Strght & Nrrw
Strght & Nrrw is a clothing and lifestyle brand founded by Jay Harris, Pastor of The Image Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Strght & Nrrw was initiated with the intent of creating culture and products as a means to glorify God and connect with real people. We view our clothing and other products as a billboard, designed to incite conversations and spread the powerful message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Strght & Nrrw is the embodiment of the belief that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the Life. The cliche phrase “living the straight and narrow” has been hijacked by the mankind’s effort to point to their own self righteousness. In context, Matthew 7:14, from which our brand name derives, only points to Jesus. Jesus is our Strght & Nrrw. We just follow. Our creativity flows from this and a shirt serves as a canvas to tell His story.
How did you begin?
[Jay Harris speaking] My mom always sewed clothing and did interior decorating. As a kid I watched and it became my sole dream to design clothing. I worked in the fashion business as a retailer for several years and even dropped a couple tees here and there. It was always about the business and not ministry. As I grew in my faith, my love for God swallowed my love for fashion and I began to dream about a way to use my gift to glorify Him. Strght & Nrrw was born. I started S&N in July of 2011.
How would you describe your clothing and apparel?
Design-wise its an urban street wear brand that embodies, hip-hop, skate, and punk. Music, particularly hip-hop, has always been entrenched in the culture of the brand.
Do you have a mission/goal for your work? If so, what is it?
Yes. To spread the gospel through the messages seen on the clothing and to capitalize off the brand current by using the platforms it opens up to encourage people in entrepreneurship, build relationships, and ultimately see lives changed. At the end of the day, all the effort put behind the brand is to connect with people and connect them to the truth of Jesus. Point blank.
What can people expect from you in 2017?
I, Jay Harris, am the lead Pastor of a church plant named The Image Church in Jacksonville, Florida. This transition happened during the time the S&N boutique was open. My friends always said I was a pastor because I would literally lock the store doors to preach to teens that would come through. I fought the calling but eventually it was too obvious to deny. God spoke and its been so hard but so beautiful.
We serve an urban context and the work load is absolutely crazy. The church is my priority and because of that the brand has lost some steam in the past year. This year I will be hiring some people to pick up the slack. My mind constantly turns with designs. As our systems are improved with the right people to implement them, the outcome will be some really dope gear and more visibility for the brand.
Visit their website here.
that shot for forgiven Boutique was by Charlie Espinel