From prayer-filled dressing rooms to NOTW stickers on every SUV in America, the untold story of the brand that made faith cool in the 2000s
Walk down any American mall in 2007, and you'd find Abercrombie & Fitch blasting its club music, Hot Topic selling band tees to emo teenagers, and somewhere between the two, a store just as edgy, just as cool, but with a mission completely different...
C28
The name stood for Colossians 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ."
But this wasn't your grandmother's Christian bookstore tucked away in a strip mall. This is something entirely different. This is a full-scale cultural revolution masquerading as a retail business, and for 15 years (2000-2015), it absolutely dominated the Christian clothing space.
Why C28 Mattered (And Why We Still Miss It)
This is the story of C28 and why it is more than just a clothing company. This is the story of how a Cuban refugee with a Porsche and an emptiness in his soul built a ministry that brought 19,000 people to Christ and sold t-shirts at the same time.
The Mall Strategy: Bringing Jesus Where Hot Topic Couldn't
"When God put it in my ear to reach kids with the gospel, he wanted me to do this in malls," Aurelio Barreto told the Press-Enterprise in 2011.
Ponder that for a second. While every other Christian store was trying to hide in their own building or crammed away in some strip mall between Subway and the dry cleaners, Aurelio was placing C28 smack in the middle of secular mall culture. Directly across from No Fear. Directly down the hall from Spencer's Gifts.
The Store Experience
The locations of C28 stores were not random. They were strategic gospel outposts:
Confirmed Mall Locations:
- Galleria at Tyler (Riverside, CA) - The first store, opened 2001
- Oakridge Mall (San Jose, CA)
- Northridge Mall (CA)
- Promenade Temecula (CA)
- Westfield Valley Fair (San Jose, CA)
- Parkway Plaza (El Cajon, CA)
- Solano Mall (Fairfield, CA)
- Virginia Beach (2 locations in VA)
- Multiple locations across California and Florida
- 14 total franchised stores by 2015
Enter any C28 store and immediately, something different would strike your attention. Sure, the store looked like every other trendy clothing store for young people, hoodies, graphic tees, distressed denim jeans, etc. But the people working there? Not only could they answer questions about the biblical quotes on their clothing, but they could also pray with customers.
That's right. Prayer. In a mall. In 2005.
Stories from the Floor
One customer, Desiree, shared her C28 experience:
"I walked in to C28 and the young girl, as we were looking at the shirts, offered to pray with us. I was so impressed... I fell in love with the shirts and hats with stories with correlating pictures on them, and how the sales staff would share the stories of the shirts and make The WORD come alive."
Desiree's daughter was listening to screamo music. C28 even had a concert in the parking lot. She bought her daughter a CD. That's the kind of ministry that was happening between the Orange Julius and the Foot Locker.
Another employee, Fenella Filip, was quoted in the newspapers as saying, "They ask what it means, what it's getting at. They ask, 'Is that what Christianity is all about?'"
The Christian Apparel Brands That Defined an Era
C28 was not just a brand. It was a distribution powerhouse. It was the home for several other Christian lifestyle brands.
NOTW (Not of This World)
The flagship. The icon. The sticker on every youth group van in America.
The NOTW logo was pure genius. The N and W stood for angel wings. The O was the halo. The T was lowercase, resembling the cross.
One of the most iconic designs was "Know Jesus, Know Peace". The shirt is a classic example of the brand’s early, statement-driven gospel streetwear.
The design was bold and uncomplicated: strong block typography stacked vertically to drive the message home. The contrast between white and blue lettering on a black tee creates instant readability from a distance, intentional, confrontational in the best way, and impossible to ignore. It’s not decorative; it’s declarative.
Truth Soul Armor
In 2010, C28/NOTW acquired Truth Soul Armor, the action sports Christian brand that had deep roots in the motocross, surf, and skate world.
Jeff Ray, the president of the company, explained the acquisition: "Our San Clemente location will continue to house our design, marketing and new product development departments... We have the advantage of having some distribution in Christian retail. Mardel Christian stores have a long-term goal of building their apparel department and we're a key part of that strategy."
Truth Soul Armor had a strong presence in the action sports world, with sponsorships, authentic designs, and a loyal fan base that lived for adrenaline and Jesus.
