Rise Up Art Directors for the Pool Trade Show

Rising Up to the Top at POOL
This season, with the launch of s(eco)nd and the growing number of socio-conscious apparel brands involved in the show, POOLTRADESHOW has chosen art director's who could rise-up to the occasion. POOL is excited to feature the work of RISE UP at our upcoming Las Vegas show. Each season POOL selects a guest art director from their roster of exhibiting brands to demonstrate the scope of talent at POOL. Past art directors have included Nick Burgess & An Grace from Torsion and Simone Legno for tokidoki.
The Rise Up creative team, lead by brothers Seth and Jesse Roberts, were spotted as one's to watch last season as they debuted their collection at Pool. They caught more than just our attention too and have since been featured in retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Karmaloop, and Planet Funk among many others across the country. You can catch a sneak peek of some of their newest art by logging-on to the POOL or s(eco)nd websites or by flipping through one of many fashion and lifestyle magazines on newsstands right now - Metro.Pop, ReadyMade, Racket, Beautiful Decay, Modernism, Soma, Plenty – and plenty more!

Rise Up is a cooperative of artists, idealists and social entrepreneurs, who utilize art, humanitarian projects, and grass roots organizing to create positive social changes in the world. Together, Seth and Jesse continue to create thought provoking, uniquely controversial designs, with the hopes of instigating social change. The proceeds from their clothing line are helping to provide free education for children in India and Nicaragua. Their international focus is to eliminate the exploitation of children by providing them with safe homes, education, counseling, and empowerment projects.

Black Gold (Inspiring Night)

By Nole Kennedy

Carrie and I were lucky enough be apart of an awesome event that Rise Up Inc. put on last night at McMenanmin's, here in Bend, Oregon. A local coffee shop, who only sells fair trade/organic coffee called Strictly Organic, provided complimentary cups of coffee from the coffee farmers that the movie was about. We had two showings of the movie Black Gold, which is a film about the coffee industry and how coffee farmers in third world countries are being exploited. It was extremely powerful and you owe it to yourself, especially if you are a coffee drinker and/or a social activist (I think that everyone reading this is both!) to find a way to see this film.

The amazing thing about the event was the people who attended it. We first showed a short film on what Rise Up is doing in Nicaragua and had a brief explanation about who and what Rise Up is. Following that, we showed Black Gold. The audience was gripped throughout the movie, and at one point broke out into spontaneous applause during the film, which almost brought tears to my eyes. Following the movie we had an awesome time hanging with some of the people who attended, selling some of Rise Up's t-shirts, and talking about what people can do to get involved in the movement.

It was an inspiring moment. Here I was, with my wife and some of my best friends, working to expand a cause I greatly believe in. It was so amazing to connect with people who really want to help and see a change in our world. Carrie and I are so blessed to be apart of this movement. I am so excited to see it expand and grow and watch were it leads us. I am excited about current and future involvement of so many different friends in so many different areas.

May we continue to make a change in our world, both locally and globally, both small and great!

Bend Bulletin Article

Rising up
Bend couple makes it personal mission to aid disadvantaged children of Nicaragua
By Christopher Stollar / The Bulletin
Published: December 03. 2006 5:00AM PST

MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Jesse and Maria Roberts' van bounced across the cobblestone streets of Managua, passing donkeys, horses and signs for Coca-Cola.
The Bend couple drove this August into the outskirts of Nicaragua's capital until they reached La Chureca, the dump.
Here the air smells of rotting fruit and moldy beans as children claw through heaps of trash and mothers nurse babies from withered breasts. Families scour the dump each day in hopes of rice for their mouths or metal for their homes.
But the people of La Chureca dropped their work this August when the Bend couple rolled into their world in a big white van. As Jesse parked, a dark-eyed girl peered out from the shadows of her home. She burst into laughter and ran to hug the Robertses, whom she has known from previous visits, and to introduce them to her mother, Rosario Quintana.
Jesse spoke first.
"We want to help you find a life outside the dump," he said, looking at 11-year-old Josselin Carolina Rodrigues Quintana. "We want you to get an education."
A smile shot across Josselin's face as she dreamed of this chance to leave the landfill. Maybe she'd become a fashion designer and forget the darkness of her current life scouring for bottles, paper and aluminum among the village men.
"Many try to hit us," she said. "And if they don't try to hit us, they try to rape."
Her mother started to cry.
"My dream," Quintana said, "is for her to study and go on and not live this life."

Click to read the rest of the story

Can Fashion Fight Poverty (Trace Magazine - Rise Up)

(Trace Magazine is: "...one of the most stylish publications." —New York Times,
"...the magazine that the entire fashion world covets." —The Village Voice
"...the urban style bible." —Vogue Magazine)

Trace about Rise Up: "Thanks goodness it has become cool to care! Clothing companies all over the country have invested time and money into creating brands that are both stylish and politically conscious. Rise Up! is one of these fabulous innovative groups trying to make a difference and inspire others. Made up of artists, idealists and social entrepreneurs, Rise Up! is using the fashion industry to help children out of poverty. They recently launched their first clothing line during the fall of 2006 and have been featured in retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Karmaloop and Michael K amongst many others across the country. Using the proceeds of their powerful clothing line they are helping to provide free education for over three hundred children in India and Nicaragua. Their international focus is also contributing to the elimination of the exploitation of children by providing them with safe homes, education, counseling, and empowerment projects. Can fashion fight poverty? The verdict is still out, but we can sure as hell try!"