FRAHM was created by a founder who had a nervous breakdown and saw the world with different eyes when he’d recovered. That the ‘real’ stuff, the littler things, are the best things. 

FRAHM is built to be a kinder, more sociable and thoughtful business. (We also happen to make really good jackets).

What we saw was that our modern world often isn’t very good for ours, or anyone elses' mental health. Not necessarily the worst negatives, like a breakdown or suicide, but the simple, grinding increases in stress, tiredness, worry and the gradual erosion of friendships, work or just not enjoying a good life. These can lead to the worst stuff.

Men, including myself, are also increasingly rubbish at socialising and have always been pants at sharing troubles or showing their real selves.

It needn’t be all marshmallow cuddles and My Little Ponies, but it does need to be a bit more “mate, I feel pretty down. Can we have a chat about it?” Or a bit more “sod it, I’m going to stop work, walk to that big tree right over there, sit under it until I get hungry, and have a think about it all.”

FRAHM’s tag line is “Proper jackets for real life.” This is all about doing what really matters and having jacket that actually does what it’s supposed to. What really matters isn’t reaching for the unreachable, having big biceps to show off on Facebook, shouting at people on Twitter, driving a Bentley or having a Perfect (impossible) Life.

What matters are moments of quiet joy, your health, your contentedness, family, climbing hills and feeling the cold air on your face, chats down the pub, whatever floats your boat. Having people to talk about the big scary, embarrassing, silly, saucy stuff that’s in your head is very very much part of that.

Matters:

• Direct human connection.
• Talking about stuff.
• Space to rest and reflect.
• Activity and the outdoors.
• The 'right kind' of working life.
• Pubs. Not as drinking holes, but centres for thought, sharing and laughing.
• Creativity.
• Being real. Not constructing unreachable lifestyles.
• Avoiding the toxic false context of certain social media, forums and media. 
• That our fellow humans are good, and kind. 

We’re grown up(ish) enough to know that real life isn’t always fun, pleasant, full of joy, kindness or love. Sometimes it’s a massive kick in the teeth, lonely, skint, desperate, lost or confused. That’s why FRAHM is honest about life in it’s language and why we support a charity. It would be disingenuous to say REAL LIFE IS AMAZING because it often isn’t. But it is more beautiful, valuable and fulfilling than a pretend billionaire driving a speedboat full of playmates across the Adriatic, weighed down with gold and machine guns….

Actually that sounds ok….

Joking apart, who knows what his real life is like? He’s not showing it on Instagram, that’s for sure. We all suffer (even if it is suffering in a speedboat on the Adriatic).

What the hell has that got to do with FRAHM? First, we all have a responsibility to be kind. So why not a brand too? Simple.

Also, Jackets that work technically and sartorially help experience and get us to the good, real things. Hell, jackets aren’t going to change the world, but if they’re a small part of the journey then that’s awesome. A longer walk, a better ride, a unselfconscious quiet reading of a Dickens novel in The Local.

FRAHM jackets do no more than a banging job, they're not making promises they can't keep, or (we hope) adding to anyone's insecurities.

We (the other ‘we’ apart from me is Jason, my best mate and business partner) wanted to support a charity as we sold jackets and the first choice was Mind. They’re dynamic, forward thinking, moving the debate forwards, genuinely helping people, and they do it in an accessible way. Plus, they’re really nice, help save lives and increase our overall contentedness with our world. We admire them a lot.

What we promise to do:

• We will donate £10 from every jacket we sell to various mental health charities.
• Help to improve mental health and make it easier to talk about it, especially amongst men.
• Be real, honest and open about the goodness and difficulties of Real Life in our podcasts and Pub, to varied people, with their own stories, struggles and joys. 
• I’ll be blogging for Mind.
• Hopefully all in an entertaining and accessible way. You've got to enjoy all this!

We just sell jackets. We won’t just talk about mental health or difficult subjects all the time. But we will always try and set a quiet example of a company that cares about humans and is ok to address the less glamorous stuff.

If we can show that high-end brands care, and are unembarrassed to talk about the really hard as well as the fun stuff, maybe it helps a bit. Donations definitely help.

That’s why we run FRAHM in aid of mental health charities.

Take care, Nick & Jason.