The Art Comes First Spring Summer 2019 Collection takes its inspiration from Africa’s surfing communities.
Art Comes First is arguably one of the most important streetwear brands out there. The reason why this, very bold, statement rings true is based on this is their unique ‘blend’.
Founded by London duo Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh, the brand is unique in its founding, strategy and ethos. Its founders started off their respective careers in fine gentlemen’s tailoring and almost unplanned and organically started and grew the brand.
What makes this brand so important is its chance to change the statuesque. Brands such as Supreme enjoy a meteoric rise in popularity outside of their subculture for as long as the fad remains popular in the mainstream fashion world. But, as soon as it goes, be it after a season or a decade, so does the brand’s influence on mainstream fashion (think surfer-influenced brands in the ’90s).
But what makes Art Comes First so important is that it harmoniously blends bespoke traditional tailoring with streetwear. It blends it in such a subtle way that one cannot be told apart from the other. Due to this artistic amalgamation of styles, it stands a chance of possibly changing the way we see and wear traditional menswear rather than to create yet another subculture that becomes a blimp in fashion history.
In a statement the design duo commented about the Art Comes First Spring Summer 2019 Collection:
“The latest collection takes inspiration from big growing surfing communities in Africa, in cities such as Dakar, Accra where a big part of the youth culture in love with the waves is eminent. Playing around the idea of vacation as a local inhabitant, soaking up inspiration from the environment while keeping a combined modern/vintage style.”
The silhouette of the collection revolves around 50’s Americana with a mix match of core punk tailoring details.
It is a mix between casual and formal, the establishment and the anti-establishment. The collection has a relaxed-formality that can interchangeably go from the street to the office. It blends the “non-care” look streetwear with the painstakingly put-togetherness of the traditional sartorial elegance. Plus, it photographs really well… bring on the Instagram post!
