FREEPORT, Maine — Kyle Poissonnier considers himself “just a kid from Maine,” and now the local clothing designer has partnered with one of the biggest names in retail.
Poissonnier, founder of Catalyst For Change Wear, announced Tuesday his clothing and merchandise brand is being sold at L.L. Bean's Freeport flagship store.
He launched his clothing brand in 2013, creating different slogans and artwork along the way. He’s attached his products to many different charities, donating tens of thousands of dollars to help with veteran mental health, cancer care, and other initiatives close to his heart. The Smithfield native told us this was one of the best days of his life, and he’s most excited about the reach his messages can now have.
"Yes, monetarily it will increase the donations," Poissonnier said during an interview at his Biddeford shop, where he still joins a few employees in hand-screen-printing shirts. "But, more than that, when you walk in and you see the display, the first thing you see is them talking about the stuff that we talk about, which I never thought in a million years you would walk into L.L. Bean and you would see something that talks about suicide awareness and prevention attached to what we do."
The Catalyst for Change display had actually been up for a week before Tuesday's announcement, but Poissonnier kept things quiet until he was ready to make a full announcement. He said he has been thrilled to see how many visitors from out of state take interest in not just the Maine-based clothes, but the universal messages they support.