Empathy Is A Superpower: Sam Abrahart And The Mayfair Group

Forbes

16 hours ago

Models wear (L) the Empathy Always Grey Crewneck and (R) the Mayfair x @iscreamcolour Somebody Loves You Crewneck; Legacy designs from The Mayfair Group. Photo by Robby Mueller. Robby Mueller for The Mayfair Group
When life was most difficult for Sam Abrahart she reached out into the world with the words which held the most meaning. And the world responded, first a voice at a time, and then as a rising chorus. Abrahart is a young woman who fought for herself and her future by eloquently demanding empathy, and in doing so she has created a community that refuses to leave anyone behind.
The Mayfair Group does not have a typical fashion brand origin story, and Abrahart is not the kind of founder you're used to hearing about.
Sam Abrahart, founder of The Mayfair Group. Photo by Chey Franke. Chey Franke for The Mayfair Group
'I always say that clothing really can be a catalyst for conversation and change,' Abrahart said to me when we met to talk about her work, and please know, above and beyond all, she is an advocate. One of the first questions I asked her was about her process, where the carefully curated phrases come from. Because words matter to me and I am fascinated by processes.
'I have always loved storytelling and the idea of creating safe spaces where people can kind of feel seen, heard, and understood for who they are,' Abrahart told me. 'I always say there's two types of brands; brands that create worlds that feel aspirational and brands that create worlds that feel relatable. The ones that I love brands that create worlds that feel relatable because it means that you can be a part of something without having to change who you are. When I was starting Mayfair, it really started as an internet safe space. I was navigating a really dark depression and when I went online it felt like the most isolating place to be. I think I just created what I needed in those really low moments. I wanted to create a world where people felt like they belonged, much like the brands that I looked up to growing up. I had no idea that so many other people needed or wanted to hear the messaging that we were putting out.'
What began as messaging aimed at making real human connections quickly grew into something bigger, and in 2017 The Mayfair Group was born and named after the nightclub where Abrahart's parents met.
Avery Woods wearing the Mayfair X Avery Woods Waffle Crewneck. Photo by Robby Mueller. Robby Mueller for The Mayfair Group
'Our community was the ones that asked for products,' Abrahart explained to me. 'They were really the ones that translated Mayfair into what it is today. And then clothing became the vehicle. I still feel like, to this day, storytelling and emotional resonance has always been like the heart of who we are as a brand. We really want to create products, not only clothing, but products that really help enhance people's daily living and help them live in not only their highest powers, but their most authentic form of being.'
The success of her brand, the way that people have connected with the messages Abrahart believes need to be heard, means that more than seven years after starting her company, she's still 100% self funded. This means that in more than name, the founder is the heart and moral compass of this brand. She is always interested in people over profits, and because she does not have investors, there is never anyone encouraging that corners be cut to increase profit at the expense of her clients or employees.
And as her clientele grows, they've been asking for more Mayfair, so last year Abrahart expanded into children's clothing, specifically because the community kept asking for it.
'We were having a lot of conversations about how we continue to create safe spaces for younger people,' she told me. 'Our community had been requesting kids' apparel from us for a really long time. A lot of moms were saying they really wanted kids clothes so they could start having the conversations we were having with their kids. Whether it's empathy or something else, we want to help start teaching kids about this messaging early. And not only teaching them, but letting them embody it. We've really thought about the opportunity for a teaching moment, for a human moment.'
My Self Care Waffle Zip-Up Hoodie. Photo by Robby Mueller. Robby Mueller for The Mayfair Group
For this new venture, Abrahart partnered with pediatric intensive care unit nurse and influencer Avery Woods, a collaboration that feels as natural as it does positive and nurturing.
'For the collaboration with Avery,' Mayfair's founder explained, 'the idea was that it would say 'Self-Love is My Superpower.' We thought about parents having conversations with their kids in a mirror, teaching them the importance of self-love. It's almost like the classes that we didn't get in school when we were younger. We want to create things that enable these conversations and help teach the mental wellness language from a young age, self-love from a young age. I think we all look back and we really desire that we wish we could learn earlier is kind of like how we're thinking about the conversations for kids' clothing. The collaboration with Avery Woods was a perfect example of something I hope creates beautiful moments between parent and child, and that parents can start teaching their kids about self-love and what that means.'
So what is the real world impact of wearing something from The Mayfair Group? What are these conversations and why are they so important? I asked Abrahart if she could tell me a story that might show an example.
'I was wearing one of our mental health sweatshirts in an airport,' the founder explained. 'And, so you know, this happens to me all the time and to our community all the time. We get hundreds of messages every day talking about real life versions of this type of story, people meeting other people at Mayfair and having beautiful conversations.'
The You Are Enough shorts and the Inhale Exhale Hoodie set. Photo by Robby Mueller. Robby Mueller for The Mayfair Group
