ABOUT THE BRAND

As it’s coming up on the one year anniversary of my brother’s passing, I’ve realized I can never seem to find the right words to honor the bright soul that was Anthony Lamore. I think creating THE AFTER PARTY is a great place to start. Anthony wasn’t just a brother to my siblings and I, but my mother’s son, a lifelong friend to many, and most of all a father to his beautiful daughter who was the absolute light of his life, and we have her to thank for showing him what true happiness was in this lifetime. Unfortunately, some things have the power to be larger than all of that, and I found the true purpose behind this brand after losing my brother to his long fought battle with addiction. He was the life of the party, but hid behind that smile and fought battles behind closed doors that we didn’t know were still being fought. If this brand can help just one person in his honor, I can too leave this Earth someday knowing I finished what he wishes he could have.

My biggest fear in life is my older brother’s memory being shadowed by a statistic or a stigma around struggling with addiction. As I’m sure many of you can relate to, mental health is an ongoing battle and not everyone has the courage to fight that battle in the eyes of others. I want to create a space that shows both sides of party culture and make those who are struggling with that concept feel seen. Due to our chemical makeup and things far out of our control, we may not be able to handle what the person next to us can and that’s okay. It would be absolutely tone deaf of me to start a brand based on partying without addressing the possibility of substance abuse. Just as it would be equally as tone deaf to discredit those who choose to use substances in moderation, and act like exploring and living your best life has to have alcohol entirely cut out of the picture. I’ve always appreciated a good party, but that comes with balance. Balance is exactly what I want this brand to encompass. You can have the time of your life one night and wake up the next day to make progress towards a life you dream of. THE AFTER PARTY isn’t about nursing a hangover, it’s what you choose to do after the party’s over to make this life truly authentic and true to what you want out of it, in honor of those who got their chance taken too soon.

At the age of 19 when I first thought of starting this brand, I would’ve launched showing solely “the good side” of partying because I witnessed my brother overcome his addiction and had no idea there would be a day that like any disease it would resurface. Now at the age of 24 and after watching the absolute worst outcome imaginable, I am starting this brand to not only tell Anthony’s story but to shine light on the good times too, just as he would have wanted to be remembered. As my brother once lived by, the good times never die. Those are the memories we can look back on in hopes of brighter days. You deserve to have the time of your life, but not at the cost of it. Life is shorter than you think, and every choice you make has the chance to shape your life for the better or worse. You do not have to fight these battles alone. There are multiple mental health outlets throughout this website for you or someone you know that might need that extra reminder that this life isn’t just worth surviving but truly living. Always be aware of the fact that the person next to you could be fighting a battle you know absolutely nothing about, even if you’ve known them since the very first day you were brought into this world and to that I say don’t just be kind but also be present. No day is promised, be here in the now and make memories not only you could benefit from but others, maybe even a stranger, will cherish. There are two sides to every story just as there are two sides to every party, and that is why there are two sides to this brand.