We created a collection so you can share your story.
Uncle John is Auntie Sachiko's youngest brother.
"The most personal is the most powerful."
As a brand with a core value in amplifying the stories of the underrepresented, we challenged ourselves to dive deeper for Complexland. The result? Our Roots collection. Going beyond dropping a new collection just for the sake of dropping a collection, our Roots collection was created with the vision to discover our heritage, encourage intentional reflection and share our stories. The legacies that unravel our generational narratives are our roots – shaping us into the people we are today. What the collection quickly revealed was the realization that these stories are opportunities for us to recognize our interconnectedness to each other and the collective movement work.
"Auntie Sachiko (pictured right) did not survive the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima in 1945. She was 13 years old. Isamu (pictured left with to his older sister) survived. He is my grandfather who not only lost his oldest sister that morning, but endured incredible hardships as the whole family moved back to the US to start a new life post war. I won’t go into details here; but I’m sure you can imagine the heartbreak, mistreatment, racism, that they faced for years to come. It’s been shared throughout the last four generations and we visit Auntie Sachiko’s memorial every year to pay our respects."
- Michelle K. Hanabusa
For our founder + creative director Michelle K. Hanabusa, her Roots Story begin with her Auntie Sachiko. By going deeper into her family history, she learned about the stories and legacy of her family throughout the last four generations. Deeply inspired and connected to Auntie Sachiko's story, Michelle fearlessly continues to fight the good fight.
"I hope that it inspires us to continue to share stories of our family, friends, and community; the journey of discovery of our identity and voice is rooted right in our stories that are passed down. Our stories matter and need to be told.”
- Michelle K. Hanabusa
Roots collection is for the people. We'd love to hear your story and have you be included in the array of stories we aim to string together. Tag us @weareuprisers when you share yours! We're looking forward to it :)
Create your own avatar. Listen to special panels + performances. Shop exclusive collections. No lines. No hassle. Completely FREE. Virtual doors open Jun 16-18.
