Starting a new business is tough and starting a fashion label is maybe the toughest. So when emerging Sydney street wear designer Chris Lazar launched his label eighteen months ago, he always intended that The Lone Horseman brand would also help the homeless.
As Chris describes it, “The Lone Horseman is a family, a clothing label that I hope will in the future be associated with confidence, style, individuality, trend setting, greatness and motivation.”
So sure is he about wanting to help others through his business, in Christmas week (last month) he gifted a large amount of The Lone Horseman clothing to two local charities in Sydney.
While many of us were rushing around for those last minute Christmas presents, as was Lazar, he also reached out to the Matthew Talbot Hostel and the Parramatta Mission with boxes of clothing, most of which he had made specially for the purpose of giving to these two missions.
Over one thousand pieces were donated for the homeless and others in need. Printed tees, both long and short sleeve, jumpers, wind-breakers and jackets were all part of the mix.
Not just a clothing brand, The Lone Horseman is also a platform for Lazar to reach people who could do with a leg up. “The Lone Horseman is something I started because I love that whole “express who YOU are, with what you wear” thing about fashion. And if you can use it to do good stuff, then why wouldn’t you?”
“There are so many hurdles to overcome when you start a business, especially a fashion brand. You are constantly juggling and making sacrifices to achieve your goals. There are time and money constraints, logistics, physical exhaustion and keeping yourself up when things get really hard. You just keep going, day in day out, until you hit your goals and then you set bigger ones. That’s why I chose the name, and why I see The Lone Horseman as a brand to reach out and motivate other people. It’s about inspiring and motivating and helping keep people on track and helping them to overcome.”
“The Lone Horseman is my fashion business, but my real business is helping people to help themselves. I hope I can inspire people, especially those doing it hard, to get them to start making small changes to help get their life back on track.”
If ever a street wear range was more appropriately named, we’d like to see it.
