Health, Healing & Hoodies

Health,Healing

BRANDS WITH MESSAGES THAT GO BEYOND SEAMS

Written by Holly Shulman, Contributing Writer Graphic by Emma Gray, Arts Curator

We don’t always think about the meaning behind our clothing. While fashion is a great way to express creativity, it can also be a powerful tool in creating change and spreading positive messages—inspiring ourselves and the world around us.

Many brands, specifically MadHappy, Mayfair Group and The Happiness Project, are taking this idea to a whole new level. These brands contribute to mental health efforts by donating to organizations and spreading important information regarding mental health activism. Destigmatizing mental health is no easy task, but starting conversations is one of the most effective ways to end the stigma. While brands such as MadHappy may be popular due to their trendy and fun styles, the message behind the pieces matters much more.

MadHappy

MadHappy was started by Peiman Raf, Noah Raf, Joshua Sitt and Mason Spector.1 After Raf graduated high school and saw all of his friends going off to college and pursuing society’s idea of the “perfect life,” he felt lost and did not think college was for him. Raf and his childhood friend, Spector, knew they wanted to do something in apparel, which led them to start the brand online with a few pieces.2

They felt that many brands were negative, focusing on punk/ rock. They wanted to create a brand of the exact opposite, including bright, ‘60s inspired colors. The mental health aspect did not come into the brand until about a year after the brand was launched, although it was always centered around inclusion and happiness. Spector had struggled a lot with mental health as a kid and always felt isolated and different from his peers. With the help of MadHappy, Spector and his co-founders created a brand for those who need comfort and light when in a dark, isolating place.

Their brand now focuses on education and starting conversations about mental health, which is what led them to launch The Local Optimist (TLO), a mental health resource to produce destigmatizing and educational content to share amongst social media. Some of the content they share on TLO include informative posts such as “how to recognize and deal with burnout,” “how to reduce your inner critic,” and “how to get comfortable talking about your feelings.”3 Like their brand aesthetic, TLO features lots of funky fonts and colors to promote a comforting and accepting space.

In addition to The Local Optimist, they also created the MadHappy podcast in 2021.4 The podcast is hosted by

¹ Sara Radin, “Madhappy Is the Fashion Brand Building a Positive Community Using Hoodies And Tees”, Teen Vogue, 2019. 2 Andrew Wetmore, “The Oral History of Madhappy”, The Local Optimist, 2022. ³ Ibid. ⁴ “About”, Madhappy, 2022 MODA | 22

two of the founders, Spector and Raf. They have weekly episodes with special guests about mental health struggles, personal stories, and much more. Some of the most popular special guests on their show have been Youtuber Emma Chamberlain, TikToker Tinx and actress Ashley Tisdale. They also have episodes where they speak amongst the two of them, covering topics such as growth, identity, habits and more. I am personally a fan of MadHappy, as their designs are uplifting and simple, yet trendy and popular amongst many people I know. As someone who has always been a fan of podcasts and have listened to a few of the MadHappy podcasts, it makes me happy to see my peers listening in because of their love of MadHappy the brand. My favorite design of theirs is their “Local Optimist” merch, as I love the content they produce surrounding this aspect of their brand. The MadHappy brand has clearly been a driving force in mental health conversations across the world.

Mayfair Group

Similar to MadHappy, The Mayfair Group is another popular brand centered around changing the narrative around unrealistic societal standards. CEO and founder Sam Abrahart built the Mayfair Group to spread positivity and inspire connectivity. After working in fashion for over six years, Abrahart felt there was a gap in the business world for an “all-serviced based company,” meaning they provide all of their services in-house (PR, social media, graphic design, sales, etc). Abrahart wanted to be the “virtual big sister,” as she puts it, producing content on how to love and embrace yourself. She built her brand without the use of any paid advertisements, simply organic reach and connections. Similarly to Spector, founder of MadHappy, Abrahart also struggled with anxiety and depression, and wanted to create a safe and accepting space to empower women within the MayFair Group.5

They have done a lot of powerful campaigns with different celebrities or organizations, such as MayFair Group x Creative Label BLM. Aside from the merch they created, they posted important infographics on their social media, as well as linked resources such as books and podcasts on their campaign front page. Another campaign of theirs was the “Be the Effect” campaign, which features a butterfly on the back of the sweatshirt. This campaign was centered around being a positive change in society. They also donated 20% of all proceeds to Direct Relief, and gave a bunch of frontline healthcare workers sweatshirts, simply to say “thank you” for being true heroes. Their unique campaigns are powerful and make a difference in our world, even if it’s simply some print on a sweatshirt.6

Their slogans are some of my favorites, with powerful lines such as “Your Emotions are Valid,” “Empathy” and “It’s Okay

Healing& Hoodies

not to be Okay” plastered on their comfortable sweatshirts, hoodies and sweatpants. Although these seem like odd phrases to put on a sweatshirt, they make a statement and allow for people to stop and think, “What does their sweatshirt say?” which I think is a powerful tool to bring mental health conversations into everyday life.

Happiness Project

Happiness Project has one of the most powerful origin stories. In April 2017, Jake Lavin was a junior in high school when one of his classmates, Nick Spaid, lost his battle to mental health. Jake launched the Happiness Projects to “elevate happiness around the world”. They have donated over $100,000 to mental health charities and donate 15% of their profits to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. They have a lot of different apparel, including their “It’s Okay not to be Okay” line. Their most popular and well-known item is the “Happiness Project” hoodie, which has simple rainbow lettering with light, pastel-colored hoodies.

Aside from their apparel, Happiness Project’s Instagram page is the most informative and impressive. Their posts are simple and straight to the point, but clearly have a lot of thought and research behind them. One post had the quote, “suicide thoughts that don’t just include ‘I want to die,’” followed by multiple phrases that could mean the same thing. Another example was “25 alternatives to self-harm,” which included tearing apart a newspaper, going for a walk and more.

Posting content like this may seem small, but it makes a large impact. Happiness Project’s posts effectively break up an Instagram feed filled with everyone’s “picture-perfect” version of themselves, and offer useful ways to cope with anxiety, depression, etc. Social media is one of the easiest ways to reach people, especially teenagers, so the best way to get these messages across is through various platforms.

Brands like MadHappy, MayFair Group and Happiness Project inspire and excite me to purchase from them. Rather than focusing on solely making products, these brands have created their own voices, whether that is through Instagram, podcasts or simply sharing their stories and struggles. Many consumers fail to realize the impact beyond just the brand’s clothes. It is important for these companies to continue to shine a light on important conversations through their actions beyond their seams. ■