Earlier this year, I had the honor to check out the launch of Byas & Leon. What caught my attention was its connection to Haiti. The guys at Byas & Leon are of Haitian descent, and wanted to find a way to give back to their ancestral home. Foreign companies often take advantage of the unemployed population and pay them in cents. It was time to disrupt.

haiti fashion

Byas & Leon sought to give back, by having their line of shirts made in Haiti by Haitians. You can’t get more authentic than that. You get a hand tailored shirt and support a nation at the same time.

When I spoke to Leon, I could tell he was passionate about giving back to his homeland. “I spent years living in Haiti, still have relatives there, still visit as often as I can…so the dire economic conditions of the country have always been on my mind. So that reality, my growing desire to do something philanthropic, and my growing interest in fashion, is really what set the stage for me to dive wholeheartedly into this initiative.”

Byas was just as passionate. “Getting my masters degree in urban planning and truly beginning to understand what makes cities and civilizations work well and thrive, are some of the things that set the wheels in motion for my desire to work in Haiti. Also, the experience of running the The City Don’t Sleep (TCDS) retail location and dealing with many successful independent brands, gave me a better understanding of what a successful brand looks like from the inside…which I set about to re-create, with a focus on Haiti and fashion.”

I got to see the shirts in person and was able to feel the hand made difference. Every stitching was like a story being told, each one unique. You can tell these were made by a craftsmen.

Check out some of my favorite looks from their line:

Check them out at Byas & Leon

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Stay Dandy.
-Diego

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