The UN Refugee Agency reported in June 2016 that less than one percent of the earth’s population is either “an asylum-seeker, internally displaced or a refugee.” Conflicts in areas that cause large refugee outflows, like Afghanistan, are lasting longer and conflicts in Syria and Sudan are become more common. Solutions for refugees and internally displaced people is falling, and has been since the end of the Cold War. These individuals are seeking a better and more safer life, often times ending up in a place where they have difficulty calling home.
There’s a track in singer-songwriter Yuna’s most recent album “Chapters”, titled “Places To Go.”
In it, Yuna shares her perspective on traveling the world and just wanting to go home at the end of the day.
“I try to be as sincere as possible in writing music — meaning, sincere to my thoughts,” she said. “I want to be very honest with my feelings when I write music. As a singer-songwriter, that’s the most important thing — it only gives meaning when it comes from something that’s real, and what’s really felt in the moment. Obviously, [when making] Places To Go, I didn’t write about refugees, but that’s how it works… a lot of songs can be very personal, but give a whole other meaning to others.”
Founder of Boston-based streetwear brand Lisn Up, Adam Khafif, was inspired by Yuna’s song and teamed up with the singer-songwriter to release his latest clothing line: Places to Go.
Khafif launched Lisn Up in 2012 and has maintained a consistent focus on powerful messages inspired by various art forms, like poetry or socially conscious music. He also makes sure that 50 percent of proceeds are donated to charity. The proceeds from his latest line are dedicated to the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), to benefit refugees around the world.
Several ideas for items from the Places To Go Collection, such as the vintage flight bag, were born during Khafif’s recent flight to Morocco.
“I was thinking about the refugee crisis and how many times they have to leave at a moment's notice, sometimes with only a backpack or a suitcase,” he said. “I asked myself, if I had 10 minutes, or an hour to pack up my entire life and leave my home, what would I be sure to bring?"
The Places To Go Collection consists of five items: a hemp t-shirt, a hoodie, an organic cotton long sleeve shirt, a vintage flight jacket, and a vintage flight bag.
The hemp t-shirt has a design that is displaced, representing the millions of refugees that are displaced around the world. The flight jacket and vintage flight bag serve as an allusion to the refugees who take flight from their homes; both items are olive-toned with purple and tan colored symbolic patches on them. The patches are puzzle pieces — displaying the Lisn Up logo, the Yuna logo, and the number 15,000,000, representing the number of refugees in the world.
“I had to design the puzzle and break it up into three different patches,” Khafif said. “The message behind it is that we are all a piece of the puzzle. We are all in this together.”
The 22-year-old designer says that his primary goal is to put people behind his brand. He says he wants them to feel like they’re buying into an experience through the details that make them feel valued.
“I want to give people a different perception of what a brand is supposed to do for you,” he said. “In terms of giving to people — I work with people who inspire me and inspire others. It’s really weird thinking that I just graduated from college and I’m working with public figures like Lupe and Noor Tagouri — people who have inspired me for forever.”
The Lisn Up x Yuna collaboration is a powerful means to raise awareness about the refugee crisis, while inspiring customers to make a difference.
“You have to always remain humble and know what your purpose in life is,” Yuna said. “And you have to know when to help and how to help. As cliche as it sounds, you kind of just have to play a role in the community and in the world. If you have a hand to help, then you do it. You’re a part of this. When you’re in the public eye, you have that power — you can’t make everybody be like you, [I mean] I can’t make everyone buy my stuff… but [I can] show it to them and raise awareness.”
The collection was released online and is available at www.LisnUpClothing.com. Fifty percent of proceeds will be donated to USCRI to benefit refugees around the world.