Apolis, Shea and Raan Parton’s clothing and accessory brand, is a social enterprise through and through. On their extensive travels, the two brothers/founders were confronted time and again with injustice, an experience inspiring them to create a business model that puts economic development first. ‘Advocacy through industry’ is their motto. That’s why Apolis teams up with manufacturers from Uganda, Peru and Bangladesh, as well as from their home base Los Angeles.

Apolis garments are made from carefully selected materials, such as alpaca wool from a Peruvian cooperative, sustainable Italian fabrics and even jute (for their customisable bags).

In addition, the brothers regularly take activists under their wings. They work with Invisible Children, for instance, an organisation that was founded with the aim of ending the terror inflicted by the Ugandan rebels led by Joseph Kony. Apolic also teamed up with ‘charity: water’ (a non-profit that brings clean drinking water to people in developing countries) to launch the ‘Restore Haiti Initiative’ after the devastating earthquake of 2010.

Apolis is proud to call itself a ‘Certified B Corporation’. This certification is issued by B Lab, which sets strict requirements in terms of the ecological, social and economic impact of its member companies.