Apolis (uh–paul–is) means “global citizen.”
Customize
Your Bag
Your Bag
Customize
We are still selling the Original Market Bag, however, our community has asked for and is in need of non-medical face masks. In many cities across the United States including our hometown, LA citizens are asked to wear masks and we're here to help!
Generally, these masks will fit most Adults. Refer to this graphic to help you determine if they will fit you.
These masks will fit most toddlers. Refer to this graphic to help you determine if they will fit yours.
The mask is not medical-grade and it does not include a pocket for a filter. These masks are meant for essential daily activities, but shouldn’t replace what doctors and nurses use in hospitals such as the n-95 mask. However, masks like ours can help keep n-95 masks in the hands of those who need them on the front lines while protecting citizens through daily essential tasks.
These masks are sewn at one of the only open facilities in Los Angeles who are deemed essential due to their production of face masks. More about the masks:
Yes, we have developed a mask without customization. Please see it here.
Baby2baby is a nonprofit we regularly work with on specific product launches. We’re grateful to continue this partnership with our masks and for every mask we sell, we are able to gift a day’s worth of diapers to an American family in need through baby2baby. Learn more about baby2baby here.
To us, the Market Bag is a product that does well to represent what Apolis is all about. The whole project started when Apolis co-founder Raan Parton had the idea to make a waterproof grocery bag, and has become a line that has sold over 565,000 units. These sales have translated directly into jobs, healthcare, and security for a group of mothers working in Bangladesh co-ops. It has been amazing to see how we've grown in direct correlation with our Bangladeshi partners. When we are able, we speak with them over the phone, and we're so encouraged to see the attitudes that our partners in Bangladesh carry with them every day. Through the Customized Market Bag and the other products in our collection, we have been able to provide over years of work with Fair Trade-certified wages to mothers in Bangladesh. The linear job creation arc of the Market Bag is something that we strive to have in all Apolis products. We are pleased that every person can now take part in this story in a way that is personal, by creating a Customized Market Bag.
The $68 cost reflects not just the customizable printed phrase of your choice, Fair Trade-certified wages and profit dividends for the women who make the bag, but a bag that is built to be durable and reliable for the long haul!
Every market bag is handcrafted in Bangladesh by people who receive Fair Trade-certified wages, annual profit dividends, and a retirement fund; read Forbes.com's article on how this approach is changing people's lives, with 665,000 bag owners and counting. The bags are then shipped to Los Angeles, California, where a growing team of 13 people print one-of-a-kind customizations onto the bag.
If you have ordered it from Apolisglobal.com or from one of our authorized retailers it is authentic. Additionally, every Apolis bag has the longitude and latitude coordinates of the market bag co-op that made the bag.
We only customize leather labels for our wholesale retail partners — ranging from chain stores to independent boutiques, real estate agencies, and more — which entails a 50-unit minimum order. We don't offer leather labels on non-wholesale orders, but if you're interested in starting a wholesale account, we'd love to partner with you — click here to learn more.
One of Apolis' core values since its inception has been that of equality – which in our context means that we care just as much about the hands which make our products as the hands that use our products. The red cross-stitch detail featured on select Apolis items serves as a small reminder of our underlying belief that humanity has a common thread that connects us all as global citizens, regardless of where we come from. Without great craftsmen and women, there would be no quality products. Without people wanting quality products, there would be no work for these craftsmen and women.
Our creative director Raan Parton designed our logo in college with the simple idea of creating one design which serves two purposes. The eagle represents industry, and when you turn the logo upside down, you’ll see a candle representing advocacy. Apolis is built around the idea of Advocacy Through Industry, which we believe is a practical, sustainable way to harness the power of business to be an advocate for giving impoverished communities fair access to the global marketplace and by fostering opportunity by creating jobs. We love the idea of business being a way of improving people's lives, and you can learn more about Apolis' B-corp certified model for social impact here.
No, we believe that our model of “Advocacy Through Industry” is an effective way of creating jobs in the global marketplace. When all people in the world have access to the same global marketplace and can support themselves with work and commerce, then we have the opportunity to create a society where people can not only survive, but thrive. Throughout the years, we have been able to track the impact that our business model has had on people in developing countries, click here to see how business is improving the lives of people all around the world.
Afterpay is a service which allows you to pay for Apolis purchases $35 and over in four biweekly installments, with no interest if paid within that time. You can learn more about Afterpay here.
It is incredibly important to us that the products made by Apolis are produced in the most ethical way. This means that we are subject to limited quantities of fabric, materials and labor. Each garment or accessory that we make is a limited run, with specific quantities of what we think will match people’s sizes, wants and needs. Standard items, like t-shirts and chinos, are ordered on a rolling basis. So if your size is not in stock now, it will be in the future. Specific collection items are made as a part of a limited collection, which means once they are sold out they may not be restocked. If there is a specific product that you would like to see in stock, you can sign up for e-mail alerts for that particular product on the product page.
We are definitely focusing on the market bag as of late, both because we're so blown away (and grateful) for its tremendous popularity (about 600,000 market bag owners to date) as well as the way that demand translates into opportunities to make a big impact in breaking cycles of poverty for the Bangladeshi communities that craft the bags (learn more here). However, we're also excited to focus on Apolis Japan, our partnership with Sanyo which will be producing lines of men's and women's clothing coming in Spring 2020. Apolis Japan will feature brand-new styles and looks which we're excited to offer to our stateside audience as well, and which embody our continued commitment to producing thoughtfully designed, long-lasting products which benefit the people who make them.