by: SELENA KOVACHIS
ABOUT
Express and Escape is a clothing line, blog and company that immerses itself in charity work to promote ending the stigma around mental health issues in teens and young adults. Aaron Collins founded Express & Escape during the summer of 2015 and is based in Mississauga, On. Since then, he has turned his idea into a clothing line, blog and many social media pages.
HOW IT STARTED
Aaron had always wanted to do something around mental health awareness but didn’t know what. He has been interested in fashion for a long time and found a way to incorporate that into his idea. During the summer of 2015, a personal family matter happened that made Aaron really push forward and make his idea a real thing. With the help of people he knew for product design and photo shoots, Express & Escape was born.
Tweets
``I always knew about mental health and mental illness and I think a lot of people do, but it wasn't until that very moment where it was right in front of my face and i realized how real it could be``
-A. Collins
CLOTHING LINE
The Express & Escape clothing line features t-shirts, hats and accessories that represent the brand, and have designs and quotes that mean something to the creator and buyers. Aaron wanted to create something identifiable, so that people who saw the logo would know what it was, and it was something you could physically wear to show that you were in support of ending the stigma around mental health.
This is based in Mississauga, and there is shipping costs, but Aaron offers free shipping for those who agree to meet up with him and be the subject of a photo shoot for the brand. This not only allows people to get their picture taken and have a fun photo shoot with pictures they can use for themselves, it also lets him connect with the people who value the same things he does.
Unisex beanie: $20 |
Tree of life bracelet: $2.50 |
Men’s logo shirt: $15 |
Women’s logo shirt: $15 |
% of Canadians living with mental health issues
that's this many people!
BLOG
Express & Escape allows not only the people affiliated with the company, but their customers and followers and fans to talk about their own experiences, anonymously if they wish, on their public blog. The blog is of course themed around mental illness and it allows people from all over the GTA to share stories about struggles with mental illness in themselves, family members, friends, stress about school, family, work, and relationships, and just about anything else that relates. This allows them to vent in a safe space where they know they are cared for and heard, because the people running the company and the people reading all recognize the importance.