Fashion can be a powerful thing, it is transformative, transporting and unifying. It has become a luxury trend, gaining popularity amongst the masses for its cool, comfortable and go-to demeanor, establishing for itself a kingdom valuing over $300 Billion. Where this fairly new trend has caught on, amongst the pioneers of this domain, Ahniel Lee, a Jamaican-Canadian entrepreneur and fashion designer has made a name for himself.┬а
Ahniel Lee founded Povrich in 2015, a brand that signifies тАШPoverty to RichesтАЩ, just like his success story. It is a unique and conceptual brand that is a signifier of LeeтАЩs adaptive fashion style. Since debuting its first streetwear range back in 2015, Lee has been at the leading edge of a new breed of brands that defy the graphic-based traditions of the streetwear they’re typically categorized with.
Always on the leading edge and cusp of new trends and inventions, the young entrepreneur has become a true pacesetter and a familiar name in the world of streetwear. Lee is best known for incorporating current lifestyle milestones, perceptions, day-day life, current news into his work that is rather a representation of fearless technique and its robust implementation. It is inspiring to see how far he has been able to take this concept.
Povrich is a reflection of the increasing consumer-driven intermingling of luxury and street wear, Lee has earned a name for himself as a self-taught designer who leveraged his skills to become a world-class entrepreneur. LeeтАЩs out-of-the-box concepts are what make him a pioneer in this industry. He aims to create and design his garments as an embodiment of a canvas, painted with current times displaying art on the body through streetwear. And it is an acknowledgment on the part of the luxury industry that it must respond to contemporary culture in new ways.
He promotes the idea of a body as a walking canvas in his every collection. A clear example of this is his most recent collection titled “broken crayons still color”. This collection was designed to capture a touching sentiment to remind individuals that despite everything they have done or been through, they still have their purpose & value. The meaning behind this conceptual collection was to carry forward a hopeful statement that reflects not only on this collection but also on the life experiences as people have witnessed in the recent past such as BLM protests and other public causes.┬а
A curious blend of passion, ambition, and entrepreneurship fuels Ahniel LeeтАЩs busy lifestyle. Having earned recognition in just five years, he has established Povrich as a household name, known for sharing a deep-rooted distinctive feeling amidst the masses. In a sense, the appeal of Lee’s unique designs stands as a testament to the future of the brand, which started from the literal bottom and has already connected a diverse audience through art. This unique yet complex way of art perception is a reminder of the BrandтАЩs namesake, POVRICH. How one can view poverty in the sense of growth towards the desired goal is parallel to the growth and meaning of the brand’s name.
To have taken the word Streetwear from its original meaning Lee has clearly transformed its definition as тАШan unflattering style of dress consisting of graphic T-shirts, baggy cuts and sneakers,тАЩ to a representative, artistic, innovative, and motivating concept, responding to customer expectations of newness and exclusivity.
