The linen tie that the Apolis team crafted for Of a Kind is bi-continental—talk about sophisticated. Creative director Raan Parton shares its coming-to-America tale. Click here to score one of the ten ties Apolis made for us. An Italian linen field. “The linen is from Italy—it’s harvested twice a year, and it has beautiful inconsistencies. We take the natural linen and weave it into broadcloth—just a plain weave. We hand-wash the fabric in hot water at a studio to give it dimension. Then we press it and cut it into ties, on the bias, which helps it maintain its shape.” A worker at the 2,500-square-foot Los Angeles manufacturing space making an Apolis tie by hand. “The ties are lined with canvas and hand-sewn at our little seven-person tie factory in L.A. Once they’re made, we dye them at our studio. We let black tea brew for four hours and then sit the ties in it for two hours. We have a lot of manual—kind of dumb—ways of doing things. We designed all of these analog processes into our brand because we have the big-picture goal of working with a non-profit downtown that rehabilitates homeless people by giving them entry-level jobs. We’ve been trying to bring that piece into the business so that we have a whole global-local process.”

Raan (left) beachside, with Shea Foley, another member of the Apolis team. Growing up in Hollister Ranch, known for its prominent swells, the Parton brothers were basically raised on surf culture—which might explain why their clothing line, Apolis, exudes a certain laid-back vibe despite its obvious polish. Here’s what the duo turns to when they can take a break from their busy lives and squeeze in a day at the beach. 1) Spoon board shaped by Reny Yater“There’s a lot of surf-culture history in Santa Barbara. Reny is a famous surfer, an acclaimed shaper, and our neighbor back home, so riding his boards is a privilege.” 2) Jeep Wagoneer“This was the first car we all learned to drive—and the ultimate surf car. Our family one is still in great running condition and is now becoming a staple for the weekend surf check.” 3) Patagonia wetsuit“Lined with wool, this is the best wetsuit for the frigid California water.” 4) Apolis + Katin board short“This is the result of our ongoing collaboration with California’s first swim-trunk manufacturer—we’ve revived the original patterns of their handmade trunks. We wear them in the late summer, when the water is warm enough.” Click here to buy the awesome linen tie Apolis created for Of a Kind!

Shea and Raan Parton, the California brothers behind the socially conscious (but not preachy) men’s line Apolis, have been certified globetrotters since elementary school. These days, they put their traveling skills to good use by sourcing materials and doing production in the countries where they have the strongest ties. Here, older brother Raan walks us through some of the destinations that appear on their itineraries again and again. Shea (right) in the foothills of the Himalayas with a member of the cycling team for Rapha, a British company Apolis has partnered with. India“I’ve probably been there six or seven times, mainly to New Delhi, Mumbai, and Agra. I went for the first time when I was 12, I think. A lot of the perspective for our company comes from having been brought up by incredible parents who invested a lot in our education and thought that the best way to really understand a country’s culture was just to go there.” Nepal“One of the last times I was in Nepal was for the wedding of a very well-connected and revered family friend. A police marching band played at the ceremony, and we sat with Benazir Bhutto at the reception in India. Bringing employment into a country is a lot easier than bringing money, but it’s still tough. Once some power-tripping customs guy in Nepal made us pay $5,000 to bring in yarn. That really affects the cost of goods sold.” Taken by Raan during his last trip to Uganda, at the cotton initiative supported by Invisible Children. Vietnam“We’re looking to start some new projects in Vietnam. Vietnam was ruled by the French for a hundred years and then occupied by the U.S., and it’s a really long-term process to build trust and to learn about each culture. It’s like a moving target. The last time I was in Vietnam for about three weeks, I bought a motorcycle—a sixties-era Russian Minsk—and put over 2,000 miles on it. It was such an amazing way to see the country.” Uganda“Working in Africa has been a challenge—well, every new country is a challenge, but there’s a lot more development attention going on in Africa. In Uganda, we work with Invisible Children, which is a youth-minded non-profit that’s had a bigger effect on Uganda than all of the other non-profits combined—and it’s just, like, two, 28-year-old guys. We work with them to produce a cotton fabric that we use in luggage, tote bags, and brief cases. We’d like to figure out how to do T-shirts and stuff, too, but it’s a ton of work.” Check out the (striking) linen tie Apolis designed exclusively for Of a Kind.