In this episode, Mark Baratto sits down with local brand creator and artist Cristina Velardi.

We talk about where the vision of the brand came from, how she ended up at the Art Shack, how she got started in screen printing, and how patience has been her biggest strength.

More on Cocky Key West

Basic is for the (other) birds. Cocky Key West is for the weird and proud. CockyKW is a Key West based apparel company paying homage to our island's frisky feathered friends and proudly sharing the joys of humble living.

For the artistic and eclectic keeping our island beautifully weird, the lifelong locals continuing to preserve the unique culture, all the confident bastards that chose to forfeit the norm, and our cocky little feathered mascots strutting through our streets.

Humble living. Island pride.

Anyone that has taken a trip to Key West knows that there is no shortage of strange on this tiny island.  A haunted doll, six-toed cats, and Fantasy Fest (the annual week-long celebration of individual fantasy and fetish) are just a few examples why Key West is endearingly referred to as "Key Weird."  There are so many characteristics of this place that make it so strangely unique...all of which are perpetuated, preserved and celebrated by the creative and colorful souls that inhabit our home.

Website: http://www.cockykw.com

Screen Printing Services: http://www.cockykw.com/screen-printing

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cockykeywest

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CockyKeyWest

Located at The Art Shack: https://backyardsofkeywest.com/the-art-shack-key-west

Address: 6404 Front St, Stock Island, FL

Contact: [email protected]