History of Love on Haight
1992
Around the Corner at 1157 Masonic James “Jim” Preston opened Positively Haight Street in 1992, full of his tie dye, a collection of rock & roll wear as well as “hippie” goods with start up money from Jim Sigel of Distractions.
1998
With the Success of Positively Haight Street, the shop moved into the corner, current shop of 1400 Haight Street in 1998. In 2000 the Grateful Dead released the album
Ladies & Gentlemen ~ The Grateful Dead
with Preston’s tie dye artwork on the cover.
*In 1992 Sunshine first stepped foot into Positively Haight Street
2012
Benjamin StRebel purchased the shop from Jim Preston, promising to keep its same Tiedye/ Grateful Dead/ Summer of Love feel. Ben called the shop, “Jammin on Haight” after his nickname and supplied the shop with his family’s tie dye artwork.
Sunshine Powers started to manage the shop in 2012 and became part owner. During the time, Sunshine started and was part of several Homeless Youth Non-profits, helping get over 450 homeless youth housed in less than a 5 year period.
In 2013, Ben commissioned artist Xavi Panneton to paint the outside of the shop into a geometric masterpiece.
In 2016, Ben decided he did not want the shop anymore. Sunshine came up with money to purchase the store from a major donor of her housing homeless youth nonprofit, ensuring that the shop would continue.
Instead of giving the money back to the donor, Sunshine is to put all the money back into the Community.
January 1st 2017
With the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love upon the city, Sunshine changed the name of her shop to LOVE ON HAIGHT, ensuring that it still stayed a Tiedye/Grateful Dead/ Summer of Love Store but also evolving it to an artist collective and a spot for artists from around the world to showcase their wearable art with a focus on ethical and San Francisco produced fashion.
In the Fall of 2017, Santa Rosa was hit with massive fires that devastated the region. Love on Haight became a regional command center for donations and ended up delivering over 150 Truckloads of donations to the Santa Rosa, an act that Love on Haight & Sunshine Powers were given awards for from the City, the Senate, Congress & the California Assembly.
Over the Years, Love on Haight has grown into an Iconic Artist Collective with over 200 Artists from around the world. Sunshine and Love on Haight have been featured in over 15 worldwide videos and over 150 Magazine, Articles & Newspapers as well as countless news programs.
On March 15th 2020, Love on Haight made the decision to close our doors due to Corona Virus Pandemic. Sunshine boarded up the windows and spray painted
“We Will Get By, We Will Survive”
across the front of the shop.
The next day, a picture of Love on Haight’s boarded windows with a doctor from the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic Walking by was featured on the covers of almost every major newspaper including The New York Times & the San Francisco Chronicle as well as featured on the news channels; CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, NBC, CBS & more as well as featured in videos by Neil Young & Andrea Bocelli.
During the year of the Pandemic and being closed, Love on Haight focused on building its online store as well as completely redoing the inside of the shop including a 3D Sparkle Flower Floor.
Upon Love on Haight’s reopening in March of 2021, Sunshine made the decision to breathe new life into the neighborhood by having the outside completely redone as well,
increasing the RAINBOW that Love on Haight oozes from it!
Love on Haight is honored to have the group of artists ~ Ellie Paisley, Aaron Brooks, Hannah Bunzey, Becca Tindol, Ethan Strickland, Jeremiah Welch, Sofia Venegas, Spero Art & more ~ create our love story with the Haight Ashbury on the outside of our beloved Building.
Over the years, this shop has evolved, but it has remained the Rainbow Gateway to the historical neighborhood of the Haight Ashbury.
Love on Haight is dedicated to the revitalization of Haight Street & bringing back the color, creativity and consciousness that this historic corridor is known for.
On March 15th 2022, Love on Haight started their very own nonprofit ~
Colors of Love (on Haight) and started a tiedye education center at 854 Stanyan Street.
On March 15th, 2023 Love on Haight was awarded and honored as a Legacy Business of San Francisco, ensuring that no matter what happens over the years…
Love on Haight will stay Love on Haight and there will ALWAYS be a tiedye shop on the corner of Haight & Masonic.
Love on Haight is grateful to be a true symbol of San Francisco.
LOVE IS THE ANSWER!
