After losing her 23-year-old son Brody Shaw in a car accident last February, Kristina Partington, found a way to honour his passion for the sea by building a brand around it.
Sea-Aholic is a Nova Scotia clothing and lifestyle brand inspired by Shaw’s deep love for fishing.
“I wanted an outlet for my grief, something to keep his memory alive,” said Partington. “He started out loving the ocean, loving the sea, fishing with his family, and after his passing I had a lot of anger and had a lot of grief.”
The business took shape over the summer, with Partington choosing fonts and logos and modelling the first pieces of apparel.
“I’d send my kids designs, asking, ‘What do you think of this?’ We all agreed on one then I brought it to ‘Say it with Stitches’ in Bedford. They helped bring my vision to life,” she said.
The brand’s anchor logo was carefully chosen to represent strength and stability – values that resonate deeply with Partington.
“Brody was an anchor for our family. He was extremely funny and bright and you know he was strong,” she said.
This followed a brand launch video, featuring pictures of Shaw with an original song written and performed by his brother’s girlfriend.
What started as a personal project has now evolved into a growing business, with Sea-Aholic offering hoodies, T-shirts, toques, ball caps, and personalized mugs featuring fishing grounds and beaches across Nova Scotia.
For Partington, Sea-Aholic is more than a business, but a way to give back in Shaw’s name.
“A percentage of the proceeds are going into the Brody Shaw Memorial Fund and we have put forward a bursary forward through the Nova Scotia community college’s Nautical Institute, and we’re giving $3,000 bursary every year,” Partington said. “I think he’d be proud. And he’d say, ‘Of course, mom, you had to go big.’”
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