Guest post by Laura Brink, Cape Town, South Africa
As a student of poetry and literature, analysing symbols is native territory for me. In a world awash with symbols—many of them hollow or disposable—we can look to history for clues about which ones endure. The Scottish thistle, carried proudly into Liberation Kilt’s Flower Power collection, is an exemplary case. Encountering this beautifully illustrated motif for the first time, I was immediately reminded of the rugged fynbos of South Africa’s Western Cape, the emblematic flora of my homeland.
Long ago, the Scots embraced the thistle as a symbol of resistance. Legend tells of a barefoot Norseman who, while attempting a night ambush, stepped on a thistle and cried out in pain—alerting the Scots and securing their victory in the 13th-century Scottish–Norwegian War. Imagine that: a thorn turning the course of history!
In my native South Africa, that thorn was Nelson Mandela, whose courage pierced the darkness of Apartheid. “We are turning the variety of our languages and cultures, once used to divide us, into a source of strength and richness,” he said. Growing up in post-Apartheid South Africa, I learned early that human rights are fragile, and must be defended with constant vigilance. Lofty declarations are meaningless unless they’re carried through in everyday actions.
Any action of consequence begins with a conversation, and the Flower Power shirt was designed with this in mind. Beneath the thistle lies the Latin inscription, floreas si supersis, which is naturally mistaken for the plant’s botanical name. When I explain that it’s a hidden message of hope for illiberal times—“If you can survive, you can thrive”—the reaction is always the same: surprise, then delight—a great conversation starter.
What's more, my Flower Power shirt is silky-smooth, breathable, and built to last—from the premium organic fabric down to the meticulous finishing. Supporting the causes I believe in has never felt so natural—especially when the shirt itself is such a joy to wear.
Laura is a postgraduate student at Cambridge University
