By: William Jones
It’s not easy melding the past with the future. Love Soul Legacy was created with care and clarity. Designed in the U.S. and ethically produced in Ghana, the brand offers more than just clothing. Each piece invites a connection to history, carrying meaning that spans generations. These garments are not about fleeting trends. They embody truth, memory, and pride.
Candice Smith and co-founder Akanni Thomas are both Black Americans, with multiple generations of family history in the United States.
Reclaiming History Through Design
The essence of Love Soul Legacy lies in honoring stories that were once passed in secret. The brand draws inspiration from patterns believed to have been used by freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad. Modern fashion has breathed new life into these older styles. The goal is to pay tribute to the past, while avoiding direct replication.
The debut collection introduces these patterns through thoughtful design. Every garment is meant to spark conversation, connecting wearers with themes of survival, strength, and the ancestral messages that helped guide people toward freedom.
Sacred Symbols in Every Stitch
Each pattern in the collection carries both a historical role and spiritual meaning. The North Star, once a literal guide to safety, now symbolizes trust in someone’s direction and purpose. The Bear Claw symbol encouraged escapees to follow animal trails and survive in unfamiliar terrain. Today, it serves as a reminder of resilience and inherited strength.
The Drunkard’s Path was believed to signal a winding route to confuse pursuers. Spiritually, this suggests that paths don’t always follow a straight line. Nevertheless, every step is significant. While the Wheel was once a prompt to pack and move, it now represents momentum and transformation in both body and spirit.
These designs aren’t simply meant to be worn but to be remembered, reflected upon, and passed forward. Love Soul Legacy explains, “Our ancestors hid messages of freedom in plain sight. We’ve reclaimed those codes and transformed them into wearable reminders of strength and survival.”
A Combination of Folklore, Memory, and Meaning
Scholars may debate the use of quilt codes in guiding freedom seekers, but the cultural power of the story remains strong. These patterns offered people hope, providing them with tools for survival and creation. Whether they are facts or oral folklore, they carry emotional truths that continue to resonate.
Love Soul Legacy embraces the significance behind the story, not to claim ownership, but to honor what has endured. By choosing to wear these clothes today, people are invited into that tradition of remembrance and quiet resistance. The brand believes, “Fashion can be sacred. Each pattern tells a story, each stitch carries a prayer, and each garment preserves our legacy.”
Made With Purpose and Fair Practice
The garments are crafted through fair-trade partnerships with artisans in Ghana, reflecting a commitment to ethical production. This supports both the brand’s values and the communities of those who bring each piece to life. The deliberate nature of the production process is evident in the designs themselves.
The result is fashion that does more than just look good. It holds memory, honors labor, and supports sustainability at every step.
A Soulful Legacy That Matters
Love Soul Legacy stands as more than just a brand. It honors the belief that fashion can carry history. Through each piece, wearers are invited to connect with stories of survival, resistance, and pride. This is clothing with depth. It encourages conversation. It preserves memory and celebrates legacy.
For those seeking to wear something meaningful, Love Soul Legacy offers more than style. The brand provides a way to carry the past into the present with intention. Love Soul Legacy suggests, “These pieces are designed to educate, empower, and inspire pride — they carry history forward.”
