One of my favorite stands at the Outer Sunset Farmer’s Market is run by the artful boutique, Fleet Wood. Located on Larkin St in the Tenderloin, Fleet Wood is a screen printing, clothing and art store. The store is run and owned by Nicole Schwieterman, a fellow maker and screen printer. Nicole started the business in 2008 under the name ‘StudioNico’. “I was just printing out of my apartment back then and running screen printing workshops in SF. Then our shirt ‘good grammar is sexy’ got reposted by a famous blogger and things really took off.” Things took off so intensely that in 2015, Nicole opened her own brick and mortar store and changed her business name to Fleet Wood.
“I like to think of it as a fleet of ships under one company, like a fleet of different ideas under one roof.” Nicole shares.
One of these ideas are their popular hand printed shirts. In fact, every clothing item sold is hand printed so each item is unique with varying color erosion and vintage tourism graphics.
Fleet Wood is full of Nicole’s artful touch and her screen printing passion but the walls of the store also feature other local artists. “Every month we do an art walk in our store and have art from local artists and makers displayed in the store for sale.”.
Fleet Wood also partners with Hospitality House’s Community Arts Program which is a free-of-charge fine arts studio and gallery space in the Tenderloin for artists and neighborhood residents whose socio-economic struggles would otherwise prevent them from accessing artistic amenities. Every year, Hospitality House hosts an auction with over 80 art pieces from artists in the Community Arts Program and multiple spaces offer themselves up as viewing galleries such as Fleet Wood. The money raised from the auction goes back into Hospitality House and the resources they offer to artists. Nicole’s love for local art is clearly present in her store but also stretches across her community into supporting other artists.
Pop into Fleet Wood anytime from 12pm to 7pm or catch their stand at the Outer Sunset Farmer’s Market to support this wonderful business!
-Valentine Batra