Have you ever heard of a clothing company called 21SCARS? Maybe you have, maybe you haven't, but 21SCARS is an up-and-coming clothing company that specialises in providing apparel for people that kitesurf and take part in extreme sports. Recently I met up with the company director of 21SCARS and learnt a lot about the company, and at the same time I learned a lot about life, too.
As with many companies starting up there is often a story behind it. There are also often delays between the initial idea that leads to the founding of the company and the official launch. 21SCARS is such a company, but with a difference. The initial ideas were born on the other side of the world while the founder was on an important journey. Having graduated with a first class honours degree in design he went to work for a big corporate film company in London. After a period of time working in this business it was soon clear that being cooped up in a dark room hiding behind computer screens wasn't the way to spend his life. It wasn't until family circumstances forced him to reassess his values and working patterns that he decided to leave the corporate system and venture out to find a new path in life.
Setting off on a journey around the world to explore different ways of life he came across a number of different obstacles that all left their mark in one way or another, with many scarring him physically. He's certainly got some impressive scars: shielding an open-water student from a titan trigger fish attack while working as a divemaster on Koh Tao, Thailand; being torn across a shipwreck while training as an IKO instructor in Mexico; and a 2-stroke crash on the dusty roads of Asia, have all left their signature. The night that he came up with the idea of 21SCARS he was on his way home, and having a reflective night in. He realised that all his experiences had left their mark by permanently changing his body - he had picked up a total of 21 scars. His journey around the world has certainly left him with some incredible memories and experiences that he feels are best shared through the creation of the company 21SCARS.
Having taken a look in detail at the launch collection and after hearing some of the company's future plans, I believe that we are looking at the next big success, following in the footsteps of renowned companies such as O'Neill or Quiksilver! Although 21SCARS looks small at the moment there's no doubt that with the future plans they will become a leading name in the extreme sports scene. One thing I really like about 21SCARS is the fact that the products aren't necessarily kiteboarding specific - already some of my friends are wearing the t-shirts, even though they may not be kitesurfers! The range of designs varies so that kiteboarders can 'wear' their sport and other people can just wear an extremely cool looking shirt. If you take a look at the launch collection you can see that there is a t-shirt for everyone. Whether you like to be loud and bold or quiet and subtle, there is something for you. These are definitely shirts that I will be wearing in the future! Another important point for me is that every product is produced as ethically and environmentally compliant as possible.
Overall I was really impressed with what I saw and heard about 21SCARS. It seems like a great company with huge potential. Talking with Daniel was an eye-opening experience for me, he is a truly inspirational person. Being at a critical stage of my life, where I have to make decisions that are going to affect me later on, I think I definitely have a different outlook as a result of our meeting.
When you get the chance:
- take a look at their website - www.21SCARS.com
- take a look at their online shop - www.21SCARS.com/shop
- follow 21SCARS on facebook - www.facebook.com/21scars
Achieve ambitions, pursue passions, through strength, sweat and scars....
RUMOUR: S2AS may very well be one of the first distrubutors of 21Scars, so stay in touch and sign up to the facebook group
As with many companies starting up there is often a story behind it. There are also often delays between the initial idea that leads to the founding of the company and the official launch. 21SCARS is such a company, but with a difference. The initial ideas were born on the other side of the world while the founder was on an important journey. Having graduated with a first class honours degree in design he went to work for a big corporate film company in London. After a period of time working in this business it was soon clear that being cooped up in a dark room hiding behind computer screens wasn't the way to spend his life. It wasn't until family circumstances forced him to reassess his values and working patterns that he decided to leave the corporate system and venture out to find a new path in life.
Setting off on a journey around the world to explore different ways of life he came across a number of different obstacles that all left their mark in one way or another, with many scarring him physically. He's certainly got some impressive scars: shielding an open-water student from a titan trigger fish attack while working as a divemaster on Koh Tao, Thailand; being torn across a shipwreck while training as an IKO instructor in Mexico; and a 2-stroke crash on the dusty roads of Asia, have all left their signature. The night that he came up with the idea of 21SCARS he was on his way home, and having a reflective night in. He realised that all his experiences had left their mark by permanently changing his body - he had picked up a total of 21 scars. His journey around the world has certainly left him with some incredible memories and experiences that he feels are best shared through the creation of the company 21SCARS.
Having taken a look in detail at the launch collection and after hearing some of the company's future plans, I believe that we are looking at the next big success, following in the footsteps of renowned companies such as O'Neill or Quiksilver! Although 21SCARS looks small at the moment there's no doubt that with the future plans they will become a leading name in the extreme sports scene. One thing I really like about 21SCARS is the fact that the products aren't necessarily kiteboarding specific - already some of my friends are wearing the t-shirts, even though they may not be kitesurfers! The range of designs varies so that kiteboarders can 'wear' their sport and other people can just wear an extremely cool looking shirt. If you take a look at the launch collection you can see that there is a t-shirt for everyone. Whether you like to be loud and bold or quiet and subtle, there is something for you. These are definitely shirts that I will be wearing in the future! Another important point for me is that every product is produced as ethically and environmentally compliant as possible.
Overall I was really impressed with what I saw and heard about 21SCARS. It seems like a great company with huge potential. Talking with Daniel was an eye-opening experience for me, he is a truly inspirational person. Being at a critical stage of my life, where I have to make decisions that are going to affect me later on, I think I definitely have a different outlook as a result of our meeting.
When you get the chance:
- take a look at their website - www.21SCARS.com
- take a look at their online shop - www.21SCARS.com/shop
- follow 21SCARS on facebook - www.facebook.com/21scars
Achieve ambitions, pursue passions, through strength, sweat and scars....
RUMOUR: S2AS may very well be one of the first distrubutors of 21Scars, so stay in touch and sign up to the facebook group