Looking Your Clothing in the Eyes

May 15, 2024

After years of hearing about it, office finally had the opportunity to discover what the whole buzz is around DesignMarch in Iceland. A short flight from New York brought us to Reykjavik, where we settled into our favorite hotel, The EDITION, as our base for the next few days.

From art exhibitions to talks to parties, the whole city gets behind the celebration that is once a year. As we hopped from one opening to another it was clear that there’s an electric feeling and welcoming energy throughout the capital. And of course no journey to the Land of Fire and Ice is complete without a trip to Blue Lagoon which we managed to fit into the schedule.

While adventuring across the city we came across Ýr Jóhannsdóttir's opening, a textile designer and artist from Iceland based in Reykavik, working under the name Ýrúrarí. Known for her whimsical and sustainable knitted creations, Ýrúrarí joined forces with Iconic Icelandic brand 66°North, forging a partnership rooted in shared values.

Photography and text by Mitchell Connell

In a collaborative effort for DesignMarch, Ýrúrarí breathed new life into defective 66°North sweaters, transforming them into wearable works of art. Employing an innovative approach, she crafts patches from production off-cuts and previously unsellable garments, infusing each piece with renewed value and her distinct knitted aesthetic.

Drawing inspiration from the iconic 66°North logo, Ýrúrarí creates intricate eye designs that imbue the garments with personality and charm. This project not only exemplifies a commitment to circularity but also celebrates the joy of clothing repair and creative rejuvenation. Both 66°North and Ýrúrarí share a dedication to sustainability, with Ýrúrarí's craftsmanship elevating recycled clothing to cherished pieces, while 66°North's century-long expertise in fabric utilization and repair services underscores their circular approach to fashion. Together, they aim to inspire individuals to reimagine their relationship with textiles and embrace the transformative power of conscious design.

Fashion

K.NGSLEY Dares Fans to Dream in Third Collection

When the lights went down and guests cleared off of the catwalk, the production of “Do You Understand?” began in earnest. An expansion into womenswear, skin-clinging fabrics and light, sinewy dresses complexified the story of the brand as they worked their way down the runway, alongside highlights like a strappy, flowing black skirt and olive green cut-out tops.

The designer’s commitment to best-in-class subversions of menswear classics continued, with a deliciously slitted rugby polo and artfully cut button-downs. Workwear jackets were tailored to a shoulder’s width of perfection in versatile shades of that same olive green, cream, and deep blue.

The collection marked a compelling evolution in the story of a brand that has made a name for itself in personality, sensual campaigns, and representation of queer, BIPOC bodies. As show notes explained, this season’s offering “was designed to say less; you either get it, or you don’t.” The designer continued: “Fuck the clothes, it’s the tenacity of why they exist in the first place.”

Nike lent its name to the collection as well, providing support in a satisfying matchup of industry stalwart versus exciting upstart.

“This show is dedicated to everyone who made this happen. From the bottom of my heart, Thank you. It means so much, because I leave it all in the clothes,” Gbadegesin said.

Fashion

Marc Kalman's Still Kelly

For Kalman, Still Kelly represents more than just his take on streetwear — it’s a platform to showcase his close-knit community of friends and collaborators. The brand’s first lookbook, photographed by Winter Vandenbrink and styled by Pau Avia, reflects Kalman's commitment to thoughtful, enduring design over gimmicks. Preview the lookbook below.

Fashion

Coco Cultr Drops a New Line of Jersey Dresses

October 24, 2024

There’s something inherently demanding about transforming traditional silhouettes into new ones. Jesa Chiro proves she’s up to the challenge with her new collection of vintage basketball jerseys that have been refashioned into mini dresses. This modernization of classic pieces is central to Chiro’s brand, COCO CULTR. Founded in 2020, the brand is marked by its dedication to handmade garments, countering the fast-paced industry it inhabits. Chiro's most recent drop is a fresh take on femininity, taking stereotypically masculine pieces and crafting them to fit a more feminine audience. All the while, making more room for women to participate in streetwear culture.

Text by Abby Dillingham
Photography by Liv Solomon
Creative direction by Sarah Daoui and Jesa Chiro
Designed and styled by Jesa Chiro
Models Emily Hime, Celeste Luz, Jade Croo, Alissa Sugawara, Jordan Ford, Sarah Daoui

This collection in particular was inspired by a 1995 runway show by African designer Lamine Kouyaté, who collaborated with Puma for his brand Xuly-Bët. He created a collection of jerseys using all recycled materials. "Kouyaté’s words about reimagining synthetic materials that aren’t biodegradable struck me: 'These are modern fabrics... you could reinvent them instead of letting them rot,'" Chiro reflects.

By turning basketball jerseys into dresses, Chiro challenges our understanding of streetwear by taking it out of its stereotypical context. The dresses fuse elements of Black culture, sportswear, and femininity. This combination has resulted in innovative clothing that pulls from nostalgia while bringing in a contemporary twist. She recently debuted the dresses at Procell, a downtown vintage curator and storefront.