WORDS MAUDE CHURCHILL PHOTOGRAPHY JAKE CHURCHILL
rt Comes First successfully balance projects that have commercial fashion appeal with its conceptual origins. The collective and its rotating members pave the way in an industry that is all too often caught up in its own transient nature, with projects that are created from a shared admiration of craftsmanship and dedication to its history. Between these four members, their individual work spans from visual designing, seasonal collections, and a handcrafted hat brand, to directing the design of Denham. And collectively, the skills and talents of Sam, Shaka, Matteo and Liam come together to create a wonderful kind of alchemy, something they refer to directly in their succinct brand ethos, “Sartor, Alchemy and Progression.” Their vintage aesthetic seems distinctly anti-technology, but the fact is that fashion has forever employed technology, from basic sewing machines to advanced laser cutting. In this case it’s more a question of, to what extent is technology being used? Self-proclaimed “analogue people,” Art Comes First use technology in order to bring vintage garments into the present. Their project “The DJ Technique Applied to Menswear” used the process of DJing, sampling tunes and mixing them together to create new ones, as an approach to clothes making. Taking apart old vintage garments and grafting them together they create new, modern expressions.
ART COMES FIRST
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