Since founding the brand in 2020, our clothing has been a platform for spreading messages, protesting injustice, and supporting grassroots efforts. Proceeds from every purchase—whether online or at our store in Barrio Logan—directly fund organizations driving change or sustaining our local programs.
My goal has never been to get rich off Future Is Color®. To this day, I continue to do creative direction work on the side because I refuse to treat this brand as a profit-driven venture or something that needs to be optimized for better quarterly returns. The needs of people and communities don’t conform to corporate structures, yet capitalism forces us to exist within them. This brand is not that. We don’t build community to profit from it—we build community because love, connection, and liberation are the antidote to an oppressive system. This Brand is an experiment in utilizing, skillsets and resources to provide what tools i can to aid in the dream of collective liberation.
In solidarity and with love, erwin hines - Founder and Designer
With each release of clothing we take a portion of the proceeds to donate to organizations doing the groundwork. Since inception we have donated to the ACLU, Paliroots meal program, Color of Change, Know Your Rights Camp, NAACP SD SWAG, The San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art, and more.
Alt-Futures, a program created in partnership with DREAMS+DUCATS, is designed to decentralize knowledge on building community-centered organizations and personal endeavors and providing the tools and mentorship to bring them to life. This program is free and open to members of the community.
Community Space: A portion of profits go to sustaining and maintaing the Future Is Color® Studio+Cafe, A free and open safe space for communities to gather and engage in open conversation and connection. Within the Studio we have an ever growing collection of books for the community to read.
Business incubator: Within the space we have a coffee shop ran by a new/small business named Kubo. We take zero profits from them and charge them zero rent, giving them the ability to invest in what they need to grow as they feel they should.
A series of free monthly workshops to help empower our community with tactical knowledge and skills.
An ongoing series of community conversations focused on the work of decolonizing and rehumanizing.
An artist development program to help reduce the attrition of creative talent from San Diego while also providing a space for diverse communities to gather around the power of Music.
