A Note From The Editor: While in the past it hasn’t been our policy to promote Kickstarter campaigns on Darling, we’ve been receiving so many amazing and inspiring product pitches that we’ve decided to open the door for submissions and will be selecting one campaign to feature every quarter! If you have an upcoming Kickstarter campaign that you’d like to submit for our fall selection (September – November) please send an email to blog@darlingmagazine.org with “Kickstarter Submission” in the subject line.
A t-shirt company might not sound unique, but when you couple one with a purpose that benefits both the wearer and the maker, we take notice. Uniting that purpose with a deeper sense of social justice and anti-trafficking work, and we can’t help but share The Parative Project. It’s so much more than a t-shirt, and we invite you to watch and discover why below.
What
The Parative Project is a lifestyle brand that exists to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking. Our campaign will allow our shirts and goods to be produced in India by rescued victims, as we’re partnering with Freeset and The Aruna Project. This move to India will allow our products to fight the issue while they are being made and worn.
Why
Most shirts weren’t intended to communicate to the person sewing and printing the fabric. We’ve designed these shirts specifically to speak life into the women of India as they carry the messages “you are loved” and “our freedom is tied together.” When a person buys a shirt, they are speaking those words to the women. It tells the women that we believe in the work they are doing, and we see them for where they are going, not where they’ve been.
We’ve also introduced our first kids tee during the kickstarter. Our children’s line is a great way for kids to be exposed to the idea that there are people who need to know and be reminded that they are loved, without explaining to them all the details around human trafficking. Today’s kids are tomorrow’s abolitionists.
Who
Drew and Carolyn Oxley make up The Parative Project, a husband and wife combo. One part creative, Drew. And one part administrative/get stuff done, Carolyn. And as for the makers, the women of Freeset will be sewing and printing the shirts and the women of Aruna will be sewing our flags and bags.
To support the Parative Project or find out more information, visit their Kickstarter page, here.
Top image via Abigail Green; Kids tee image via Drew Oxley
1 comment
It is so incredible to see these projects come to the forefront with crowd-funding. What an incredible message to send both consumer and producer. Each piece becomes a treasure as well as a statement. SO grateful for ethical fashion companies that focus on a strong mission!
xx, leslie
http://www.onebrassfox.com