People frequently question why people buy what they call, a "$50 tee shirt." It's much more than that; these brands, creative minds if you may, are sharing their artistic visions. Sure, "street wear", whatever you may call it, may fall short of traditional fashion practices. But, it's about the art; cut, sewn, hand dyed, it's all a part of the creation of this "$50 tee shirt," the creation of the piece. While some of these pieces may seem quite bland, they're often counterbalanced by a shot at pop culture, provoking a strong message. For these artists and designers, a blank canvas just happens to be a piece of fabric. These artists are pushing the boundaries of creativity, Quality Control.
A short while back I drove up to Bridgeport, Connecticut to check out an in-store event happening at Dertbag. Dertbag and it's creative mind, Philip Post, turns minimalism and sun-kissed tie-dye. You can read more about my visit to the shop and Phil himself here: 1 | 2 .
The Freedminds is a clothing brand founded in San Francisco. FMFU, or FreedMinds Fuck U, incorporates everything from Wu-Tang Clan references, to spins on the renown Misfits skull, all while producing a bootleg of their own brand. They've also collaborated with brands such as The Divinities and Death Precision. Contributing to the art and culture these clothing brands have defined, "brick by brick".
Recently, these two brands teamed up with D'emploi for their respective collaborations. D'emploi is a small operation run out of Brooklyn, New York, by Kyle Mosholder. Creating handmade goods on a Depression-era Singer using domestically produced canvas. Everything from bags to hats, he continues to define the true meaning of "handmade".
The collaboration with Dertbag featured hand dyed beach towels, a pyramid panel cap, and a beach tote. The collection, titled the "Dertbag + D'emploi Beach Capsule" , features accents of Philip's signature sun faded dyes, royal blue canvas, leather straps, and copper rivets. Whether you're on a beach or a New York City rooftop, the collection is perfect to layout and soak up some rays.
The Freedminds released the "Mesh Pack" with help thanks to D'emploi. The release featured a handmade mesh backpack and a mesh bucket hat. With both pieces coming in black and white, the brand was keeping in mind the heat of the summer and brightness of the sun. The pieces were lightweight due to material use, and provided protection from those ultraviolet rays; a perfect combination of style and functionality.
D'emploi x Dertbag | D'emploi x the Freedminds
