Apolis Activism’s Stylish Cause: Philanthropic Fashion

When most people hear the words "global" and "fashion" in the same sentence, places like Milan, Barcelona, Paris, New York, and names like Lagerfeld, Armani, Versaci typically come to mind. What they won't think of: Uganda. Nepal. Madison, Wisconsin. But say hello -- in whatever language -- to the world of Apolis Activism. Started by three brothers from Santa Barbara, Shea, Stenn and Raan Parton are re-designing the way fashion works from the ground up by connecting it with a global community. For example, their Philanthropist Briefcase, currently blowing up the menswear press lines: designs in their studio in L.A. prompt the need for cotton, which they source from Jinja, Uganda, which gives villagers there a chance to own and operate their own means of industry they never had before. It goes to classic American outdoor wear providers C.C. Filson Company in Seattle to be assembled and sold in boutique menswear shops, like Madison, Wisconson's Context Clothing. And done. They've created more work for the world in places it couldn't before. And it's great stuff. To get a better idea of how it works, and how it's going to change the way we wear our lives, Shea Parton, 25, gave us a worldly schooling in the business of Apolis Activism.

How’d you get involved in Apolis? What was the genesis of it?
My two brothers and I grew up in Santa Barbara, California. Our parents knew that we’d never appreciate how good we had it unless we were exposed to what the real world’s about. We all sort of traveled with my parents in and for the nonprofit world. The more we traveled with the idea that everything we saw was going to be different—and that the people were going to be so hard to relate to—the more impressed we were with how many similarities there were between us and the people we met. Mostly: the same desire to laugh, and learn, and really provide for your family. It got us thinking. As my brothers and I traveled, we recognized that we wanted to start a business together around this idea.

Why fashion?
We could’ve sold boats together, as long as we were convinced we selling more than just boats. It happens that our older brother’s talented in design, and he worked in the apparel business for a little while before we started Apolis. We just followed his lead and desire to start a brand that really connects the hands that make a product with the hands that wear it.

And so: Apolis.
Yeah. Tied it all together. The word—Latin for “global citizen”—is for the philosophy that everyone, really, is created equal. Funny thing’s that our parents are by no means in the apparel world. We’ve got a lot of great people around us helping make little steps of growth and keeping things focused. It’s been pretty bizarre how we’ve gotten here, and I would’ve never thought I’d be in the garment business.

How old are you guys?
I’m twenty-five, my older brother’s twenty-seven, my younger brother’s twenty-three.

Jesus. That’s incredible.
Thanks. We started a while back just making t-shirts. This is our second year being out of college, building a collection.

What was the first step in getting it off the ground? Raising the capital?
The capital’s definitely a big part of it, but we’ve been taking small steps, doing this in a way that we’re not biting off more than we can chew.

Have you been surprised by the way the press has responded to the Filson/Philanthropist Briefcase? It’s been pretty strong.
A total blessing, how it’s been responded to, if anything. We’re really privileged to be working with Filson, everyone else that we worked with on it. Yeah, we’ve been surprised. We’re producing four hundred units, total, before the year’s over. That translates to five farmers in Uganda being able to utilize a year of their cotton harvest. The goal we focused on when starting the brand was: creating opportunity through jobs, rather than charity.

Teach a man to fish....
Right. But: we’ve been encouraged to create products that tell a bigger story. That’s the priority. The product really does (or should) sell itself. We’re never gonna make something that just sells the cause. We want the purpose behind the products to be why people come back to our brand.

How do you guys decide on the people and places you’re using as providers and manufactures for the products?
We’re always going to certain places for what we recognize as the ability to creatw change from the standpoint of opportunity rather than charity. The main objective is, as you already recognized, that they’re long term projects. We’re looking at a woman’s cooperative in Nepal that we’ve developed (a relationship with). There’re a few places; the majority of our collection’s being made in great factories, with exceptional quality, that take exceptional care in how they care for their people, and how they make their products. That said, if we were to make a whole collection in the same place, we’re vulnerable to not be able to ship on time. So really, we looked at it like: here are individual products, and stories, in order for us to try to do it in a way where we feel like we’re going to be sustaining a business and creating something that’s making money.

[Pictured above, left to right: Apolis intern Kevin, Shea, plus brothers Stenn and Raan. Via Michael Williams at A Continuous Lean.]