BETTER ALIVE THAN DEAD RETURNS TO THE CAF
EXPLORE THE BRAND’S LATEST COLLECTION “ARMY OF ME”
Photography: Raheme Dawkins, Styling: Ocion Mollison
Better Alive Than Dead is more than just a brand — it’s a movement. Founded by Raheme Dawkins as an homage to his late friends, as well as a life mantra, the brand is releasing its latest collection, “Army of Me,” at The Caf. The latest line of clothing is outfitted with gritty camouflage, color-blocked ringer T-shirts, functional accessories and innovative multi-wear apparel, merging Dawkins’ Jamaican and American heritage.
At a time when immigrants are under attack, to represent your roots is nothing short of courageous. To transform your culture into wearable works of art is extraordinary. “My goal is to blend my Jamaican and American heritage in this latest collection. I wanted to represent that duality and bring the two cultures together. If you’ve been to Jamaica, you know the colors are just different, more saturated. I wanted to bring that sense of vibrancy and life to my collection,” Dawkins shares.
Continue scrolling to hear more about the inspiration behind Better Alive Than Dead’s new collection “Army of Me” and view the lookbook below.
Within the collection, Army of Me, you’ve created uniforms for different creative archetypes — the curator, the raver, the entrepreneur, the artist — would you say that you design for a creative community?
Raheme Dawkins: I definitely do design for a creative community, but my main focus is on individuality. I want my brand to be universal and for whoever is wearing my clothes to feel like they can dress how they want without being judged.
As an emerging brand, do you think the in-store experience still has value in a digital first world?
RD: I think it’s so important to have that in store experience. Personally, I like to touch and feel the clothes, so it’s important that the customer has the opportunity to experience Better Alive Than Dead up close and in person.
What are some of your favorite pieces in the collection?
RD: The ringer T-shirt has a logo on the front that is the intertwinement of the American and Jamaican seals. I love that it represents both places and it features a new collar and arm-trim that I’ve been working on. The color-blocking gives it that Jamaican vibe, especially because the base of the shirt isn’t plain bright white, but a cream shade. When you go outside of the US, the colors and hues are just different and I wanted to represent that experience through this item. There’s also a pair of pants that I designed with button snaps so you can attach the American flag or any flag that you want to represent and create a half-skirt vibe.
Can you speak to the importance of representing your culture through your brand?
RD: I think it's important because you can dismantle stereotypes, just like Black people have to break stereotypes in America. You can show that your culture isn't just what everybody may think it is. You can branch off, close the gaps and challenge certain misconceptions or prejudices people may have.
What is your vision for Better Alive Than Dead?
RD: My vision for the brand is for it to be an entity that bridges the gap between Connecticut and other states. A lot of times, creatives feel like they have to go to New York or Boston to make it, but I want Better Alive Than Dead to be living proof that you can build a creative community right in your own backyard.