‘Reverse Social Decay’ is less of a tagline and more of a mission statement for The Blankfaces, the UK’s first fashion label aimed at ending homelessness. Each design is created or inspired by someone in that awful predicament, with a share of the sales going directly to them. The Glasgow-born label is a passion project for founder Gerard McKenzie-Govan who has taken his lengthy involvement of working in retail and fashion, and channeled it towards creating social good.

‘Homelessness is growing year on year and people [experiencing it] are getting younger and younger,’ says McKenzie-Govan. ‘I wanted to try and tackle it differently. I wanted to strip away the stigma and preconceptions of people experiencing homelessness by showing the human being instead of a statistic. The Blankfaces is a platform to tell their story. We give people a voice.’

Since launching in 2018, The Blankfaces has moved from pop-up markets to permanent homes in Glasgow and Manchester. The name is a nod to the anonymity that can be endured by those affected and aims to give people back their autonomy through a collaborative design element, while creating tangible good on the ground.

Their Glasgow store doubles as a local feedback centre as well as housing a tuck shop. From food to sleeping bags, the back of the store is open to everyone who may need it, no questions asked. In pursuit of growing the community element, McKenzie-Govan has also teamed up with Jo Nethery and her team at Five March, who supply fresh, nourishing hot meals to the shop every Wednesday. The Blankfaces might not be able to reverse social decay overnight but they are making the world a little bit better, one t-shirt at a time. 

427 Great Western Road, Glasgow, theblankfaces.co.uk, @the_blankfaces on Instagram.