M65 Studio “America Lost and Found” collection at NYFW introduces us to the thugs, fairies and cool kids straight from New York streets.
M65 Studio, a brand created in 2016 by Anthony Tony, has been hailed a must-know denim powerhouse. Over time, they expanded way beyond simply that, stepping into the New York-rooted storytelling, influenced by the coming-of-age era of late 90s streetwear and eclectic 2000s. They take us on the full of surprises journey, from uptown to downtown and the glitter-dusted Manhattan to the overflowing gutters of the underground. SS23 is the most exciting part of the trip so far.
Just presented at NYFW, M65 Studio SS23 collection, “America Lost and Found” is a continuation of the previous one titled, “Lost and Found”. The label takes us through all the circles of the city, fearless and in a child-like state of wonder. Pushed to the sudden exploration by ever-present chaos and confusion, as spectators we walk away from the active participation and observe modern American moods echoing the past. Impossible to decipher always changing socio-cultural weather and taste of the masses, instead, we embrace a high-end nonchalance.
The four years of hiatus did wonders for the brand, bringing back the signature Y2K feel to its best. Alongside mostly unisex shapes, they introduced more feminine silhouettes including lacey skirts, knitted dresses and femme-cut tops. In the US quintessential fashion, they reintroduced the fur/cap combo, baggy jeans and graphics-dripping t-shirts. All of the garments have an easy-going luxurious touch to them as if they could be worn by either a top-class celebrity or a next-door cool kid. The casting only enhances the illusion. If the catwalk was to disappear, we’d believe each of the characters to be real people.
M65 Studio’s American anti-fantasy gets extra points for using environment-aware materials like upcycled denim and mixing them up with velvet and diamonds. Elegance gets a dramatic transformation. To keep designs fresh with a global finish, the brand teamed up with Scottish artist Julie Colquitt and fine jeweller J’aime. M65 studio’s new collection accomplishes the challenging task of retelling mainstream US tales: ridiculous at times but never boring.
Follow M65 on Instagram here, and scroll down to take a look behind the scenes with photography by Aline Velter…
