On a cold and rainy Friday night in Soho, independent creative streetwear brand SCRT held an event showcasing their AW19 Capsule Collection, influenced by the classic cult film Fight Club. Focusing on themes such as disinformation and consumer culture explored in the film; the 2000 square-feet concrete shell above Phonica Records was the perfect, gritty venue for the launch. The vast, open space with its graffitied walls, live art installations and of course racks of clothing soon had its windows steamed up as the room filled with likeminded creatives.
Self described as a brand who intend on promoting creativity “through bold design and subtle detailing” as well drawing influences “from subcultures both past & present”, one of SCRT’s key focuses is on collaboration. In the past, the Brixton based brand have joined forces with the likes of Jesse Feinman inspired by the surrealist art of Dora Maar, as well as Francisco Marques for the This Unearthly – Bosch capsule. The AW19 launch saw this time UAL alumni Izzie Hill and Berlin-based artist Max Guther produce a capsule working with illustration and print, as well as live art specifically for the event.
“Collaboration has always been part of who we are, and we’d argue a big part of what separates us from other brands out there.” Chris Narey (Creative Director) and Adam Kirk (Managing Director) for SCRT told me. “It's not just visible in how we work with artists, but how we work internally as well. In fact, some of the artists who we work with have become a part of the brand itself, providing much more than artwork.
“The film Fight Club just turned 20 this year, and while some aspects of it have certainly aged,” Chris and Adam continue, “we felt that the message of consumerism and distraction from life was something that still resonates today.
The film's Punk / DIY attitude really connected with us, and a lot of what Tyler, Marla and the Narrator have to say still echoes across our feelings as a brand and as people.”
‘What is wrong with me? Why is everyone still so self-obsessed? Why after all this time has no one learnt anything?’
Of course not only is finding the inspiration for a collection highly important, but also ensuring that both the artist (in this case Lizzie and Max) and the creative process each time has a clear, distinctive aim for what is hoped to be conveyed, and what story is to be told.
“Dependent upon the artist and the capsule, we tend to work differently for each one. Max Guther is a digital illustrator for example, and his work comes across best with us by taking totemic items from the film capsules, and recreating them in detail, whereas Izzie Hill's work is much more varied in style. We'll take her sketchbooks and contrast her line-work with some of our own harsher graphics to create something entirely different. Sometimes there's much more back and forth, or sometimes we just need to spend a while working out how an artists work translates into our style.
Even once it's completed, we'll need to fit everything within a wider collection, and create a cohesive vision for the season. That said, sometimes a piece or project comes along that you build it's own identity around, and you can see that in the Bosch and Dora Maar capsules.”
With the night a success, as well as the collection itself; it’s evident that SCRT well and truly know who they are and what they’re doing. With the focus on exploring new opportunities with a range of artists and styles as what sets them apart – it’s exciting to think about what may come next from the brand.
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