Other Brands in the Mix
C28 had all sorts of brands in their store, from the following:
- Christian music artist merchandise
- Jewelry and accessories
- Books and CDs
- Shoes and backpacks
- Stickers and car decals (oh, the stickers!)
As of 2015, they had distribution relationships with over 2,000 stores nationwide, making them one of the largest Christian apparel distributors in the country.
The Christian Music Connection
"The designs were so popular that many Christian bands would often wear the tees on stage during performances," according to various sources.
Toby Mac & B. Haley
Photos from the past show Toby Mac sporting the "B. It" gear (another brand from C28) with B. Haley. These were not just endorsements; the artists really did love the brand and wore it all the time.
Skillet
The Christian rock band Skillet was often spotted wearing NOTW merchandise, both on and off stage. When Skillet and Toby Mac joined forces for their highly successful "Awake Tonight Tour" in 2010, you knew they would be spotted in NOTW merchandise.
Partnership with "To Save a Life"
C28 partnered with the 2010 Christian film "To Save a Life" in which one of the lead actors wore NOTW merchandise throughout the film.
Why Musicians Loved C28
Simple: The merchandise did not look "Christian" in that silly, outdated way.
To kids who loved Christian rap and hard rock music but wanted something other than cartoon Bible character tees, C28 was a godsend. Raw designs. Bold graphics. Distressed tees. Color schemes that actually made sense.
Finally, Christian kids had a brand of clothing that represented their values without looking like they got dressed in their Sunday best for church.
CanvasThreads: The Designer Community That Changed Everything
This is where C28's story really gets interesting.
Aurelio knew that in order to create a massive inventory of unique designs, he would need more than just a handful of in-house designers. What he really needed was a whole army of Christian designers.
CanvasThreads.com was born.
How CanvasThreads Worked
- Submit designs through CanvasThreads.com
- Community members vote for their favorite designs
- Top designs are printed by C28
- Royalties paid to designers for every shirt sold
- Custom "Artist Spotlight" tag created with designer's name
This was crowdsourcing before crowdsourcing was cool. This was community-driven commerce before Kickstarter was even a twinkle in Perry Chen's eye. This was Aurelio Barreto creating a space where Christian artists could actually make money doing what they loved.
611Armory Connection: Knoll Gilbert & Zack Kryzanski
"Canvas Threads is where I personally met two of the most talented designers that have gone on to create designs for my brands over the years: Knoll Gilbert & Zack Kryzanski," said Bryan Robinson, owner of 611Armory.
These guys cut their design teeth in the C28/CanvasThreads environment, learning how to design bold, unapologetic Christian art that didn't resemble "Christian art."
In fact, Zack is the same artist that designed this Spiritual Warfare shirt for 611Armory, carrying all of the aesthetic design DNA from those original C28 shirts: distressed graphics, bold fonts, scripture-focused messaging, athletic fit.
The Canvas Threads environment was not just about selling shirts; it was about enabling Christian artists to build their businesses, hone their craft, and share the Gospel through art.
The Prayer Community That Connected 425,000 People
This is the part of the C28 story that most people don't even know about.
While the brick-and-mortar stores were having an impact in shopping centers across the country, C28's online environment was creating something even more powerful: one of the largest online Christian prayer communities of the 2000s.
The Numbers
When Aurelio Barreto decided to sell the company in 2015, C28 had:
- 425,000 registered online members
- Over 19,000 people prayed to receive Christ through the website or stores
- Millions of prayer requests submitted and prayed over
- 130 employees, many of whom spent part of their day praying for customers
How It Worked
The C28 website had a robust prayer request system that allowed visitors to:
- Make anonymous or identified prayer requests
- View other members' prayer needs
- Commit to pray for specific requests
- Get email updates about answered prayers
- Connect with other believers struggling with the same issues
This was no gimmick. This was no marketing ploy. This was a real prayer ministry that just happened to sell t-shirts as a side business.
Or was it the other way around? Was it a t-shirt business that just happened to have one of the largest prayer ministries in the country? Either way, it worked.
