That's So Cincinnati: Local T-shirt boom, story behind hot-selling 'Product of Public Schools' apparel

Khisha Asubuhi came to Cincinnati to coach basketball in 2003 and soon noticed Southwest Ohio's strong pride in its private, Catholic high schools.

Where's the love for the city, suburban and rural public schools, she wondered?

It was a thought that eventually led to the best-selling T-shirt at Originalitees, an apparel shop that Asubuhi opened in 2009.

She told the story behind the "Product of Public Schools" apparel as this week's guest on The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast.

Asubuhi, a Columbus native, played basketball at Cincinnati State and Indiana University. She returned to Cincinnati in 2003 to be an assistant coach at Cincinnati State.

After nearly 17 years working at the post office, Asubuhi opened Originalitees as an online-only shop. In 2020, Originalitees opened a storefront at 2809 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills.

Originalitees is among a handful of T-shirt shops selling local- and state-themed apparel that have opened and been successful over the past decade or so.

The store has partnerships with the Reds and FC Cincinnati. Originalitees has designed an exclusive T-shirt that's part of the ticket package for Friday's African American Community Night game at Great American Ball Park. Originalitees also saw strong sales of its Bengals-themed T-shirts and sweatshirts amid the Super Bowl run this year.

Asubuhi explained why there's been a boom in such shops, not only in Cincinnati but nationwide.

Listen to "That's So Cincinnati" for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Media and other podcast platforms. The episode is also available for free by clicking the link at the top of the article.