YMC SS21: Collection Overview
A unisex brand enriched with the notion of creating understated, timeless garments that reference moments from literature, the arts and music, YMC encourages individual style progression through their ‘You Must Create’ explication, inspired by a quote by the famous industrial designer Raymond Loewy; “You must create your own design style”.
Introduced to fashion through music, the upbringing of YMC co-founder Fraser Moss and his time spent witnessing the tribalism of British youth culture during the late 1970’s continues to have a direct influence upon each collection. As a collector from an early age of vinyls, books, mid-century pottery, art and vintage clothing, Moss uses his collection of over 15,000 single and LP vinyls for constant reference. For anyone who has been following releases from YMC for sometime, notable recognitions to musicians and moments in music history are continually made through individual style names.
Growing up in Wales, Moss was regularly immersed in a variety of sounds through both his father - who he says had good taste in music - and the eclectic variety of musicians that were gaining an audience in Britain during the 1970’s. The likes of The Beatles, Elton John, The Rolling Stones, The Clash, The Who and Pink Floyd were changing the industry forever, shaking many out of the colour pop swinging sixties and into a more grunge-led scene. Going hand in hand with one another and with fashion having just as much impact as the music did, with it came a variety of fashion tribes, uniforms and subcultures labelled as punk, new romanticism and disco-driven Studio 54 glamour in America. It is no surprise that these rich experiences had a lasting effect upon Moss and his progression into design, leading him to work with creatives such as Vivienne Westwood before developing his own line of menswear, which in recent years has developed into an accompanying womenswear selection.
Designed in partnership with fellow founder Jimmy Collins and the brand’s London-based team, for the SS21 YMC menswear collection, styles such as lightweight button through jackets, zip secured shackets and revised sweatshirts have been named after the likes of David Bowie, Kelvin ‘Posdnuos’ Mercer and Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs. As contemporary designs suited to the transition into the summer months, they may be more subdued than their famous counterparts but work perfectly as a base to build personalised independent style.
Constructed from premium cotton sourced from Italy, the YMC Bowie Zip Shirt is a fresh take on a versatile everyday staple with a zip-through front. Appearing simple in it’s execution, custom construction details take the regular fit silhouette to the next level and combine elements from jackets commonly worn by members of the skinhead subculture, a collective that saw a second and more prominent wave worldwide during the 1970’s. Likewise, the lightweight YMC Buster Jacket also features elements from original bomber jacket designs but with a more technical cut of raglan sleeves and a raised collar neckline, which both hint at activewear influences.
Coinciding with the selection of blue tones throughout the collection and named after American rapper and producer Kelvin Mercer - otherwise known as Posdnuos or ‘Pos’ - who is best known for his work as one-third of hip hop De La Soul, the YMC Posdnuos Shirt has a familiar look as a casual button-through style but has been developed further with a rich garment dye effect, layered shoulder yoke and raw hemline. Pairing particularly well with staple light wash denim, darker tone black cotton corduroy trousers or even a more distinctive printed style if you want a more expressive look, the modern, functional approach of YMC is perfectly demonstrated through each.
In the way of more leisurewear inspired designs, the rich all-blue YMC Cool Hand Sweatshirt and YMC Sugden Zip Sweatshirt shows an extension of elements seen within the YMC Posdnuos Shirt within a more relaxed silhouette, inspired by early sportswear styles developed during the 1930’s and again in the 1950’s. Whilst both are named after more contemporary events in the year of 1967 which saw the establishment of West Yorkshire engineering company Sugden-Sugden Audio and ‘Cool Hand Luke’, a soundtrack album by Argentine pianist Lalo Schifrin, the prominent garment dye technique and raw hems are reminiscent of sweatshirts favoured by those categorised within greaser fashion - made famous by Elvis Presley and films such as the iconic 1951 Hollywood picture A Streetcar Named Desire with Marlon Brando as well as Francis Ford Coppola’s The Outsiders in 1983. Two memorable moments in cinematic history which have played a massive influence upon Rock ‘n’ Roll music genre styling, this movement has remained paramount in modern day styling.
Far from custom, anti-establishment artwork often seen across painted leather jackets and personalised band t-shirts, the YMC Diddy Jacket is decorated with a peaceful traditional patchwork star design against the shoulders, a possible ode to a popular decorative trend of psychedelic fashions. Demonstrating the vast musical collection owned by Moss, the YMC SS21 collection subtly transitions between core moments in 1970’s musical history but with a definitive modern touch that ensures it is removed from the realms of costume.
Focused on offering wearable styles tastefully enriched with culture, this collection incorporates elements from British youth known well by Moss, but is appropriate for, and in tune with the needs of an older generation who favour style over trend. Described as a brand that offers the ‘bread and butter of British menswear’, YMC never appear to be swayed by anything other than their own vision, and express this effortlessly across reworked staple cuts and reimaged staples.
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