Prayer in the Physical Stores
You remember how the employees were trained to pray with the customers? Okay, let's see how this works in the real world:
One of the customers, named Desiree, said:
"I was looking for some t-shirts at the mall, and I happened to walk in to C28. A young girl approached us as we were looking at the t-shirts and offered to pray with us. I was impressed with the service. The ministry of the face-to-face contact and prayer in the mall store is unmatchable."
Another customer, CoLene Barreto (Aurelio's daughter and C28 district manager), said:
"There's a lot of hurting people walking through the mall who are shopping because of a void in their lives. People here talk with you and pray for you."
One of the store employees, Fenella Filip, 20, said:
"I love the opportunity to dispel misconceptions that casual walk-in customers have about God. Many young people perceive Christianity as a harsh religion."
The prayer ministry was so important to C28 that the employees actually tracked the salvation decisions made in the store and reported them to the home office. This was no ordinary retail business. This was strategic evangelism in the guise of commerce.
The Final Stats (When Aurelio Sold in 2015)
After 15 years of operation, here are the final stats for what Aurelio Barreto had built:
- 14 franchised C28 stores in the United States
- 130 employees, many of whom were hired specifically for their faith and ability to minister
- 425,000 members of the online community
- Over 2,000 brand distribution stores carrying NOTW and other C28 brands
- 19,000+ people prayed to receive Christ as Lord and Savior
- Millions of prayers were lifted up through the online prayer community
- Millions of tracts were distributed through the stores and the online community
Aurelio told me in an interview a few years ago:
"While working at C28 and Not Of This World, I knew it was the height of my career. It was an honor working for such an incredibly talented team. I especially appreciated the art that was produced, as it was extremely effective in reaching the lost and edifying the saints."
Aurelio continued:
"While working at C28, I saw the following results during the 15 years of operation. Over 19,000 people prayed to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior, millions of prayers were heard, and millions of tracks were distributed. I am eternally grateful for the Lord for allowing us to work at C28 and NOTW. To God be all the glory!"
What Happened to C28?
Aurelio sold the business in 2015. The stores are all closed. BUT, the NOTW brand has been revived by Mardel Christian Bookstores, who are selling some of the NOTW product lines. Truth Soul Armor, the other brand, still operates as an independent business, continuing to serve the action sports world.
Some of these individuals have gone on to achieve great success in the Christian apparel industry, including the two designers I've had the privilege of working with.
The Legacy Lives On
You can still find remnants of C28 everywhere in the Christian apparel industry:
Where to See Old C28 Designs
Want to take a walk down memory lane? Here's where you can find these legendary designs:
- eBay & Poshmark: Vintage C28 and NOTW apparel can occasionally be found for sale
- In your own closet: You may already have these iconic pieces if you were a C28 customer back in the day
- 611Armory.com: Keep an eye out for some upcoming retro C28 designs coming soon from this online store.
- Right here in a C28 Retro gallery we created: You can view archived shirts from C28.com - some of the original designs from the early 2000s..
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Why C28 Still Matters in 2026
Here's why Aurelio and his team were so important:
You don't have to sacrifice quality to spread the Gospel.
You don't have to resort to tacky sayings and clip-art crosses to spread the message of Jesus. You can create bold, beautiful, professionally-designed apparel that stands toe-to-toe with the secular world, and use it as a vehicle for ministry.
C28 showed an entire generation of Christian entrepreneurs that:
- Mall ministry is real ministry
- Commerce and evangelism aren't enemies
- Prayer and profit can coexist
- Christian design can be world-class
- Community beats competition every time
A Final Word from Aurelio
Aurelio had a few words to share about what he wants people to remember about C28. Here's what he said:
"To God be all the glory!"
19,000 people met Jesus because a Cuban refugee decided to sell t-shirts in a mall.
Millions of prayers were answered because a website had a prayer request form.
An entire generation of Christian kids learned they didn't have to choose between looking cool and loving Christ.
That's the C28 legacy.
But if you were a part of the movement, whether you shopped at C28, prayed for our requests, voted for designs on CanvasThreads, or worked in one of the mall stores, you were a part of something big.
Did you shop at C28 back in the day? You were a part of a revolution.
And if you're looking to find that same bold, faith-focused style today, be sure to visit 611Armory.com, where we're keeping the spirit of C28 alive, one veteran-owned, scripture-infused shirt at a time.