THOUGHTS ON

CHOSEN FAMILY

Title

Family is traditionally defined by blood. They’re the people you grew up with and around; the people who raised you and have looked out for you your entire life. There’s a specific bond between family members that is tough to break, but many people grow up without a family, grow apart from their family, or just find they don’t connect with their family in the same way they used to. As we grow older and begin to create our own lives, we find ourselves surrounded by people who can feel even closer than blood - people we can relate to, live a similar lifestyle, and believe in the same values. This is often described as a “chosen family”.

I’ve been getting tattooed at Smith Street since 2018. When you walk into the shop, you immediately notice the open concept - everyone is working in one big room with no dividers. The music is kept to a relatively low volume because all the tattooers are talking to each other while they’re working: breaking each other’s balls, showing each other their work, and asking for input on how to approach the tattoo they’re about to do.

Rather than everyone running out to grab a quick bite to eat during a break in their day, the guys at Smith Street take a mandatory break at mid-day to head upstairs and each lunch together. They could all very easily be filing that time with another appointment, but they are so intentional about making that time to sit and just eat and talk and exist with each other.

When the day is over and the last tattoo is done, everyone hangs back and talks about how the day went, what they’ve got coming up, and what’s going on in each other’s lives. Even outside of work, the guys hang out consistently, whether it’s fishing or grabbing dinner with each other and their significant others. It’s incredibly apparent how tight knit this shop is and how much they value family. Nobody at this shop is family by blood, but they all happened to cross paths in this lifetime and recognize how important the connections they have are. They chose to become a family.

We hit a handful of coffee shops while we were in Japan, but one in particular made an impact on us. The spot was called Covert Coffee & it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

The employees were all dressed in black button up shirts, nice slacks, & loafers.  Lined up on the front counter were about 10 small glass jars of coffee beans - all of various origins, growing conditions, & acidities.  The barista asked us to smell each jar & decide which we enjoyed the most.

We then ordered our drinks - myself a black coffee, & Liz an oat milk latté.  The barista actually recommended different beans for Liz’s latté than what she chose - right off the bat, this indicated to us that he cared about us enjoying our drinks.

We sat down at a table as the barista ground our beans & brewed them as pour overs.  A different employee then brought our drinks over to us on a tray & explained the specific tasting notes we’d experience.  

Liz’s latté was presented in a short glass, with the espresso and oat milk perfectly marbled, but for my coffee, the barista gave me an empty ceramic cup & held a larger carafe containing my coffee. He poured a couple sips’ worth into the cup & asked me to smell it before finishing the pour - almost like when someone is served wine. He then stood next to us as we took the first sip to make sure we enjoyed it.

It truly was the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had, & Liz said the same about her latté.  He also left us with little cards that had all the info about the beans we chose.

Again, the intention & care towards what they were doing - something as seemingly trivial as brewing a cup of coffee - was so impressive and admirable.

If you’ve heard about the shopping in Japan, know that it absolutely lives up to the hype. There were endless vintage boutiques with old Nike sportswear (particularly Jordan-related), super rare band tees, and streetwear.

The coolest parts about these shops wasn’t the items themselves - it was the curation of everything that blew us away.  It wasn’t just perusing rack after rack, hoping to find something cool.  It was evident that time had been taken to showcase the merchandise in an exciting way - not just because they want to sell it, but because they actually give a fuck and are giving respect to the items they’re offering.

There was this one store in Harajuku that had such a dope window display, we had to check it out - they had Tailwinds, 98 TL’s, Air Stabs and so many more, I can’t even name them all.  Honestly, I nerded out a little (a lot) over all the sneakers, and it also felt really nice to see that there’s other people out there that are in it for the love of what they’re offering, not just to turn a profit or gain some sort of hype.

I know I keep using this word, but all of our experiences in Japan kept coming back to one concept - intention.  Rarely did we see people out on the street or on the subway eating on the go.  If people need to eat during the day, they seem to dine in at a restaurant; it may be a tiny hole in the wall, and the food may come out quickly, and they may eat it even quicker, but the idea that they’re sitting down & taking their time to enjoy their food really struck us.

And despite Tokyo being a giant city with millions of people, there was no litter, little to no excessive noise, & nobody really seemed to bother each other.  Everywhere & everything was SO clean.  On the subway, people minded their own business & were generally silent.  If they did speak, they did so in hushed voices - no people playing instruments or screaming or generally being annoying/creepy. Picture the exact opposite of what you’d witness on a New York City subway.  Even when there was traffic, we heard someone beep their car horn MAYBE once the entire time.  People seemed to respect their surroundings & each other in a way that we had never witnessed before.

Experiencing Japanese culture was exactly what we needed to feel inspired for future Damiano drops - intention, quality, care, and respect.  We aim to weave these traits into each garment we produce and know that intent is felt when our friends and customers put one of our pieces on.  We’re not just creating clothing for the hell of it; we produce items with the idea that they will get better with every wash & wear, stand the test of time, and be something that you’ll want to wear not just for a trend cycle, but for the next 20 years.

