It’s cool to care about the Utah-based influencer and Lonely Ghost founder Indy Blue.
India Blue Severe is a twenty-five-year-old entrepreneur, blogger, influencer and one of the founders of Lonely Ghost. Her brand is built on the idea of normalizing loneliness and creating unity between her “ghost gang.”
Lonely Ghost was founded in early 2019 with the goal of bringing inclusivity and positivity into the “street wear space.” Not only does Lonely Ghost provide its fan base with the potential to elevate their wardrobe but it allows Ghost wearers to form lifelong friendships and feel less alone.
Severe shines a light on many vulnerable ideas, sharing, “I dove into the simplistic beauty of not wanting to end a conversation without saying ‘I love you,’ but also the deep, profound, complexity of not wanting to ever go without saying ‘I love you.’
Indy Blue developed the idea for Lonley Ghost while on the phone with her on-again/off-again boyfriend. She shares in her blog post “The Lonely Ghost Story” that when they were in their “off again stage” they ended one of their phone calls abruptly one night with him saying “I love you” and her replying with “see ya”… and minutes later her now husband Jackson texted her “say it back.” Thus the idea for her first line “I love you, say it back” was born.
“I love you, say it back” is what Indy Blue and her business partner Bronson Christensen describe as their “lightbulb moment.” Using her following of over 200,000 people she gained through her travel videos and blogs, she dove head first into creating her business with little knowledge at the time. Many describe Indy Blue as the internet’s resident “big sister turned mom,” where she was once known for her travel content and videography, she now is taking the world by storm with carefully curated drops that turn your favorite hoodie into a piece that connects society.
Each Lonely Ghost collection serves a greater purpose beyond a cute hoodie. With drops including “Text Me When You Get Home” which shines a light on loving people and wanting them safe whether they’re standing in front of you or miles away, “Lonely Elementary” which features bright colors and uplifting mantras that spoke to one’s inner child, and, my personal favorite, the “It’s Cool to Care” line where she takes away the stigma about “caring too much.” Indy Blue created this line after receiving a fan DM on Instagram saying “it makes me happy how you embrace being the friend that cares! I always felt like I was too much and I feel like your stuff makes it cool to be nice/caring.” Receiving this compliment from a fan, after Severe had felt like she was ‘too much” for caring inspired her to highlight caring on hoodies.
The simple phrases printed across Lonely Ghost hoodies bring communities across the globe together. The Ghost Gang as Severe has named them, not only supports her brand but celebrates her big moments including the grand opening of her storefront Ghost Grocery, her engagement, the birth of her son and various other celebrations.
It’s easy to feel accepted when wrapped up in a Lonely Ghost hoodie because of the beautiful message behind each one. Not only has Severe created such a meaningful brand but listens to what her fans have to say and creates each drop with them in mind. Severe is known to be inherently vulnerable on social media. She shares in an interview with “The Local Optimist” that “people crave authenticity, back in the day when people were posting their Valencia filtered coffee, I was talking about graduating high school and how I got terrible grades and how me and my boyfriend broke up, you know?” Indy Blue’s authenticity and vulnerability is refreshing, as she uses social media as a personal journal. She encourages her fans to set boundaries with social media but also “create the ‘online’ life you want.”
Lonely Ghost as a brand stands as a safe space and a light in the world. Something as simple as the phrase “Text Me When You Get Home” or “This Song Reminds Me of You” printed on the back of a hoodie with a little ghost has created a home for those who love the brand. Thank’s to Indy Blue Severe and her business partner Bronson Christensen, if you see anyone wearing Lonely Ghost in public, you will instantly have a new friend and feel the connection of the Ghost Gang.