1. It was shortly after 6 p.m. on a Monday, the
city street was littered with the residue of
a million carbon footprints and it was
relatively warm out, so I opened the windows
as I drove. I arrived just in time and parked
along Beverly Boulevard. The smell of coffee
drenched the air as I made my way toward
the entrance to Andante Coffee Roasters. I
slipped through the glass doors approaching
the counter and quickly ordered.
After a few moments I noticed a woman
sitting in the back corner, dark hair pulled
back, her face slightly hidden by cat-eye-
shaped glasses. She was firmly engrossed in
what appeared to be a conversation with
someone on the receiving end of several
text messages. I approached her, unsure of
what to say first. She smiled and it was clear,
she was Heather Lipner.
Lipner is the creative director of Clashist,
a brand that infuses relevant pop-culture
references into its designs and has made a
name for itself by selling apparel with prints
of Zach Galifianakis’ face arranged into
collages, illustrations depicting Lena
Dunham in her ‘birthday suit,’ and a very
controversial nod to the Free The Nipple
movement, the “Tit-Tee” shirt that has
resonated with a culturally and liberally
diverse generation. Clashist goes against
the grain, appealing to a generation that
defines itself by working to un-define
what societal norms have been placed
upon them.
To truly understand, you have to know where
Lipner is coming from. Born and raised in
Chicago, the Los Angeles transplant knew
from an early age that she was, well,
different. Learning how to sew as a child
allowed Lipner to express her personal style
much earlier than others. This chance to
develop and express herself in a unique and
different way enabled her to follow her
instincts, which has helped propel her
through several opportunities in her short
yet prolific career. She was raised by two
parents who infused the notion that in life,
one must never stop asking questions. This
planted the seed in Lipner’s mind that to
succeed, you must question everything.
“I was raised a certain way, and I think
some of those values still hold true. My
mom was a teacher and she used to say,
‘question everything.’”
This inquisitive thread has spanned Lipner’s
entire life and has surely played a role in her
Words by
DANA ELIZABETH JOHNSON
Art by
BRYAN DALE
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