FEATURED PRODUCTS:

We hit a handful of coffee shops while we were in Japan, but one in particular made an impact on us. The spot was called Covert Coffee & it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.

The employees were all dressed in black button up shirts, nice slacks, & loafers.  Lined up on the front counter were about 10 small glass jars of coffee beans - all of various origins, growing conditions, & acidities.  The barista asked us to smell each jar & decide which we enjoyed the most.

We then ordered our drinks - myself a black coffee, & Liz an oat milk latté.  The barista actually recommended different beans for Liz’s latté than what she chose - right off the bat, this indicated to us that he cared about us enjoying our drinks.

We sat down at a table as the barista ground our beans & brewed them as pour overs.  A different employee then brought our drinks over to us on a tray & explained the specific tasting notes we’d experience.  

Liz’s latté was presented in a short glass, with the espresso and oat milk perfectly marbled, but for my coffee, the barista gave me an empty ceramic cup & held a larger carafe containing my coffee. He poured a couple sips’ worth into the cup & asked me to smell it before finishing the pour - almost like when someone is served wine. He then stood next to us as we took the first sip to make sure we enjoyed it.

It truly was the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had, & Liz said the same about her latté.  He also left us with little cards that had all the info about the beans we chose.

Again, the intention & care towards what they were doing - something as seemingly trivial as brewing a cup of coffee - was so impressive and admirable.

If you’ve heard about the shopping in Japan, know that it absolutely lives up to the hype. There were endless vintage boutiques with old Nike sportswear (particularly Jordan-related), super rare band tees, and streetwear.

The coolest parts about these shops wasn’t the items themselves - it was the curation of everything that blew us away.  It wasn’t just perusing rack after rack, hoping to find something cool.  It was evident that time had been taken to showcase the merchandise in an exciting way - not just because they want to sell it, but because they actually give a fuck and are giving respect to the items they’re offering.

There was this one store in Harajuku that had such a dope window display, we had to check it out - they had Tailwinds, 98 TL’s, Air Stabs and so many more, I can’t even name them all.  Honestly, I nerded out a little (a lot) over all the sneakers, and it also felt really nice to see that there’s other people out there that are in it for the love of what they’re offering, not just to turn a profit or gain some sort of hype.

I know I keep using this word, but all of our experiences in Japan kept coming back to one concept - intention.  Rarely did we see people out on the street or on the subway eating on the go.  If people need to eat during the day, they seem to dine in at a restaurant; it may be a tiny hole in the wall, and the food may come out quickly, and they may eat it even quicker, but the idea that they’re sitting down & taking their time to enjoy their food really struck us.

And despite Tokyo being a giant city with millions of people, there was no litter, little to no excessive noise, & nobody really seemed to bother each other.  Everywhere & everything was SO clean.  On the subway, people minded their own business & were generally silent.  If they did speak, they did so in hushed voices - no people playing instruments or screaming or generally being annoying/creepy. Picture the exact opposite of what you’d witness on a New York City subway.  Even when there was traffic, we heard someone beep their car horn MAYBE once the entire time.  People seemed to respect their surroundings & each other in a way that we had never witnessed before.

Experiencing Japanese culture was exactly what we needed to feel inspired for future Damiano drops - intention, quality, care, and respect.  We aim to weave these traits into each garment we produce and know that intent is felt when our friends and customers put one of our pieces on.  We’re not just creating clothing for the hell of it; we produce items with the idea that they will get better with every wash & wear, stand the test of time, and be something that you’ll want to wear not just for a trend cycle, but for the next 20 years.

FEATURED PRODUCTS:

I’ve experienced that same type of family in my own household. We rescued both of our dogs, Rocco and Carmelo, from tough situations. Rocco was taken from his home and separated from his siblings after a police raid when he was just under a year old. Carmelo had his ears cut off with scissors and his tail docked with a saw, then was abandoned on a farm and left to die with his brothers and sisters. He was the only survivor. When he was found, he was covered with ticks and had no hair on his body from mange. His paws were swollen to the point he couldn’t put weight on them, and he was so malnourished that the rescue thought he had broken ribs at first due to much they were protruding.

When we took both of them in, you could tell how hurt and scared they were. They would howl and cry incessantly whenever we had to leave the house. They so desperately wanted to feel love and safety and to not feel like they were being abandoned.

Rocco -  Day 1, January 11th 2023

Carmelo - Day 1, June 30th 2025

Now they wake up and immediately feel love. Rocco is always so excited for us to let Carmelo out of his crate in the morning - he sits right behind Liz, whining and wagging his tail like crazy, as she opens Carmelo’s crate door and puts his collar on him. Rocco runs into Carm’s crate before Carm even has a chance to step out because he’s so excited to start the day and play with his little brother.

