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British Label only Only The Blind prides itself on fusing streetwear staples with the high-end values of luxury fashion. Its signature aesthetic is led by a tonal palette of everyday pieces elevated with intricate embroideries and prints. Made to last, all of the brand's collections are designed in its London studio using premium materials.
We spoke to brand Owner & Director Igor Ivanenko about the concept behind the new collection, the inspiration behind its Japanese designs, British streetwear culture, and more.
Please tell us more about the concept behind the SS23 collection.
The ‘Dusk till Dawn’ collection presents a contemporary take on luxury streetwear, combining the brand's trademark intricate embroideries featuring elements of traditional
Japanese illustrations and detailed artworks throughout. All of the designs are cut and sewn in our perfected hoodie and t-shirt silhouettes, designed and illustrated by our team in-house in our studio in London, England.
The collection features multiple floral and crane artworks in muted tonal colours, bringing a striking yet sophisticated look. We continue to feature the speciality of the brand: highly intricate embroideries which are hand-drawn in-house and then perfected in the digitisation process, ensuring a striking look and feel to the pieces.
Can you expand on how you present a ‘luxury take on contemporary streetwear’?
I feel streetwear these days is sometimes moving too much in the direction of fast fashion. Brands are looking for ways to increase their profit margins as they grow by saving costs and using cheaper fabrics, trims etc. We are always doing the opposite: looking for ways to elevate our pieces, researching new materials and technologies, looking for the best manufacturers possible to achieve the level of quality our customers expect from the brand.
This allows us to work towards our sustainability goals as the pieces are all created in limited quantities, of a quality that can be worn for many years.
Where did the inspiration for using traditional Japanese illustrations come from?
We’re really excited to have taken on a new designer, Miho. Seeing how she was able to elevate our AW22 collection, we gave her full reign to lead this collection. She has a Japanese heritage in line with the brand's style, so we gave her the freedom to add her style to the collection. Every single artwork has been hand-drawn by her in this collection, with styles being inspired by traditional Japanese pieces she owns, including a Kimono.
How do you feel British streetwear culture has developed over the years, say in comparison to ten years ago?
I’d say British streetwear has transitioned to very plain, minimal styles in the past few years. During covid, there was a massive shift to loungewear, hoodies, track pants etc. Although we’ve adapted and presented styles in plainer options, the brand's DNA has always been to create unique, striking pieces that set us apart from others and let our customers express themselves. As we’re coming out of covid now, we’re seeing a fast growth of demand for our ‘louder’ pieces that include all-over embroideries, patch panels, bold colours etc. This enables us to fully express our creativity and create even more unique pieces.
You have a loyal fanbase, what do you think draws people to the brand?
We’re really lucky and thankful to have built up the following we have in the short period of time the brand has been around. I think what draws people to the brand is a mixture of two elements: the designs we create, which are really striking and unique, but also the brand’s signature statement of ‘Blessed are those who have not seen, yet still believe’. It’s a key message that is seen throughout the collections and is a message that strongly characterises the brand’s ethos of pursuing what you love no matter what.
How has the brand evolved over the years, can you talk about how the aesthetic has developed?
We’ve constantly been evolving and maturing, as fashion and trends evolve, so does the brand. In previous years, you could say our pieces were more branded and in brighter colours. But, as we have evolved, we are now focusing on more subtle, higher-quality pieces with more tonal colours. The fabrics we use now are much heavier and of higher quality than in the past. Our goal is always to use the best quality fabrics available, offering the best pieces possible that can be worn many years over.
If you had to choose somebody from pop culture (past or present) as an ambassador/muse for this collection, who would it be and why?
Sadly, it has to be categorised as past not present – Virgil Abloh. He’s someone that created the streetwear that we see today, re-inventing the concept and combining the luxury and streetwear worlds into one. He single-handedly changed the world and how we see it, paving the way for young artists to continue in his footsteps, not be scared to go outside the norm.
He was always approaching things from angles outside the norm and thinking outside the box. I feel this is something that can be seen in our collections including this one. We have taken our block of a t-shirt, hoodie, denim etc. and approached them from the angle of art rather than just clothing. Our embroideries and graphics elevate the products and truly change the pieces into wearable works of art.
What are the key pieces that you are most excited about from this collection and why?
Probably the bomber jackets are my favourite, being a signature style that was initially released in the first collection of the brand. We’ve completely re-visited them, updating, and revising the style to be a high-quality mature look.
Also, the Driftwood floral set is a favourite from this collection. It’s got such a sophisticated look to it with a beautiful floral embroidery throughout, crafted on our signature diagonal cotton fabric. I’m confident it will be an eye-catching piece at Pitti.
Talk us through a key/unique design element from the collection that excites you.
I think it would have to be the intricate embroideries that we pride ourselves in. The artworks for these are all drawn in-house and then digitised in a special way. It’s a time-consuming process, but allows us to then embroider the pieces in a unique and detailed way that mimics the brushstrokes of the artworks. We test the embroideries for our designs all in London, going through multiple revisions and strike-offs until they are perfected.
Sustainability is a core focus for the brand, and we’ve used undyed cotton on some styles. We continue to use this material throughout our collections, looking to create a whole range of pieces from this material soon. As we are committed to moving towards a more sustainable business, we’re constantly exploring different ways to do this.
What's next for the brand?
Having had a hugely successful conceptual pop-up store in Soho, London throughout last summer, we’re looking to open more pop-up stores and events later in the year. We’re excited to start working with some new stockists globally, including some of the most prestigious department stores and boutiques in the Middle East and USA.
Finally, we’re working on some exclusive pieces that we will be dropping online with unique designs and incredibly intricate embroideries that will be available outside the collections as separate drops in very limited numbers. Of course, we continue to evolve and progress with our collections, and we can’t wait for everyone to see what’s in store for the AW23 collection that we’re currently finalising.
Great, thanks for your time!