Sometimes the way something is made is as interesting as the final result. We like to pull back the curtain and give more info on how our clothing is made, but this time we thought we'd give some background to our photoshoot for Gramicci and why we collaborated with them.
For us, all collaborations start with our personal connections to the brand. Gramicci was a brand we grew up with. It was a favorite of offbeat outdoorsy kids across US school campuses. The kids that looked up to the Stonemasters of Southern California for their style as much as their climbing ability. It was a small step from the skate/surf ethos of SoCal; a confident, sometimes cocky mix of grungey granola and serious outdoorsman with eye-catching colors. Bandanas and long hair were a consistent favorite.
This was the jump off point for the whole collaboration and something that we wanted to carry through both the clothes and the photoshoot. Basically, take that storied West Coast base and add our East Coast lens; a blend of our own love of the city with the outdoors. Indoor climbing and bouldering is popular around us but we thought a more humorous perspective would be more fun and true to Gramicci’s roots. Thinking of climbing in the city we remembered the OG Batman show and how Adam West would scale the side buildings to catch bad guys. An irreverent way of thinking about what climbing in the city means. We have one of the most iconic skylines in the world so it was easy to grab a photo of NYC and blow it up for the backdrop. The hard part would be the building.
Luckily we have some people who can swing hammers so the whole set was designed and built in our studio in Greenpoint. At 12 ft. long and 6 ft. wide it’s the biggest set we’ve constructed but having it in the studio allowed us to test and make adjustments throughout the build. Our laptops and notepads are still covered in sawdust.
The final piece was getting good friends to model and hold the leaf blower. Having everyone involved made it a true team effort and the whole collaboration that much more fun. We hope it shows.