Apolis

Working out of an industrial loft in downtown Los Angeles, three brothers Raan, Shea, and Stenn Parton, plan out their next method for breaking down borders and changing lives through their high-end fashion line, Apolis Activism. Translated "a citizen of no country," the name Apolis well represents the company's philosophy that humanity, not flags and borders, is the common thread that unites the world.

Without compromising the high quality of their line - which echoes timeless silhouettes reminiscent of American work wear - Apolis employs the skills inherent in developing nations to stimulate trade on a global scale, allowing the garments themselves to tell a story of hope. Apolis partners with a different organization each season and works with many great causes around the world. In six years of operation their reach has extended to Nepal, Ecuador, India, and now Uganda.

Raan Parton, Creative Director and Co-founder, aims to create opportunities instead of charity. "In most of the developing economies we work in, people know how to fish; they just need to be given the opportunity to catch them."

This season, with the launch of their Philanthropist Briefcase, Apolis is giving the people of Northern Uganda such an opportunity. Made out of Ugandan organic cotton, this collaborative (and highly anticipated) briefcase is part of an initiative to bring cotton trade back to Northern Uganda, which, due to the long-lasting war in that area, has all but disappeared from the country's GDP. Through partnerships with the San Diego-based organization Invisible Children and heritage brand Filson, Apolis has committed to purchasing the complete annual yield of cotton for three Ugandan farmers to produce this limited run of 400 briefcases. Albeit a small number, the impact is huge and means everything to those three Ugandan farmers. Companies like Apolis are an example of the measurable difference that is made when people become the common goal and the greater priority.
The Philanthropist Briefcase ($396) is available for purchase at ApolisActivism.com.