Wear your heart on your sleeve – and help elephants!

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.We are thrilled to announce our partnership with ethical clothing brand THTC and renowned wildlife artist Gary Hodges on a unique new t-shirt collection – ‘The Charge’!

So, how did this come about?

Gary has been a long time EIA supporter and we worked closely with him earlier this year as one of the beneficiaries of his Heart & Soul art exhibition in London. The exhibition was a huge success yet, very generously, Gary wanted to do more.
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We’d been discussing a collaboration with THTC for a little while but it was only when Founder and CEO Gavin Lawson met Gary at the exhibition that everything fell into place –and we couldn’t have asked for a better partnership.

Not only is THTC one of the UK’s leading ethical streetwear labels – its materials are sourced ethically, it prints onto materials that are sustainably produced and with eco-friendly inks – but it also works towards creating an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable business; all things equally important to EIA!

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Gary Hodges (c) Radski Studios 2016

Catching up with Gavin earlier this week, he said: “It is an honour to work with the EIA and Gary Hodges. EIA’s work in helping dismantle the international illegal wildlife trade is utterly vital if our society is to live in a sustainable harmony with nature. THTC is a company that places social intervention at its core. This collaboration enables our community to contribute to the EIA’s work through the purchase of a beautifully printed and ethically produced garment.”

After many discussions around designs for the collection, it was incredibly fortuitous when we found out that Gary was a huge THTC fan, so immediately arranged all the introductions – and the rest is history. We also felt that ‘The Charge’ was such an iconic image and the perfect choice for the collection. The piece is masterfully drawn and is, of course, also reflective of our own Elephant Campaign, of which Gary is a keen supporter.

As the UK’s bestselling pencil artist, it was vital that the complexity of Gary’s work be conveyed in the collection, so after careful consideration it was decided to use a graphite print technique and screen print from one of Gary’s original artworks. We were delighted with the final product – a unique and beautiful t-shirt collection printed on both organic cotton and a limited edition run of white hemp.

Gary also had this to say about our collaboration: “I’ve been a great supporter of the ground-breaking work of EIA since their early beginnings in 1984 and I help whenever I can through my art. When approached by THTC to have t-shirts produced from my drawing to aid EIA, I leapt at the chance. The fact they source all their garments in an ethical way only using organic cotton and hemp has made for a perfect three way collaboration. I hope this is just the start of a long and advantageous project for EIA.”.

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Gary Hodges and Gavin Lawson (c) Radski Studios 2016

This collection will be making a huge difference as THTC is donating 25 per cent of all sales to EIA, where it will assist in our vital fight to combat wildlife and environmental crime. By supporting us through this collaboration, you not only get your own unique t-shirt, you’ll also be helping us to campaign against, expose and stop dangerous or illegal activity that threatens our planet and the incredible creatures we share it with.

We’ve lost more than half our wildlife in a single generation and we need to act now to protect the natural world so that creatures such as the elephant, tiger or the great whales continue to thrive in the wild, not only for our children and grandchildren to see but for many generations to come.

The truth is that we simply cannot continue our important work without the passionate support of individuals such as Gavin and Gary, so we’d like to extend our utmost gratitude to both.

So, please head over to the THTC store today and get your own, limited edition t-shirt – and know that you have truly made a difference!