My Favorites My Home Page
 
Home Music Live Lifestyle My Planet
 
Change Background
You are here -> Lifestyle / Fashion Friday, 16 May, 2008
PLANETNOTION TELEVISION!
INFO
Get your life sorted here, Don't get caught looking like your parents or people will think you're from Hoxton.
RSS FEEDS
Subscribe Feeds
What is RSS?
Fashion East: House of Holland
tags: | henry holland | fashion east | more...
Brit Pack
tags: | brit pack | hoxton eaton | more...
Sole Brothers
tags: | sole brothers | british | america | more...
Pimp My Step
tags: | new balance | trainers | more...
Fly53
Pharrel, Diddy, Wu Tang, Gwen Stefani, the list goes on. In recent history the queue of musicians willing to attach their name to a collection of generic hoodies, t-shirts and jeans has had no shortage of, err, queuer-uppers. But what about the other way – designers getting into music? Welcome to the world of Fly53, a clothing company expanding at its own rate and on its own terms. They’re now complimenting their fashion ranges with ‘Fly By Night’ touring gig nights, while always staying true to their mantra of being ‘Outfitters For The Resistance.’ Music and a refusal to follow trends have always been at the centre of Fly53. In 1994 the company was producing band T-shirts for festivals, but they soon realised that there wasn’t a company, as they put it, ‘representing street culture.’ When their first collection of unique T-shirts sold out, and a second quickly followed suit, they decided to move the brand in that direction. Since then the company has maintained the underground ethos and grown steadily. And music has taken the brand to heart. Those who have been ‘outfitted’ by the label include some of the best and brightest across all genres. From trip hop, house and indie rock to the latest fabricated dance-rock crossover, these clothes know no boundaries. You’re as likely to see Liam Gallagher’s simian swagger encased in Fly53 as you are Hot Chip’s awkward, robotic shuffle. Collections include everything you could possibly want from a brand. From head to toe, a gentleman – or lady – can be covered by garments containing a subtly embroidered Fly53 emblem. But, lest we forget, it all began with printed T-shirts. And it’s these which still form the backbone of the Fly53 brand’s success. A quick glance over this spring’s offerings shows the logo interwoven into many of the iconic images of the 20th century. Take the hammer and sickle – the Soviets’ glorified, symbol of the strength of a unified peasantry and industrial workforce. It’s now been contorted to include the Fly53’s lightning and grain logo, itself a representation of the brand following its own path while always retaining a distinct element of mystery. And it’s this mystery which is entrenched in the associated story of a Bolivian kickball-playing ‘wolf man’, who after touring with the 80s metal sect is kidnapped, only to re-appear many years later as a florist in Kidderminster. Surreal tales aside, nothing is too sacred to deny it the Fly53 graphical print treatment. From a host of socialist symbolisms to yellow submarines, Blaxploitation and Rainbow, anything goes. But the one constant is always the undercurrent of defiance and willing conflict. ‘It comes from our interest in underground sub-cultures, and our tagline, ‘Outfitters For The Resistance’ sums it up,’ says Will. And further emphasising their DIY ethos, one of their first T-shirt collections was named 53R135 after the Letraset characters which adorned the pages of the punk and indie fanzines the design pair read in the 80s. Growth has now reached the point where the Somerset shed, in which the first T-shirts were hand printed, has had to be abandoned like so many discovered rebel hideouts. As with most fashion designers times have occasionally been tough, but the firm recently secured investment from Gola, which Will has described as ‘essential for the brand to progress to the next level.’ But purists shouldn’t fear, occasionally bigger can be better, and the brand certainly won’t be abandoning its punk roots. The new, larger Fly53 has had the opportunity to expand into the world of music, with a succession of gig nights, including acts such as Dirty Pretty Things, The Futureheads and Pink Grease. Future dates will continue to include more cutting edge artists. Finally though, despite their association with subversion and resistance, a sad omission from their collection is the classic French beret. Still, with what is on offer – and perhaps in a deliberate semi-ironic twist – any prolonged resistance on the punters’ part is surely futile. www.fly53.com Words: Tom Lewis
tags: | fly53 | pharrell | diddy | wu tang | more...
