If there’s one thing we all managed to agree on over lockdown it’s that comfort is king, and in the land of leisurewear the hoodie is god. Answering our calls for comfort and style is Tommy Hilfiger which last week launched a limited edition collaboration with Melbourne-based contemporary artist Mysterious Al, as part of the second instalment of the label’s initiative Tommy’s Drop Shop.
Featuring hoodies alongside long and short-sleeved t-shirts, the Mysterious Al collection draws on the spontaneity and energy of the artist’s street art roots, combining bold colours and freestyle shapes with his current practice of abstracted faces. Light-hearted and high-spirited, the range also bears upbeat slogans like “You Are Amazing” and “Good Energy” to help bring some positivity to these dark, monotonous times.
But it’s not just our mood the collection is helping. The gender-neutral range is limited in quantity, with just 200 per style, and made from 100 percent organic or recycled cotton, choices that build on the brand’s environmental and social sustainability mission Make It Possible. Launched last summer, the initiative saw the brand commit to targets centered around circularity and inclusivity under the rallying cry of “Wastes Nothing and Welcomes All”.
Now two Dazed faves, Tori West and Kasien, have taken on the collection, wearing pieces in their own unique ways, for a quick-fire styling lesson.
Publisher, writer, and Dazed 100 alum West is known for smashing the stigmas around working-class creatives and the jobs they do to support their art – in West’s case, as a part-time cleaner. A queer, working-class woman whose first language is Welsh, she never felt confident working for the London-based mainstream publications and so broke out on her own, founding BRICKS magazine, a platform she uses to champion the art, voices and experiences of marginalised people.
London artist Kasien has been garnering a cult following since dropping his debut solo project I FOUND PARADISE IN HELL last summer. A showcase for his versatility and range as an artist, the seven-track EP contains within it all the contradictions and emotional scope of life, at times vulnerable, motivational, confident, and honest.
Head to the gallery above to see how Kasien and West wear the collection, and head here to see the full line-up for yourself.