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Meet Patti Lapel, Your New Favorite Obscure Pin Brand

By Natalie Alcala
Photo: @pattilapel

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Are you in the market for the perfect AOL tribute? There's a pin for that. What about a wearable reminder that DJ Khaled is the Shakespeare of Snapchat? There's a pin for that. How about a nod to the best Dwayne Johnson #TBT moment ever? There's a pin for that. And finally, what about a fashionable way to pay your respects for our fearless LA leader, Phyllis Nefler of iconic '80s film, Troop Beverly Hills? There's even a pin for that. Sure, we've reached peak pin, but there's only one brand producing the most obscure pop culture references we've ever seen, and that brand is LA's own Patti Lapel.

The brand is also obscure when it comes to its origin; the "About Us" page on its website leads you to a non-bio that simply states: "Do you remember Missy Elliot's episode of Cribs where she revealed she still sleeps in a race car bed? Anyway, we sell pins."

A photo posted by Patti Lapel (@pattilapel) on

That type of random humor is exactly why Patti Lapel is so refreshing, and sets itself apart from the other hot pin brands to hit the scene. We reached out to the brand and did receive some further intel: it's a sister company to LA's pop culture staple Gallery1988, and was founded late 2015 from "the innocent idea of wanting to make three obscure pins that maybe some people will connect with," the brand tells us. "Since then [we've] released dozens of new designs (with many selling out in hours) and had one charity-related pin, tributing basketball reporter Craig Sager, featured multiple times on ESPN and Bleacher Report. But [our] main goal is to still just be really obscure."

Goal achieved. In addition to original and vintage pins, Patti Lapel also sells LeBron James-approved hats, ironic T-shirts, patches, and socks. We can't wait to see what they pin-ify next.