Big Fluff
Run out of a small second floor office in N16 is the clothing label Big Fluff. Surrounded by a collection of hand-printed tees and hoodies and fuelled by a nearly endless supply of tea, designer Azhar sits, fighting the gargantuan buying power of the high street stores. A high street all too willing to market cheap copycat designs in the name of competition. But individuality is his byword in both design and technique, so despite the competition he continues to thrive, grow and carve out his niche. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE HUMBLE T-SHIRT THAT LENDS ITSELF TO DESIGN? They've been a fashion staplefor decades, they suit everyone, and the designpossibilities are endless! T-shirts can reallymake a statement - they can be striking andsophisticated, insulting or they can make youlaugh out loud. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE T-SHIRT LIKE? Of my own designs? Well, they’re all good! Against my better judgement, I recently made my first slogan T-shirt. It says 'I cut my own hair' and it’s fluorescent! I never thought I'd do anything with a slogan, but nobody believed that I do actually cut my own hair, so I thought I’d make a fucking T-shirt to prove it! IS IT TOUGH STAYING AFLOAT AS A SMALL, INDEPENDENT LABEL? It can be a struggle as a T-shirt label – the competition is very tough. Thehigh street shops are so quick to pick up on trends and styles. Everyone loves a bargain but peoplealso appreciate good design and are willing to paya premium for something that’s had real work put into it - and that they won't see ten other peoplewearing everyday! My process of printing helpsas it allows me to achieve results that can’t bedone using conventional methods. I also work with other garments such as fleece-lined cardigans and knitted jumpers which sets me apart from the general T-shirt designing crowd. WHICH CELEBRITY WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO DESIGN A T-SHIRT FOR? I would love to get Lemmy into a hotpink polka dot T-shirt! TELL US ABOUT YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH MEDICINS SANS FRONTIERS? They are working on somethingso basic and so vital - the provision of healthcare,medicine and sanitation. These are such basicthings for us in the West that we take them forgranted, but their lacking affects so many peopleon a day to day basis. If you take you have to give- I’m not a preacher, I just think that so much morecould be done with a bit of compromise. Just take less and give more! ( www.msf.org ) WHAT WAS THE FIRST T-SHIRT DESIGN YOU CAME UP WITH - HOW OLD WERE YOU? The first time I made a T-shirt was around 5 years ago, so I was 24! There was a one day 'exhibition' where artists had a stallin Spitalfields market and a friend asked me to join him on his stall. I decided to make a load of Tshirts,all with 'T-shirt' written on them in different ways - 'T-shirt' T-shirts! I did one with cigarette burns all over it and some American guy bought it. WHAT HAS YOUR BEST SELLER BEEN SO FAR? My stag design called 'Trophy' has been really popular, and even though it's been ripped off by a couple of very well known shops it continues to sell well. I don’t produce stuff for a particular market; cool kids from Hoxton buy the same designs as middle aged ladies in Hampstead. I like that! ARE THERE ANY BIG BRANDS THAT YOU LIKE OR IS IT ALL ABOUT THE INDEPENDENTS? I don't tend to drawmuch inspiration from big brands but like mostpeople these days, I mix and match and just buy what I like. I've just got a great hoodie from thedesigner Michiko Koshino, and another one from H&M. I like them both equally! WOULD YOU EXPERIMENT WITH MATERIAL OTHER THAN COTTON? Definitely. I've printed on loadsof different fabrics like denim, rayon and modalwood fibres. It's tricky as a small label to gethold of stuff though - factories want you to orderthousands of items at a time which is impossible,and small runs can be prohibitively expensive. I’verecently started sourcing organic cotton and I’vebeen experimenting with sustainable bambooyarn which is silky soft and almost translucent,it drapes over the body like liquid! TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE DESIGN PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH... They're hand printed, handpainted and every one is different. It's a really lowtech process. I cut stencils, woodblocks and thenprint away! I’ve gotta keep a few secrets though oreveryone will be doing it. WWW.BIGFLUFF.COM TEXT: TOM LEWIS
tags: | big fluff | n16 | azhar | hoodies | more...
NEWSLETTER!
Click here and sign up to our weekly newsletter, to get the latest Notion goodness.
Contact Us Support Us Music HQ Ltd / Notion
Site Map Advertise with Us Website designed and developed by PS Europe Ltd.