Young couple launch Public Threads clothing biz in Dearborn

Salam and Adam Zahr are married. She is a former teacher who is now a freelance photographer. He is a doctor working on his residency at the University of Michigan. They both live in Dearborn and are the co-founders of Public Threads. "We were looking for something to do together that suited both of our interests," says Salam Zahr, co-founder of Public Threads. "We wanted to have some fun, make some money and give back to the community." Public Threads is a clothing boutique that specializes in t-shirts. The Zahrs create simple designs from things they enjoy, such as guitar because they both love music, and a soccer-themed shirt because they like that sport, too. The couple recently completed the BUILD program at D:hive in downtown Detroit, which gave them the basic tools to run a lifestyle business. The couple are also working to make sure their products are as locally sourced as possible. They use American Apparel shirts because they are made in the U.S.A. They plan to expand into long-sleeve shirts and sweaters in the near future, all made domestically. "That was important to us," Salam says. "We want to make sure it's made in the United States." Source: Salam Zahr, co-founder of Public Threads Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.