Craftcore: handmade streetwear combats the mainstream
Craft-driven, artisanal streetwear brands such as New York-based 18 East are gaining in popularity, thanks to a focus on slow living, style and sustainability.
Designer of 18 East, Antonio Ciongoli, described his clothing’s ethos to the Financial Times as: “Blending outdoor gear with functional clothes that you can skate in - and then this curveball of handcraft.”
Many of 18 East’s clothes are made in India, where in 2016 Mr Ciongoli first discovered the “pre-industrial” techniques which inspire his design process today, such as handloom-woven textiles and block prints which can create “irregular, unique garments a machine could never produce”.
18 East’s wares can sell out within hours, but supply is not intentionally limited (like with Supreme or Palace, say), Mr Ciongoli explained. Rather, the quantity produced is restricted by the availability of a particular fabric. In this way, 18 East is keen to be “responsible” with the products it releases.
Image: 18 East via Instagram.
