Founded in 2004 Apolis or ‘Global Citizen’ speicalises in a particularly worldy streak of classic American style. The three Parton brothers launched their clothing line as a means of raising funds and awareness for a wide range of personally selected philanthropic programs. Although the Parton brothers forge a strong focus on developing their humanitarian efforts, the clothing line is never ignored.
Raan, Shea and Stenn grew up in Califonia, their interest in philanthropy was sparked through their travels as younge men; “Our parents knew that if we stayed in Santa Barbara, we would never know how good we had it,” Shea says. “So from an early age we got to travel quite a bit to Uganda, Asia, India, Europe and New Zealand. It was really the chance to travel that got us really interested in what is going on in the world ”.
This seemed to have developed a generally altruistic perspective on the world and as such global needs motivated the brothers to launch Apolis as a way to put their ideas of philanthropy into action.
The fact that the Parton brothers are not fashion industry insiders shows in their own style choices. Instead of the tight-fitting duds typical of many style-conscious men, Apolis takes a classic, all-American approach to men’s dress. “We pay attention to a lot of classic American-made (clothes) and this era where you would make clothes to pass down to your children,” says Raan. Shea adds, “It has a lot of history from a ’50s style and things from the Kennedy era. Very workman-like and not from a fashion side, but [out of] function”.
It’s the subtle details give Apolis garments a special touch. For example, every piece of Apolis Activism clothing has a signature red stitching on it. “It’s remnant of the First Aid emblem and a call for global citizens of equality and change. We’ve never been into brand names, so that little detail is something that we appreciate in what we wear. We started doing it and it stuck and it became a way for people to recognize the brand,” explains Shea. Though a little pious, it is certainly a nice touch.
Through Apolis Activism, Raan, Shea and Stenn have formed collaborations with organisations like Invisible Children, which works to provide education and opportunity to citizens of Uganda, and Charity:Water, which provides clean water to those in need. Apolis Activism even considers its humanitarian efforts in the way that its makes clothing. The brothers have been working with Invisible Children to establish a cotton industry in Uganda, and with an organization called Citta to start a cashmere cooperative in Nepal. Both projects would provide jobs and fair wages for workers.
Through these types of projects, the Parton brothers establish systems that can help communities in need for years to come, rather than provide just temporary relief. “We see activism as being much more hands-on and creating opportunities that we feel, like trade, that are really about how you can go into an impoverished country and find a resource or product or raw material that allows you to bring it into the marketplace and to give an opportunity rather than charity,” Shea says. The brothers have also sought out like-minded brands, craftsmen and manufactories to launch ‘The Nomad Market’ a traveling retail space which aims to highlight the works of local artisans within their own communities and indeed across the globe.
While many clothing brands may offer staple pieces that can be easily teamed up, it is the carefully selected materials and classic fits make Apolis clothing stand out. Fabric choices range from rugged Italian Indigo dyed work cloth, West Coast dyed Chambray and Alpaca wool from a sustainable Peruvian Co-op. “Fashion, a lot of times, is about pushing the envelope, but people just want to wear it. [We make] the pieces people will have for their day-to-day [outfits]. That’s part of why we have been successful,” Raan says. “We’re more passionate about the big picture part of it, like the crafts and the overall manufacturing and the timeless expertise” Sound logic, genius idea.
Here are some highlights from the current Apolis collection available online at: http://www.apolisglobal.com
JMN
The Holborn 
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