Last night I attended critically acclaimed actor and philanthropist Gbenga Akinnagbe private, invitation-only unveiling of Liberated People, his new t-shirt apparel line with a purpose and launch of his #LBR8 digital campaign. See below for pics and more info.
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NEW YORK, NY — On Tuesday May 7 from 8 pm until 10 pm, Liberated People will produce an invite-only launch event at Miss Lilly’s on 132 West Houston Street, New York, NY. The inaugural event for Liberated People, a lifestyle brand that creates sustainable eco-friendly t-shirts and accessories to commemorate freedom fighters who have inspired democracy and independence in nations around the globe, will bring together 130 professionals in various industry segments, from finance to health and beauty and non-profit.
The launch event will be hosted by Liberated People founder, New York Times writer and actor and Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Savages, The Taking of Pelham 123, Damages, Lottery Ticket, The Wire) and Liberated People brand ambassador, three-time Emmy nominated media professional, Ojinika Obiekwe. The event will also feature Liberated People’s latest t-shirt collection, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, Liberated People branded swag bags, and music by two popular NYC deejays, DJs Boima and Eddie Stats. A portion of the profits from t-shirt sales at the event will be donated to a local non-profit organization, Beat The Streets, to help them achieve their goals of improving the quality of life of their youth members.
Individuals are encouraged to share their #LBR8 story of how they are making changes in the world through audio, video or in writing via social media platforms, including Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and YouTube. Additionally, individuals who have been who have been touched by Liberated People either through the messages on the t-shirts and/or its work with local non-profits like Beat the Streets, can leverage the “#LBR8” to engage the world about how platforms like Liberated People can become a movement to impact lives.
At the event, guests will get a chance to view and purchase the Liberated People Spring 2013 collection which features designs for both men and women in four color schemes: black, white, shades of blues, and greens. The super-soft, pre-washed, tag less, crew neck shirts are inspired by humanity's common struggle of overcoming oppression, and feature dates of liberation paired with designs of the nation's flag and/or inspirational imagery.
When describing his motivation behind the 2013 Collection, Liberated People founder and CEO, Gbenga Akinnagbe, says “with Liberated People, I wanted to create more than a fashion line. I wanted a movement around a message of unity, global purpose, and freedom that anchored in dates of liberation. I also wanted to educate and empower humanity one shirt at a time and one t-shirt on the backs of many. Liberated People will become a platform for a critical mass of change agents and freedom fighters that will be commemorated around the world.
“Okayplayer is proud to partner with Liberated People on the release of its clothing line," says Nate Parson, CEO Okayplayer online. “We support the liberation of all people worldwide through the spread of positive cultural influences and ideas. Liberated People tees are sure to be fashion's new must-have statement piece.”
The event is made possible by the generosity of sponsors around globe, including Amariya’s Kitchen, Essence Magazine, DJ Boima, DJ Eddie Stats, Flud Watches, Fan M Kanson Network, Heineken, Mike Cooke Photography, Miss Lilly’s, My Wild Spirit, NibMor, Ojinika Obiekwe , OkayPlayer, RJB Agency, To the Top Productions, Tyson Beckford.
About Liberated People: Launched by critically acclaimed actor Gbenga Akinnagbe, Liberated People is an intuitive eco-friendly lifestyle brand that develops innovative and transformative products for people around the world. Its bestselling product is a t-shirt collection with messages that empower people around the world to engineer changes in their lives and in the lives of others.