be+cause is a line of women’s and men’s tops and accessories. The line officially started in 2005, but its founders, Erin Potts & Deyden Tethong, have worked with social causes and a roster of talented artists and designers for more than a decade.

be+cause really tells the story of Erin and Deyden: two young activists concerned about the world, but who rejected its never-have-fun lifestyle. Their insistence that you can do good while having a good time took them on an unbelievable journey that included working with the Beastie Boys and dozens of other musicians, co-founding the Tibetan Freedom Concerts, working with fashion icons like Marc Jacobs, Triple 5 Soul, and Built by Wendy, and finally making their own label. When asked why they set out to do all of this, they respond with a single word: because.

be+cause products focus on good style and creative collaborations with an incredibly talented pool of artists and organizations to produce accessible fashion with responsibly-made products that support good causes.

be+cause is independently owned and operated by Erin & Deyden as a partner project to be+cause Strategies, a consulting company they founded in 2003 to engage the creative communities, young people, and others in important causes.

HERO 1 is a special edition series of T-shirts by artists Asif Mian (EVaQ), David Ellis / Kiku Yamaguchi, and Yuri Shimojo—members of the Barnstormers. Each artist interpreted one of heroic figures and moments in time: Muhammad Ali and the “Unknown Rebel” of Tiananmen Square. A percentage of proceeds of each shirt will benefit three organizations that work tirelessly in the fields of human rights, youth activism, and environment: ACORN and Southern Poverty Law Center, each earmarked for Katrina relief, and Students for a Free Tibet.

The garments aim to inspire, raise funds and awareness for the beneficiaries, and are manufactured responsibly in the USA. We print on 100% cotton, fine gauge T-shirts. San Francisco’s Ashbury Images, whose social mission is to provide employment, job training, and support services to individuals recovering from substance abuse and homelessness, did many of the T-shirt screen-printing.

For more on the beneficiary organizations, please go to:

ACORN (www.acorn.org)
Southern Poverty Law Center (www.splcenter.org)
Students for a Free Tibet (www.studentsforafreetibet.org)