United Tee!!!! It's here!!!!!

Always wanted a tee that supported a United Kenya one hundred percent from concept, design to the ethical reasoning behind it?

Well the idea behind the tee is a thumb print, kinda like the ones on all our ID cards, however, this one is genetically fit for all of ours. Uniquely identifying us as one vibrant, beautiful, and cohesive group of individuals.

Well wait no more unveiled for 2011 is the United Kenya Tee, follow us on Twitter and catch the Twit-Pics in order to get a glimpse.

It promises to be a beautiful and exciting year!

Mad love all!

Fluid Towers :)

Living our Roots

"I think kids (these days) are inundated with too much visual and audio stimulation on screen based gadgets and games that they've forgotten how to make life fun for themselves. :-( Such a pity.Thankfully, we have something called 'shags'. I intend to send my kids there every few months, to get dirty, to get curious, and to get creative. No TV, no radio, no games. Just them and the wild outdoors"Fluid Fan in reaction to this Fluid Post.

Our world as children of the late 70's and 80's was very similar when we were growing up. We all loved and watched Rambo on our VCR's, warned anyone who borrowed our tapes to return them rewound and waited anxiously for KBC to begin at 4PM. We all made our fun, created cars, dolls and balls out of refuse, similar songs were sung across all urban Kenyan neighborhoods, and at one point many of us were escorted home crying by a band of 'friends' chanting "Haiya Marakanjo!" when they knew we were gonna be whooped at home.

Fluid Tees is a Kenyan brand borne of out positive and great Kenyan inspiration. Our brand's designs always aim to capture the spirit and trend that is 254. As a result our latest design Living our Roots, is a reflection and a toast to all children, and now adults of the late 70's and 80's. May we continue to Celebrate, Embrace and Unite in common shared experiences. You can order the tees online!

The History of Cotton-Part 2

There is a sad part of the history of cotton that cannot be ignored. During a 72 year period, the market need for cotton fueled the inhumane trade of slaves. Human beings were killed, maimed, tortured and denied their rights in order to ensure that cotton demands were met. 

A quote from a cotton picking slave that is heart-wrenching and that reminds us the extents of human cruelty is that of Mary Reynolds, "It was work hard, git beatins and half fed ... . The times I hated most was pickin' cotton when the frost was on the bolls. My hands git sore and crack open and bleed." Excerpt from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938.

Cotton in all it's glory is not exempt of human pain. We hold close the memory of all who suffered, and hope that this is a lesson that history will truly teach all of us, market demand for a product is never reason to cause so much suffering.

Pamoja Japan

Today at 2PM the Japanese Embassy in Kenya will be holding a memorial service in remembrance of all who suffered from the 2011 tragedy. It is also a call for solidarity and togetherness for those still suffering from the implications of this crisis.

As people that empathise with humanity and as global citizens we too are in solidarity with Japan, in this time of great need.

Sometimes as we struggle to make it through difficult times, hearing the wisdom of those who have struggled, questioned and dreamed before us can make the journey easier.

We hope that these quotes will uplift any and all facing trying times.

"Tough times never last, but tough people do." - Robert Schuller

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves." - Edmund Hillary

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

A History of Cotton- Part 1

Cotton was first cultivated in the Old World 7,000 years ago (5th–4th millennia BC), by the inhabitants of the Indus Valley Civilization, which covered a huge swath of the northwestern part of the South Asia, comprising today parts of eastern Pakistan and northwestern India. The Indus cotton industry was well developed and some methods used in cotton spinning and fabrication continued to be used until the modern industrialization of India.

In Peru, cultivation of the indigenous cotton species Gossypium barbadense was the backbone of the development of coastal cultures, such as the Norte Chico, Moche and Nazca. Cotton was grown upriver, made into nets and traded with fishing villages along the coast for large supplies of fish. The Spanish who came to Mexico and Peru in the early 16th century found the people growing cotton and wearing clothing made of it.

During the late medieval period, cotton became known as an imported fiber in northern Europe, without any knowledge of how it was derived, other than that it was a plant; noting its similarities to wool, people in the region could only imagine that cotton must be produced by plant-borne sheep. John Mandeville, writing in 1350, stated as fact the now-preposterous belief: "There grew there [India] a wonderful tree which bore tiny lambs on the endes of its branches. These branches were so pliable that they bent down to allow the lambs to feed when they are hungry." This aspect is retained in the name for cotton in many European languages, such as German Baumwolle, which translates as "tree wool" (Baum means "tree"; Wolle means "wool"). By the end of the 16th century, cotton was cultivated throughout the warmer regions in Asia and the Americas.

Keep it here for part two :)


Source: Wikipedia

Great links for Start-Ups

A lot of people have great ideas on their start-ups and a strong vision and mission as well. However, sometimes we all need different perspectives and ideas on conducting our biasharas and pushing our business forward.


We decided to share some of our favourite links that entrepreneurial minded people can benefit from.


Entrepreneur


This website contains information from the A-Z of not only running a business, but it also has business ideas that can expand yours, or that you can use to start your own thing. The site also has a blog and a Q & A section that allows for greater interactivity. You are also able to benefit from their cloud platform and take advantage of accounting software for example.


Succeed As Your Own Boss


Here, forward thinking small business owners, solopreneurs and people in business can find resources to succeed as their own boss. Whether you are looking to become self-employed or are a small business owner with five years or less in business, or you just need to hear from a person who has been there and done that, this is the place to be.


Harvard Business Review


A compilation of some of the greatest business minds in the world, this allows you a global perspective on business, innovation, strategy, marketing, management and leadership. It is a business classic with analysis and views that are incomparable. 


Strategy + Business


An award-winning management magazine, published in print and on the Web for decision makers in businesses and organizations around the world. Whose purpose is to illuminate the complex choices that leaders face — in strategy, marketing, operations, human capital, public presence, governance, and other domains — and the impact of their decisions. As of 2010, they are one of the few business magazines with an expanding circulation, and one reason may be their pragmatic but far-ranging focus, helping companies navigate the transition into the emerging global economy.


We'd love it if you shared any other great links too! Enjoy!!!

The Psychology of Colour

Our reaction to color is instantaneous, color is a meaningful constant for sighted people and it's a powerful psychological tool. By using color psychology, you can send a positive or negative message, encourage sales, calm a crowd, or make an athlete pump iron harder.


Today we look at three colors of interest, 3 being a magical number and all of that :)


Blue 

The overwhelming "favorite color." Blue is seen as trustworthy, dependable and committed. The color of sky and the ocean, blue is perceived as a constant in our lives.

As the collective color of the spirit, it invokes rest and can cause the body to produce chemicals that are calming; however not all blues are serene and sedate. Electric or brilliant blues become dynamic and dramatic, an engaging color that expresses exhilaration.

Gray

Gray is most associated with the practical, timeless, middle-of-the-road, solid things in life. Too much gray leads to feeling mostly nothing; but a bit of gray will add that rock solid feeling. 

Some shades of gray are associated with old age, death, taxes, depression or a lost sense of direction. 

Silver is an off-shoot of gray and often associated with giving a helping hand, strong character (sterling in-fact!).

Orange

There is usually strong positive or negative association to orange and a true orange color generally elicits a stronger "love it" or "hate it" response than any other color.




For more on color psychology go here.