Meet Nickie

Are you tired of copy-and-paste Deaf merch that doesn’t reflect who you are?

Lovecore was born out of that frustration. Not with a business plan, but with annoyance, a strong sense of identity, and a lot of opinions. It came from rebellion, authenticity, and the refusal to blend in.

I’m Nickie, the founder of Lovecore Apparel. I was born Deaf, and it wasn't a tragedy. The only disabilities in life are a bad attitude and dealing with jerks. Life taught me early that being Deaf is not a curse. It’s simply part of who I am, like hating math.

Growing up, I learned how much identity and confidence matter. Not just how the world sees you, but how you see yourself. That stuck with me.

The American Sign Language (ASL) “I Love You” 🤟 hand sign has always been everywhere in Deaf culture. It’s iconic. It’s meaningful. It’s also cringed. Some people love it. Some people don’t. For a long time, I was in that second group.

What I kept seeing was the same idea repeated. The same graphic, copied and dropped onto T-shirts and sweatshirts. That was never my style.

I couldn’t find it. So I made it.

But Lovecore was never meant to be just about me. From the start, I wanted it to be a space for the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Somewhere we could show up as ourselves, support one another, and share our perspectives without competing.

Because the deal is, we’re always hustling. Adjusting. Pushing to be seen for who we are, not who people assume we are. Lovecore exists to push back on that through identity, creativity, and connection. Not by trying to fit in, but by confidently doing our own thing.

That’s why Lovecore lives through limited, special-edition collaborations centered around the ASL “ILY” hand sign. Each one brings a new point of view and a different expression of love, while staying connected to the same symbol that brings us together.

At its core, Lovecore is about wearing your identity with ease and confidence. It’s about community, intention, and choosing love without apology.

This is what we stand for. Curious why we do it this way? Start with Why Not? »

No matter what anyone says,
I love you.