Sharing the Spotlight in Custom T-Shirts

A whistle blows, and two young girls come off the soccer field. Their faces say they’re family, but their team t-shirts bear opposing mascots, and that has six-year-old Adelyn Foto heartbroken. The thought of facing off against her sister, Katelyn, instead of playing with her is too much for her to bear. After all, aren’t they supposed to be on the same team?

Twenty years later, the two sisters are on the same team. Together with their younger sister Gaylyn, The Foto Sisters perform across the country as a classically trained trio, and wow audiences with their unique blend of spiritual, classical, cinematic, and pop styles.

Katelyn, Gaylyn, and Adelyn Foto showing off their custom band shirts.

Soccer may have pitted them against each other, but music was a different story. Beginning with their first piano lesson together, Adelyn, Katelyn, and Gaylyn Foto discovered that music was something that brought them together. “A few years later, we all began violin lessons, and shortly after were performing string trios in hospitals, nursing homes, church, and for recitals.” From there, it was only a matter of time before they took their talents to even bigger venues, like the National Day of Prayer at the Louisiana State Capitol, and the Louisiana Governor’s Prayer Breakfast. “We loved music, and the more we performed, the more invitations we received.”

By the end of high school, the Foto Sisters had become so popular that they decided to postpone college in order to focus on continuing to perform and record. With the help of their parents Carolyn and Jimmy Foto, and the support of their fans, the sisters put all of their energy into their group and recently began work on their seventh album together this past year.

The Foto Sisters’ parents, Jimmy and Carolyn, wear their daughter’s shirts proudly.

As the Foto Sisters’ popularity grew, so did their need to create a lasting image for themselves. They knew they wanted to create something that could bring their fans together in the same way music had connected them as sisters, and as performers, they felt that fashion and style were very important to their image. With those thoughts in mind, the sisters had the idea to make custom band t-shirts for their group to sell as merchandise and to spread their image.

Working with graphic artist Dan Lietha, Katelyn Foto used her penchant for art to help create a design for the band t-shirts that the group had in mind. After observing the gear that other businesses had bought, the group chose Custom Ink to print their t-shirts. “Custom Ink provides many affordable and cute options that go along with our merchandise branding,” Katelyn says. “After shopping around, we also found Custom Ink’s prices to be competitive and the use of the website to be very easy.”

The Foto Sisters, Gaylyn, Adelyn, and Katelyn with their mother Carolyn showing off their merch including custom t-shirts.

For the Foto Sisters, being able to work and perform with the people they love is the greatest blessing. Even on the road, they’re never far from their family, with mom on board as their merch manager and dad working as their audio engineer. Now, with custom band t-shirts to show their style, the Foto Sisters are bringing their fans together in a whole new way.

Get Inspired!

Want to make an amazing band shirt yourself? Check out these simple tips to merchandise your masterpieces:

1. Find a shirt that sells. Raising money for your group selling shirts? Search our selection and choose a shirt your fans will love.

2. Upload or create your design. Got a design already? It’s easy to upload your own art using the Design Lab. You can also create your own using our awesome library of arts and fonts.

3. Add some accessories. Go beyond apparel. Create more merch for your fans with your design on everything from hats to water bottles and more.

4. Set up a fundraiser. Want to sell your shirts in more way than one? Get your supporters engaged with a t-shirt fundraiser to support your style.

5. Order your way. Whenever you need your shirts, we’ve got you covered. No matter if you sell out the week of a big gig or are just restocking for the upcoming tour, our guaranteed delivery options will ensure you have the shirts you need to excite your fans.