Streetwear—love or hate the label—continues to be the darling of men’s wear, leading the conversation on not only design but how brands—including numerous firms based in Orange County—speak and sell to their audience.
Where the industry is going was on full display over the two-day ComplexCon, which capped earlier this month in Long Beach with a mix of fashion, art, music, food and discussions, with one panel tackling the question of where streetwear’s headed.
The theme: the forward-thinking are anything but one-trick ponies.
“I don’t hate [the streetwear label], but I think it’s limiting,” said Don Crawley, the founder of apparel brand Just Don, which has been linked with Irvine-based Mitchell & Ness and Nike. “It’s putting a ceiling on you. It’s like if somebody called you a black designer. So at the awards show you can only get the top black designer award. It’s like, man, OK, yeah I’m proud to be a black designer, but that’s not all I want to be.”
The category has also been long viewed from the outside at its most basic: screen-printed hoodies and T-shirts.
“That’s just everyday clothes,” said designer Everard Best, who runs label Ev Bravado and has also partnered with companies such as Neiman Marcus and Off-White. “They’re trying to put us in a box. Oh, we’re streetwear, but we’re in Italy making custom fabrics. It’s not like you steal a Google image and just put it on a T-shirt. It’s more than just that.”
More Tailored Looks
While the T-shirt and hoodie looks are beginning to fade, giving way to more tailored designs, many of the brands dominating the industry are holding onto aspirations beyond seasonal trends.
“The ultimate ambition would be to look back … and think ‘OK, I really managed to create a lifestyle around my perspective, my point of view, with these tools that I have,” said Guillermo Andrade the designer and owner of the FourTwoFour boutique on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles and clothing line 424 Inc.
“Whatever the 424 lifestyle is will probably [grow] as I learn more and more. I mean, I’m making suits now, you know? I had to get my first T-shirt made at a dry cleaner.”
Added Crawley: “I want to build a heritage brand. I want my brand to be around for a while so when I’m trying to create, I’m trying to think of ideas that are not just going to be cool for that season.”
