Make It Right Foundation; other Storyville philanthropic endeavors include a fashion show benefiting the homeless.

Storyville Austin opened at the end of 2007. The Texas capital was chosen for its “neat vibe” and because, Harvey explains, “We like to be around big universities.” The siblings take turns running all three stores. A road trip to scope out possible future locations—”Athens, Nashville, maybe Gainesville,” Harvey muses—is in the works for spring 2010.

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