'I was in an airport,' Abrahart continued, 'and this mom saw the back of my sweatshirt that said, 'Thank You For Asking About My Mental Health.' She came up to me and she stopped me and told me, 'I hope this isn't weird, but I've never been able to talk to someone about my daughter's depression, but your sweatshirt made me feel safe to do so.' We sat down at this gate and we had such a beautiful conversation. It was like 45 minutes. I ended up giving her daughter my phone number. I know what it feels like to navigate something so dark. And if she ever needs advice, she can call me. We cried together. We shared a moment together. And I walked away from that moment understanding that this is much bigger than I thought. These messages really can help other people feel seen and understood. It was a beautiful turning point for me, realizing the weight of what we were building and doing.'
That this was an interaction with a complete stranger somehow makes the story more powerful. Especially since there seem to be a lot of people working hard right now to separate and to other. Conversations, though perhaps not as glamorous as other options, really are a way to find a middle ground.
Ans with so few of us instigating conversations with people we do not know, especially when we do not agree with them politically, seeing someone like Abrahart modeling reasonable, mature behavior for other adults feels very important. No one likes to be yelled at; none of us want to feel demonized for our mistakes. It is much easier to make improvements when we approach the problems with calm compassion, and that is something this woman does instinctively.
'I'm really inspired by people and the human experience and what we're all navigating, but not necessarily talking about,' Abrahart said. 'I think that like a lot of the energy we feel collectively, we aren't saying out loud. So, when we're creating campaigns, I always think, what is it that people need to hear? What is not being spoken about? What needs to be said to help someone feel less alone? Or maybe it's just, what is good messaging, a good feeling that we can share right now when people need a break from all of the heaviness happening in the world. People need optimism. It all starts from the idea of like, what is it that people need to hear right now? And how can we be a catalyst for that?'
In part because she is a charming young lady and partly because the work she does honestly resonates, Abrahart has collaborated with some pretty big names. I asked her if she'd tell me one of those stories.
'I'm such a big manifester,' she said with a smile, 'and we are constantly thinking about collaborators we want to work with or people that we would love to see wearing Mayfair. Bella Hadid had been one of the people at the top of my list forever. And not just because she's a fashion icon, but truly because she's an incredible person and advocate.'
Hadid's team (from her brand with Jen Batchelor, Kin Euphorics) reached out to Abrahart after the supermodel saw one of Mayfair's sweatshirts.
The Empathy Sweatshirt by The Mayfair Group. Sammy Keller for The Mayfair Group
'Bella had personally mentioned the Empathy sweatshirt,' Abrahart explained. 'And obviously we were huge fans of Kin and of Bella and Jen. It was a dream come true and such a cool opportunity. It was such an amazing experience. I feel like we both really connected and saw eye to eye creatively.'
Hadid had an idea that grew into a project they worked on together; The Angel Number Hotline. An actual 1-800 phone number that their audiences could call when they needed some positive affirmations, supported by a collection with that number emblazoned prominently.
'We basically designed a sweatshirt that was the angels on speed dial,' Abrahart explained. 'Bella had the idea for a hotline number sweatshirt, where people could call and get affirmations.Then we started pulling and sharing the affirmations from our journals. And essentially our communities could call into the hotline and hear an affirmation that they needed, one that was recorded by Bella. there were so many layers to it. It was such a big full circle moment, it just felt like such a personal way for our communities to connect, but also to create safe spaces and create a product that people really love. It was also just a beautiful campaign.'
Sam Abrahart, founder of The Mayfair Group. Chey Franke for The Mayfair Group
In a world where checking the news or seeing the price at the the gas station can be equally stressful for any of us, at a time when our differences seem to be getting infinitely more attention than the things we all have in common, knowing that there are people like Sam and companies like The Mayfair Group feels like a push back towards sanity. If we cannot find a way to revive our social contract, if we cannot remember the value of other human beings, whatever remains will not be what anyone wants.
But if you mention sad possibilities like that to Abrahart, she will immediately point to all the people doing good work. Spiritually, I'm almost certain that she is fashion's version of Mr. Rogers; looking for the helpers. If there are none around, she'll do what is needed herself.
'I'm obviously the founder of Mayfair,' Abrahart said to me at the end of our conversation, 'but I think that it's never really been a solo journey. It's been built by an incredible, passionate, creative group of people, past, present, and even future, that have worked with us. Everyone that's ever touched this brand has helped to shape it into what it is. I want you and everyone to know that I feel very lucky to work alongside these people. And while I am the face, the heart of Mayfair is very much shared between many incredible people. There is a huge community of people that are Mayfair.' MORE FROM FORBES Forbes All Hail Qveen Herby: A Conversation About Costume Versus Clothing By Rachel Elspeth Gross Forbes The Founders Of Apparel Brand Cherie Are Winning The Attention Economy By Rachel Elspeth Gross Forbes The Unusual Language Of Class In Netflix's 'Sirens' By Rachel Elspeth Gross