Give Us Names – Flannel Cap

I recently had the chance to do something I really enjoy. Designing products is what made me fall in love with the social business industry in the first place. It’s why I started this blog and is the skill that I have found in myself that allows me to contribute to great causes. A friend Colin Perez asked me if I wanted to be involved in designing some caps for an organization called Give Us Names and I jumped at the opportunity. Give Us Names has been touring the country spreading the word about displaced farmers in Colombia. Every year the US sprays pesticides along rural Colombia in an effort to kill off illegal coca…

Benson Backpacks

I’ve been looking for a new bag and came across Benson Backpacks. Like many of the entrepreneurs I usually end up blogging about, the creator of Benson was sparked by a life changing moment to meld creative passions with business and purpose. Founder Matthew Clough was on a climbing trip in Tanzania at Mt. Kilimanjaro. The climb to the summit is about a 5-6 day trek depending on the route. While on the journey Matthew developed a bond with one of the porters named Benson. After learning that Benson earned a meager wage of 1-2 dollars a day and depended mostly on the generosity of the travelers that he safe guarded along the trail, Matthew returned…

OBEY Awareness

Street art has become more than just tags on walls marking territory for gangs. Over the past decades, this once counterculture nuisance has become, in the eyes of the art world, a legitimate form. Taking from the momentum of the punk rock and hip-hop movements, street art has become a spokesperson for the disenfranchised. Instead of creating art on a canvas for consumption in expensive museums and private homes, street art looks to bring the opportunity of the inner inquisition that comes from viewing art by using the world as a canvas so anyone, no matter their financial standing, can partake. (Fight the establishment!) With one of the most influential pieces of modern art in my generation (the…

N.O.W – Cardigan

I’ve been looking at No One Without for a while, and while I love the giving model I was never a big fan of their designs. Their new unisex cardigan however caught my attention. It’s the first piece that I could really see myself in. With a nod to Sherlock Holmes there is a mustache on the breast and a pocket watch time piece popping out of the pocket. Time pieces are a recurring theme in their designs. They are supposed to remind the user to not put things off till later. Love more, do more, live more right N.O.W. No One Without partners with a couple different non-profits and gives 20% of their profits…

Moral Fibers – Art Empowers

When times get tough economically, art programs are always one of the first things to get cut. On the flip side of that out of extreme circumstances come some of the best artists. Moral Fibers is clothing company that loves seeing artist grow. They set up long-term partnerships with artists in developing nations to offer them an opportunity to make a living off of their art. These artists are not looking for a hand out, just the chance to share their art and provide for their families. People are more and more concerned about the origins of the food they put in their body and where things are manufactured. This is a dope look at…

TWINS for Peace

A collaboration between twin brothers Maxime and Alexandre Mussard and their best friend Louis Felix de Fenoyl, TWINS for Peace is a Parisian footwear brand with a purpose. TWINS for Peace has a one-4-one giving model. For every pair you buy they will give a pair to a child in need, but unlike TOMS they are also involved in donating school supplies, school tuition, books, and medical supplies. They carry a men’s and women’s line of casual footwear produced in a family owned factory in Portugal. The shoes are made from Italian materials and carry the motto “Be Cool, Be Good.”  

MOVMT 2012 Lookbook

MOVMT is a southern California shoe company that takes care to use recycled and organic material whenever possible to make a super simple but wearable shoe. Each season they partner with a different organization. This year a portion of the profits from their Clean Act Collection will benefit the Plastic Pollution Coalition which is a network that is focused on preventing the harmful effects of plastic on humans, animals, and the environment. Their line includes men’s and women’s casual footwear. From the sound of it only the “Clean Act Collection” directly benefits the charity while other pieces in their line do not so just check the name when you’re purchasing.

NorthWest NAU

NAU pronounced (now) embodies a lot of what the NorthWest has to offer. When I first moved to Seattle from Hawaii one of the first things I noticed about the people here (aside from being a bit fair skinned and having an affliction for plaid) was how much influence they took from nature and applied to their designs. Its kind of like Hawaii where a beach culture has influenced the look and feel of a lot of designs. Here the bike, boarding, climbing, and outdoor activities show through in color ways and textures of a lot of designs. NAU is a Portland based brand that creates outerwear that works as well in downtown as in the…

New Revolution – Oliberté

Oliberté is the first to make its premium leather goods exclusively in Africa. With natural rubber outsoles from Liberia, and leathers from Ethiopia, it’s best known for its handcrafted, rugged style. If you’re looking for a chukka that stands out a bit these are a fresh addition. I love the detail in the logo and the story behind it. I love how they stress that they are NOT a charity but a company that cares for its employees and the community where their goods are crafted. Thats the whole theme of this blog is that life does not have to be one or the other. Making a comfortable living and being a consumer can be…

Revolt Wind Breaker

The good folks at Pnoy Apparel have come out with a fresh color way on a classic piece. I know it seems a bit cold out for a wind breaker but the versatility of the fold up pouch make it an easy addition to any afternoon trip around the city. I’m really lovin how they switched up the colors on the flag. For those that don’t know Pnoy Apparel also runs an amazing program called Shirt the Kids. With the slogan “Help Put A Shirt On Poverty” they offer much more than just a simple garment. The crew regularly does shirt drops in the Philippines and is very active in the Filipino Amerikano community in the…