Text size

Brothers Raan and Shea Parton say that, from a young age, their parents wanted to open their eyes “to the rest of the world.” Growing up in Santa Barbara, Calif., the family visited places throughout Central America and Southeast Asia, trips that Raan says helped “demystify” any preconceived ideas the young boys might have had of countries outside the United States and the people who called them home.

This global understanding informed the central principle behind the apparel company they founded in 2004—Apolis—whose name stems from a Greek word that roughly translates to “man of no country.”

“We used the word Apolis to brand it all as something that we have interpreted as a global citizen or an equal community, where the maker and owner are on the same plane, and not hierarchical,” says Raan, who serves as the business’s creative director.

The Los Angeles-based company has set “advocacy through industry” as its key message, working with the international manufacturers who make their wide range of products—from graphic tees and jackets to bags and swimwear—to pay their workers a living wage.

“The expectation was that we would find a lot of differences, but instead we were really struck by the amount of similarities,” Raan says. “In our humble experience, people are the same wherever you go, they have the same dreams and hopes for their families and for a better life for themselves, or at the very least their children.”

ITEM

Apolis’ diverse line of clothing includes jackets, blazers, t-shirts, and shorts, as well as accessories like belts and keychains. Their most popular item is the customizable Market Bag. Originally, Raan had the idea for a waterproof grocery bag, an essential product idea that grew beyond their company’s expectations.

The bag is made out of 100% natural golden jute fiber harvested in Bangladesh, featuring water-resistant polyurethane lining and leather straps. It’s simple, sleek, and easily personalized. When you order the bag online, you can include the text you’d like to see on it.

Including some famous fans—Oprah Winfrey is one of them—Apolis has shipped more than 600,000 bags over the years, Raan says.

The inspiration for the best-selling item came from both utility in that it could be used anywhere from farmers markets to trips to the beach and environmental awareness. “It was right when California was banning free plastic bags at checkout, and that definitely helped move things along,” Raan says.

All of the bags are handcrafted, made by women based in Bangladesh who earn Fair Trade-certified pay, a retirement fund, and annual profit dividends, Raan says. Once sent to Apolis’s L.A. headquarters, the company’s team prints those specific customizations from customers onto the canvas-colored bag.

Brothers Raan and Shea Parton. Apolis

PRICE

The popular Market Bag sells for US$68, which accounts for its high-quality materials and ensures the wage benefits for the women who manufacture it. When it comes to their clothing, Apolis’ prices vary. Their jacket range includes the Black Indigo Wool Chore Jacket at US$278 and the Lightweight Quilted Travel Jacket at US$298. Their t-shirts go from the Standard Issue Organic Crew Neck T-Shirt at US$34 to the Transit Issue Merino T-Shirt priced at US$78. The line also includes various US$78 swim shorts and high-quality pants like the Standard Issue Utility Chino at US$98 and the Standard Issue Selvedge Denim Pant at US$118.

DESCRIPTION

Apolis had an organic, gradual evolution over time, according to Raan. Early on, he says he and his brother focused solely on t-shirts, earning a “quick and a bit painful education in marketing.” From those early beginnings, the brand evolved as they aimed to continue to meld social advocacy with strong fashion and business instincts.

“So, in fact, it was a very gradual progression to lead us into today where the bulk of the business—90%—of revenues are based on social impact manufacturing,” he says.

Today, Apolis is a certified B Corporation, given to companies that set a high standard for transparency, and social and environmental impact. Any for-profit business that has been active for a year can pursue this certification.

Apolis is a certified B Corporation, given to companies that set a high standard for transparency, and social and environmental impact. Apolis

WHAT'S THE GOOD?

At the heart of Apolis’s social advocacy is its commitment giving the workers who make its products a life-sustaining wage.

“We have really worked incredibly hard to think long term and that is how we have been able over time to ensure the employees of the supply chains we work with are prioritized,” Raan says.

A clear example is the company’s partnership with Saidpur Enterprises in Bangladesh, where the Market Bag is made. The workers there now earn 25% above fair wage standards, access to profit-sharing dividends as well as a retirement fund for each artisan who works on the bag.

The company started out with just six women in a “workshop with a tin roof,” Raan says. Now, there’s a six-story, 50,000-square-foot. headquarters in Bangladesh, where almost 200 artisans find employment through this partnership.

“I do think for us to be authentic to our mission as a triple-bottom-line company or ‘conscious’ brand, or whatever the world calls us, we need to look at projects that truly create an impact in the communities we are working,” he adds.

WHAT’S NEXT

The Parton brothers are working with Japanese apparel maker Sanyo Shokai, hoping to expand Apolis’s reach to the Japanese market. The goal is to have several brick-and-mortar stores in Japan and launch a line of women’s and men’s clothing by spring 2020. They hope to work with Sanyo Shokai’s own factories and distribute their products to markets within Japan and beyond.