Charlotte nonprofit wants to send message of community impact through clothing line

Hosting an end-of-year gala or event is the typical way many nonprofits celebrate their progress.

What about creating a clothing line featuring the impact?

My Brother’s Keeper Charlotte Mecklenburg is releasing a clothing line that allows Charlotteans to see the organization’s impact on their sleeves.

Executive director Ricky Singh said he thought about how he could innovate the concept of showcasing the organization’s impact throughout the year of programming and events.

He enlisted Charlotte-based fashion designer Shane Farrow, owner of the clothing brand Westcott Studio, to help, and the pair decided a clothing line was the right avenue to explore.

“For me, finding a more innovative and authentic way to tell the story of our organization’s impact this year,” he said. “Being an artist and a creative, I try to think about what hasn’t been done or where is there room for growth.”

Since 2018, My Brother’s Keeper has exposed Charlotte youth to enriching experiences and supports initiatives that focus on academics, mental wellness, career preparation, and career readiness.

The collaboration between My Brother’s Keeper and Shane Farrows clothing brand aims to innovate the nonprofit space and how organizations tell their story.

The MBK clothing collection features bucket hats, T-shirts, tote bags, and other stylish pieces that Farrow says are nice timepieces but also represent the organization.

“We try to purvey the impact with the garments themselves, almost like a timepiece and an event they did or something in the city,” he told The Charlotte Observer.

Farrow and Singh want the clothing to start conversations about the organization and its work. Along with streetwear, they are releasing corporate casual attire to broaden the reach of the impact.

Singh says the idea is “classroom to boardroom.”

“Somebody might like the shirt and think, ‘What’s this idea from?’ and it provides an avenue to discuss the [nonprofit] work,” Singh told the Observer.

The items will be made available next month through December. The pieces will range from $40-$100 depending on the item and when they are released.

Telling the Story

The pieces use the phrases, “I am my brother’s keeper,” “There is always a story,” and “Tell your story” to highlight the organization’s approach to supporting the youth.

Singh says the messages symbolize how society makes judgments about Black and brown youth, not just in Charlotte but across the globe.

“I think for me, youth and particularly young men of color are judged very quickly,” he said. “As humans, we put people in a box. You’re this kind of person; you like this.”

“To me, the notion around there’s always a story is you don’t know everybody by their actions [or] by their first impression. It takes some intentional time to get to know them, and I think sometimes our youth are misunderstood.”

This clothing release is an opportunity for the organization to tell its story to the city.

Charlotte Labs senior Adriana Glover is involved in another youth partnership venture where she and her peers design hats for the local hat shop FittedCLT.

Glover has been able to see success outside of the classroom and build a network that she can use later in life.

“Creative success can be something as small as doing a painting or drawing, but it’s having the ability to show how you feel through art,” she said. She’s been able to meet artists and photographers involved with major organizations like the Charlotte Hornets.

But for Glover, a special reward is getting to tell her story through the hat she’s designing.

Each hat contains a unique message from the youth to the community. Glover’s message is to find ways to come together and progress collectively.

“The message I wanted to send is about the division that I see as somebody that is trying to break into different industries,” she said. “I used [color] to show the different divisions in Charlotte with the similarities we have.”

‘Collaboration over competition’

“Collaboration over competition” is the motto Singh and Farrow hope will grow from the clothing line release.

“Charlotte is a growing and very competitive and creative scene. We’re always trying to push each other to do great things,” said Farrow. “We want to also show we can do that together.”

Community leaders Nina Tran, Khaleel Loyd and Manolo Bentancur participated in the first photo shoot to showcase the new items (other leaders may be added in the future).

“There’s people with different connections to [the community], so we wanted to highlight community leaders in that way,” said Singh.

Singh wants the clothing to tell the story of others, not just his organization. He feels it shouldn’t be about him or his organization alone, which is why many items don’t have the My Brother’s Keeper logo.

The proceeds from sales will go back to the organization to fund more experiences and opportunities for youth.

Singh plans to involve youth in the release by having them take photos, participate in community giveaways, and engage in other activities.

“It’s not just about people of color helping people of color, there’s allyship, there’s people of different connections to this work [helping move it],” said Singh about collaboration.

The hope is that the clothing will encourage other nonprofits and organizations to get involved and join the movement.

“We’re hoping to encourage others to join in on it, tell the story, the journey and the impact you’re having as a nonprofit, discuss the failures, discuss the ups and downs because it allows people to empathize with the work,” said Singh.