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...