2015 New York Fashion Week was unlike any year before. This year, a groundbreaking new company, Wear Your Label, made their debut. Wear Your Label is different from other clothing brands at NYFW because it has a unique goal in mind – and not the ordinary goal of making a profit.
Co-founders Kayley Reed and Kyle MacNevin met at a mental health organization and became close friends after bonding over their struggles with their respective health issues; Kayley with an eating disorder and Kyle with general anxiety disorder and ADHD. They agreed that the established stigmas about mental health disorders were toxic and demeaning to those affected. Fortunately, Kayley and Kyle directed their frustrations towards making a difference, and created a fashion line as an outlet to make the change. Kayley and Kyle have made it their mission to build a sense of community around their brand. Of course they started small, simply spreading the word to their classmates and friends. After some time, they broadened their horizons and now have reached international recognition, landing Wear Your Label a spot in New York Fashion Week.
Throughout NYFW, Wear Your Label kept their followers in the loop by frequently posting to social media and their blog. With multiple pop-up shops on different days around New York City, they received recognition from People magazine, MTV News and the Today Show.
Wear Your Label has made it a mission to use merchandise as a way of sparking conversation about mental health. If people are having problems, they should be able to talk about it. Often, people are terrified of the labels that seem permanently bound to their image. People remain frozen, unsure of how to climb out of the hole that a label has thrown them into. Wear Your Label is working to raise awareness by partnering with several other organizations working towards similar goals of open discussion surrounding mental health.
Wear Your Label most recently partnered with PROJECT 375, a nonprofit organization started by New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall, along with his wife Michi Marshall. PROJECT 375 aims to change the misconceptions people hold about mental illness. Together they sell yellow bracelets, available for purchase on the Wear Your Label website.
Wear Your Label also partnered with Break the Silence End the Stigma, another nonprofit determined to put an end to the stigma surrounding mental health. Together, they released t-shirts with phrases such as “I live with mental illness, but I define me” and “it’s okay to not be okay.”
As far as models go, Wear Your Label chose to use ordinary people who have recently overcome mental health issues. Referred to as “Role Models,” these models bravely tell their stories online, allowing visitors to read the true, inspiring stories of people who have overcome mental health issues. 10% of the proceeds from the bracelets, apparel and other items such as stickers go to helping fund mental health initiatives that are sponsored by the nonprofit organizations that partner with Wear Your Label.
Going forward, Kyle hopes to build the brand to be more than just a clothing line, and expand the availability of the products to an international level. With the help of New York Fashion Week, Role Models, the collaborating companies and the co-founders of Wear Your Label, people can now wear their label with pride. The goal is to inspire people to embrace their mental health, wear it, and wear it proudly.
If you are interested in supporting Wear Your Label, you can visit their website here.