4 Revolutionary fashion brands

Number (N)ine

Number (N)ine is the brainchild of influential fashion designer Takahrio Miyashita. Hailing from Tokyo, Miyashita spent his teen years in the United States. There he fell in love with American style and music, particularly, rock and roll. Number (N)ine clearly reflects Miyashita’s love for rock music. It constantly references classic outfits, styles and even individual garments worn by rock stars and their fans alike. His clothes were grungy, clearly drawing inspirations from bands like Nirvana. The brand has seen an uptick in popularity with the rediscovery of japanese streetwear by younger audiences. Young people are drawn to the punk nature, and the revolutionary spirit of the brand.

Doc Martens

Doctor Martens boots are a staple of any modern would-be revolutionary’s wardrobe. Doc Martens signature 1460 boot is one of the most iconic shoes of modern history. Worn by practically anyone, the heritage boots have gained an undeniable appeal to punks, anarchists and revolutionaries. The boots began as a comfortable alternative to the boots commonly worn by German soldiers. They eventually made their way to Britain where they were worn mostly by service people. However, as youth culture in Britain began thriving, they were adopted by numerous influential subcultures. Their popularity has only grown since. Doc Martens are revolutionary boots, worn by revolutionaries.

Vetements

Vetements is a fashion label started by Demna Gvasalia. Vetements takes an incredibly postmodern approach to fashion. The deconstruction begins with the title simply meaning “clothing” in French. Their clothes make one doubt the nature of fashion itself. The brand often plays with proportions and takes clothes to their most extreme. This is perfectly exemplified by the two seminal garments which skyrocketed Vetements to streetwear fame.

Firstly their collaboration with Canada Goose. Vetement created a truly absurd take on the classic Canada Goose jacket. The jacket is both inside out and perhaps 2 or 3 times larger than the average Canada Goose jacket. A very left field, deconstructionist take on a classic jacket, rarely toyed with or altered too much by fashion.

Secondly their collaboration with Champion. A pair of sweatpants, popularised by the likes of Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott. By all appearances standard until you examine the repeated champion logo along the sides of the pants. A signature of any sportswear brands sweatpants or athletic pants, namely adidas, the repetition of their logo or signature along the side seams of the pants. These pants however, saw the pattern reaching beyond the length of the garment, a strip of logo covered fabric hanging off the end of the cuff of the pant. These ridiculous deconstructions of fashion classics represent vetements truly revolutionary nature.

Rick Owens
Rick Owens is the eclectic, industrial and brutalistic work of designer Rick Owens. His work is revolutionary in that it explores the boundaries of fashion. Owens has created garments which are barely recognizable as “clothing” per se, that still please the eye on the runway. His clothes are like none-other. Rick works with design aesthetics which rarely make their way to fashion. He deconstructs their principles and applies them in ways unimaginable to most. His revolutionary spirit is seen throughout his runway shows. This is especially evident in his spring summer 2014 collection where he got rid of models and simply hired normal people to wear the clothes.