Barriers Worldwide, in partnership with Fountain of Soul, is honoring the history and identity of Blackness with a new Juneteenth collection.
This Complex exclusive sees the two brands develop a close creative alliance, with a collection that includes black and white tees that read "Live Free" along with the logos for Barriers and Fountain of Soul.
Repurposed cargo pants designed in-house are also a focal point of the drop. The pants are detailed with cowrie shells, which are a symbol of spiritual protection in Black culture.
"I wanted to create something that was mine, and I wanted to own it," Barter said in a statement. "Barriers is that."
Working together to further stake their claim among notable streetwear names like Fear of God and Alpha Industries, their first-ever collaboration is great way to uphold Barriers' key mission: to make Black history digestible, wearable, and impossible to ignore.
According to a press release, "every graphic, every silhouette, every drop is a lesson wrapped in something you actually want to put on."
Designer Steven Barter launched Barriers Worldwide out of New York in 2015, the idea of telling Black history through streetwear wasn't something the industry was rushing to do. Barter said he saw that gap and wanted to "walk straight through it."
"I named it Barriers because it was a way to separate us from the rest," he said. "Throughout my whole life, I just wanted something that was different — but that was my own."
