LIVE A LIFE WORTH IMITATING.

‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.’ Mother Teresa

The BARNABAS t-shirt label embodies this thought, with its logo depicting two straight lines with one making a ripple effect – symbolising how just ONE life can, and does, make an impact. Founder Alexander Aquino hopes that when you wear his logo, you take on the challenge – ‘to be a BARNABAS’ – and become a part of this vast community out there that is sending ripples of change and hope out into our world; in the journey for a better one. 

BARNABAS – meaning ‘Son of Encouragement’ – is more than just a brand; it’s an identity. Its purpose is to encourage others to be bold, courageous, and fearless in making choices that make a difference in their life as well as those around them who are often forgotten. What we say, what we do, and even the clothes that we choose to wear – it all matters, and it all makes a difference. We can choose to live our lives with purpose and positive action, and to ‘LIVE A LIFE WORTH IMITATING’.

Leading the charge of change, BARNABAS donates 10% of all their sales to The Living Room International – a non-profit organisation in Kenya that provides comprehensive care to those men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS or other life threatening illnesses. Their vision is to be a community that honours life and offers hope, and they do this by becoming family to those that are dying. Their hospice facility allows them to provide compassionate medical, emotional and spiritual support for patients in their final days of life, in a homely atmosphere and environment, where everyone is welcome, everyone is loved, and everyone belongs.

Alexander’s clothing line not only captures the fashion and spirit of youth culture, but also firmly speaks out against settling for the ‘normalcy’ that we are accustomed to within society. He encourages us to be better, to believe in the power of our voices and our passion, and to get on out there and stir things up. Those who choose to proudly sport BARNABAS, join a global effort, and take on the challenge to LIVE A LIFE WORTH IMITATING.

You can take a look at some of the latest collection below (the Look book was actually shot in the city that I have come to know and love over the past 3 years – Nottingham, UK – so it makes this label even more special to me. I have no idea why they chose Notts, but I’m very glad they did!)

On another note - I’ve been back home for summer now for around a month and school is officially out... FOREVER! And I’ve taken this time to catch up on all the important things I’ve neglected while at uni, including: stuffing my face on home-cooking, catching up on this month’s NYLON, and watching lots and lots of TV. One of the shows that I wasn’t able to watch (due to our lack of SkyOne + the black & white with a lovely green tinged screen that didn’t exactly equate prime viewing) was Touch, the new supernatural thriller series starring 24’s Kiefer Sutherland, in a very different role to how we have come to know and love him as super action warrior Jack Bauer. I’ve just finished watching season 1 with the bro, and if you haven’t seen it, SORT IT OUT because it’s simply GREAT. It centres on this 11 year old kid – Jake - who never speaks, and he sees everything in numbers. He LOVES numbers, and he is THE MAN with them, and uses them to make certain people ‘touch’ and saves lives in the process. He’s one cool kid. Anyway... in one of the episodes, Jake talks about an ancient Chinese legend called ‘The Red Thread of Fate’, which says that the Gods have a wire attached to the ankle of each of us, connecting all the people whose lives are destined to touch. The red thread may stretch or tangle along the way, but it never breaks.

I love the thought of that. Like there’s already a plan for all of us, we just don’t know it yet. And that every single person that we’ve encountered, befriended, or even loved so far was meant to happen, because someone out there decided it needed to... they decided that we needed each other. No one is sent to anyone by accident. Every single soul that you cross paths with from this point on is for a reason. Unbeknown to us, we have an impact on the lives of everyone that we touch, whether great or small. You might’ve changed someone’s world and not ever realise it. I like to believe in the Gods’ Red Thread and that if two people are destined to touch, the universe will always find a way to make the connection - even when all hope seems to be lost. Because there are certain ties that simply cannot be broken. They define who we are; and who we can become...

designer BAGS under my eyes...

Just a quick note to let all of you lovelies know that my printed eco bags are now available for you to purchase on eBay for just £12! And as you probably already know by now, all of the profits from every bag are going to charity (World Child Cancer & Orphans of Ghana), so it’s a guilt-free purchase all in aid of a great cause! 

There are 5 AWESOME designs for you to choose from - see the BAG IT OUT page for more details...

Love love love,

Pineapples & AFIA

I have to start by apologising for being awol the past couple of weeks – I just returned home from uni (for good) and have been trying to sort all the clutter/fabric/and my life out; I’ll keep you posted on how that’s going (my bedroom currently looks as though the past 3 years of my life have just exploded in it – who knew I had such ridiculous amounts of STUFF?)... but if you don’t hear from me for a good few months, then assume that I am STILL jobless and have been forced to sell all of my belongings, declare myself bankrupt, and have hitched a ride to the tropical islands of Hawaii where I will reside for 7 years until my student loans are completely written off. And let’s be honest, I probably wouldn’t ever come back. Fresh pineapples flow over there like rain flows here in England – that alone is reason enough for me to JET.

So today guys & dolls, I bring youuuuuu: AFIA. A women’s award-winning - and sustainable - clothing line, sourced and sewn entirely in Ghana (West Africa). 

The bold and quirky designs are all courtesy of Meghan Sebold’s creative mind (really sophisticated and wearable pieces with interesting prints that are nothing like the stereotypical ‘ethical’ clothing that most people think of - the clothes are a clear fusion of the vibrant African textiles with American trends). Meghan also handpicks the cotton wax fabric used in the garments from the markets in Accra (Ghana’s capital city), and fabric is printed in Ghana too in an effort to support the textile industry and showcase the traditional African fabrics that the markets have to offer. 

AFIA is a social business, and therefore believes in creating prosperity for ALL of the people involved in every aspect of the label. They stand firmly for transparency, mutual respect, and collaboration. And they also hope to eliminate all of those misconceptions that I was talking about regarding the aesthetics of sustainable fashion and production in Africa (it IS a business, not a ‘charity’ project).

Buy and wear AFIA because you love it. And feel good about your informed purchase, because you’re helping to support a bundle of goodness on our planet. AFIA can also be purchased from FashioningChange – an online fashion retailer that only stocks ethical/fair-trade/sustainable labels that are making positive waves in the fashion industry.

I think there’s something really special about owning an item that represents someone’s story somewhere... maybe on the other side of the world. You’ll probably never meet them, but you’ve touched their life in a way that you’ll never quite fully grasp. You’ve helped them to build a livelihood for themselves and their families. You’ve made a difference; and although they don’t know you, they’ll never forget you. 

P.S I know this isn’t fashion related in any shape or form, but I just have to share it with you because it’s BANANAWESOME. Tunes for Change is a non-profit aimed at using the passion of music to create positive social change.

How it works: Artists donate a song, the songs are then compiled to form an exclusive quarterly album, you then donate what you want for the album, and finally, all proceeds go to charity…

It’s such a great idea, and hasn’t been going for very long, and always showcases up-coming artists that are definitely worth checking out. So go take a look, and download the current album today before it disappears into a black world-wide-web-shaped hole forever.