Rocco + Carmelo - October 2026

Carmelo is constantly looking to see what Rocco is doing. He seriously cannot believe him - it made training Carm so much easier because he just wants to be doing whatever Rocco. They wrestle and play so hard to the point where we’re sometimes like, “Y’all are actually going to end up hurting each other on accident”. They’ll run at full speed and body check each other, jumping onto each other, rolling around on the ground…any other dog would probably be scared out of their minds, but they’re the most perfect match.  When they’ve finally tired each other out, you’ll catch them cuddling up against each other. During the day, whether we’re in our office or outside working on something or walking around the house, they both follow us and want to be wherever we are. Traumatized dogs make an active decision to trust again, and they’ve chosen us to be a part of their pack. We chose each other and we all look out for each other like a family - because we are a family.

Between what I’ve experienced in my own life and what I’ve observed between the guys at Smith Street, it’s evident that the bonds you create with the people (and dogs) you choose to keep closest in your life are no lesser than the ones shared purely by blood. These specific chosen families have taken commitments of love with a foundation of honor, loyalty and respect. Both offer a place where outsiders or those with rough starts can find a true sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves. 

THOUGHTS ON

CHOSEN FAMILY

Title

Family is traditionally defined by blood. They’re the people you grew up with and around; the people who raised you and have looked out for you your entire life. There’s a specific bond between family members that is tough to break, but many people grow up without a family, grow apart from their family, or just find they don’t connect with their family in the same way they used to. As we grow older and begin to create our own lives, we find ourselves surrounded by people who can feel even closer than blood - people we can relate to, live a similar lifestyle, and believe in the same values. This is often described as a “chosen family”.

I’ve been getting tattooed at Smith Street since 2018. When you walk into the shop, you immediately notice the open concept - everyone is working in one big room with no dividers. The music is kept to a relatively low volume because all the tattooers are talking to each other while they’re working: breaking each other’s balls, showing each other their work, and asking for input on how to approach the tattoo they’re about to do.

Rather than everyone running out to grab a quick bite to eat during a break in their day, the guys at Smith Street take a mandatory break at mid-day to head upstairs and each lunch together. They could all very easily be filing that time with another appointment, but they are so intentional about making that time to sit and just eat and talk and exist with each other.

When the day is over and the last tattoo is done, everyone hangs back and talks about how the day went, what they’ve got coming up, and what’s going on in each other’s lives. Even outside of work, the guys hang out consistently, whether it’s fishing or grabbing dinner with each other and their significant others. It’s incredibly apparent how tight knit this shop is and how much they value family. Nobody at this shop is family by blood, but they all happened to cross paths in this lifetime and recognize how important the connections they have are. They chose to become a family.

I’ve experienced that same type of family in my own household. We rescued both of our dogs, Rocco and Carmelo, from tough situations. Rocco was taken from his home and separated from his siblings after a police raid when he was just under a year old. Carmelo had his ears cut off with scissors and his tail docked with a saw, then was abandoned on a farm and left to die with his brothers and sisters. He was the only survivor. When he was found, he was covered with ticks and had no hair on his body from mange. His paws were swollen to the point he couldn’t put weight on them, and he was so malnourished that the rescue thought he had broken ribs at first due to much they were protruding.

When we took both of them in, you could tell how hurt and scared they were. They would howl and cry incessantly whenever we had to leave the house. They so desperately wanted to feel love and safety and to not feel like they were being abandoned.

Rocco - Day 1, 01/11/2023

Carmelo - Day 1, 06/25/2025

Now they wake up and immediately feel love. Rocco is always so excited for us to let Carmelo out of his crate in the morning - he sits right behind Liz, whining and wagging his tail like crazy, as she opens Carmelo’s crate door and puts his collar on him. Rocco runs into Carm’s crate before Carm even has a chance to step out because he’s so excited to start the day and play with his little brother.

Rocco + Carmelo - October 2026

Carmelo is constantly looking to see what Rocco is doing. He seriously cannot believe him - it made training Carm so much easier because he just wants to be doing whatever Rocco. They wrestle and play so hard to the point where we’re sometimes like, “Y’all are actually going to end up hurting each other on accident”. They’ll run at full speed and body check each other, jumping onto each other, rolling around on the ground…any other dog would probably be scared out of their minds, but they’re the most perfect match.  When they’ve finally tired each other out, you’ll catch them cuddling up against each other. During the day, whether we’re in our office or outside working on something or walking around the house, they both follow us and want to be wherever we are. Traumatized dogs make an active decision to trust again, and they’ve chosen us to be a part of their pack. We chose each other and we all look out for each other like a family - because we are a family.

Between what I’ve experienced in my own life and what I’ve observed between the guys at Smith Street, it’s evident that the bonds you create with the people (and dogs) you choose to keep closest in your life are no lesser than the ones shared purely by blood. These specific chosen families have taken commitments of love with a foundation of honor, loyalty and respect. Both offer a place where outsiders or those with rough starts can find a true sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves.