Though a culinary collective, Bronx-based Ghetto Gastro has been making its mark on the fashion industry since its launch – with frequent partnerships with Michele Lamy and a collaboration with Ambush under its belt. Now, it has joined forces with New York-based label Awake NY for a capsule collection of graphic t-shirts and jackets.
In honour of Black History Month, the collaboration entitled ‘Food, Clothes and Shelter’ aims to celebrate blackness in its every form. The lookbook, shot by Joshua Woods, shows a series of graphic tees emblazoned with the faces of important figures within the Afro Latinx and African American communities – including activist Stokely Carmichael and Cuban singer La Lupe. Elsewhere, on the pocket of a military jacket, details include the iconic fist symbol of the Black Panther movement.
As part of the collaboration’s launch South Bronx restaurant La Morada will host an all-day Feed The Community event as an act of solidarity for one of its owners – Yajaira Saavedra – who was involved in an unjust arrest by the NYPD last month. The day after will see the launch of the collection at a space built by the Ghetto Gastro team. Named ‘Freestyle Fridays’, the ongoing event creates a sense of community for activists and creatives, making it the perfect environment to celebrate a contemporary collective which uses its platform to unify culture.
A percentage of the proceedings from the collaboration will go to several charities around the South Bronx and you can shop the collection here.