Spreading the NOLA love

Sally Asher sally@tulane.edu
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Staff in the city

What started out as a way for New Orleans native Taryn Pusateri to represent her hometown when she traveled has expanded into an opportunity to allow others to do the same.

Taryn Pusateri at Storyville T-shirts

In her spare time, Tulane University Web designer Taryn Pusateri has created over 20 designs for the Storyville T-shirt shop. (Photo by Sally Asher)


A year ago, Tulane University Web designer Pusateri brought a design she called “NOLA Love” to the T-shirt shop Storyville and asked them to print up a few for herself and friends. The pattern had the letter N stacked on topped of L and A with a heart replacing the O. Storyville liked the NOLA motif so much that they offered to buy it and any variations of it she had.

Pusateri already had a fleur de lis, football and king cake design. Since then, she has created over 20 designs for the company, 10 alone in the NOLA Love series.

“I wanted a classic design,” Pusateri says, “that could have variations and would still feel relevant years from now. It"s been a great feeling to see people in New Orleans (and even on campus) wear my various designs.”

Pusateri, who has worked for six years as a university Web designer, has bachelor"s degrees in journalism and visual arts from Loyola University and did internships in New York City with the Center for Book Arts and the New York Review of Books.

Her experience at Tulane has allowed her to expand her artistic interests even more.

“Every day is something different,” Pusateri explains. “I"ve been given more opportunities to learn new skills, take on design projects for my department and collaborate with a great group of creative thinkers.”

Pusateri also has designed business logos and wedding and party invitations, but still has a special place in her heart for her T-shirt designs, which allow her to wear her love for New Orleans on her sleeve.