Detroit vs. Everybody

Three words that became a movement. In 2012 — Detroit sliding toward bankruptcy, the Kilpatrick scandal all over the national news — graphic designer Tommey Walker, a Cass Tech grad who’d done creative work for Def Jam, got fed up with how his city was portrayed and channeled it into a logo: DETROIT / vs / EVERYBODY, stacked in blunt capitals. “Not to complain but to contribute,” as he puts it.

The shirts (all made in Detroit) caught fire — worn by Eminem and Big Sean, and a memorable hoodie handed to Stephen Colbert on air — and the phrase escaped into the wild: every city, team, and school now seems to be “vs. Everybody,” to the point that Walker trademarked the format and licenses official versions. It’s one of the most recognized Black-owned brands to come out of Detroit, and it captures the city’s whole underdog soul in three words. Honest note: contrary to the rumor, the original Eastern Market flagship didn’t burn down — a wall partially collapsed in 2023 — and the brand relaunched downtown.