Clothing brand founders hope Staunch belief will see them through
Murray Bridge’s Elias James and Kai Porter are on a mission to change someone’s life by selling streetwear.
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Not everyone would quit their jobs, sell their cars and pin their hopes for the future on a start-up clothing brand – but not everyone is like Elias James and Kai Porter.
The Murray Bridge pair hope to make their mark on the world with Staunch Official, a “premium streetwear” brand with a difference which will launch this weekend.
The difference?
They plan to use part of their profits to take a troubled young local on a character-building kickboxing odyssey to Thailand.
Mr James said he had been through hell as a young bloke in Murray Bridge, and wanted to make sure he could help at least one person get on a better track in life.
The experience of losing his driver’s licence, then his job, was one that motivated him, too.
“We just really want to help people,” he said.
“This is what I feel like I was put here to do.”
Mr Porter, 20, did a bit of kickboxing when he was younger.
The pair hoped to take the values they had taken away from experiences like that – values like strength, resilience and street smarts – and express them through T-shirts, hoodies and other apparel.
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“‘Staunch’ means loyalty,” Mr Porter said.
“With loyalty comes respect.
“With mental health, a lot of men try and staunch it out in their life and it just eats them and eats them and gets way worse.”
Inspired by social media entrepreneurs like car stylist Troy Candy and fisher Willem Powerfish, they plan to document their journey with their young protege in a regular video log.
Making enough money to support two people’s full-time salaries, plus an international trip for three – thousands of dollars a week – will be a challenge, no doubt about it.
But it’s one the Staunch boys are up for.
- More information: Visit staunchofficial.store or follow Staunch Official on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.
- Get help with mental health: Talk to your GP; find a local service that suits you at murraymallee.servicesdirectory.org.au; call Lifeline on 13 11 14; or, in an emergency, call 000. People aged 12-15 can also connect with Headspace Murray Bridge,at 10 Second Street on weekdays.
