See! We told you Blade Runner was based on a true story.
We’ve long been wired into C2H4’s fabric experiments. Whether it’s rock-inspired gear or retro-futuristic shades, Yixi Chen’s LA-based label knows how to do forward-looking, sci-fi inspired clobber really, really well. Everything they do is ahead of the curve, half because each release is accompanied by a futuristic story, half because the clothes are that damn good.
Most recently, they’ve teamed up with mastermind Japan, the cult Masaaki Honma label producing nano-run capsules built on minimal, skeletal designs, the highest quality materials and an occasional smidgeon of colour. The first drop was slickly functional: think mastermind’s trademark skull motifs applied to utility shirts, heavyweight tees and packable shorts. Emphasis on the ‘think’ – it sold out at hyperspeed – so you’ve missed out on that one.
Luckily, though, it’s time for drop two (though, if you’re reading this, as Drake once had it, you might be too late). This time around, it’s even more uniform: high-top shoes, crisp, emblemmed white shirts and chained bags join forces for a back-to-school look, if your school was located on some sort of parallel universe spaceship, that is. An asymmetric denim jacket and pocket sweat provide extra layers for the transition into winter, paired with a skinny black tie to prep you for your next formal Zoom call.
The storyline is, as always, a little bit of a mindfuck. This time, the members of clandestine group C-MASTERMIND, hiding out in FUTURE CITY, have been discovered living among the human population, a bit like the replicants in Blade Runner. They’ve been busy mastering human knowledge, telekinetically communicating plans to progress the universe and develop technologies, all in a day’s work.
God, it’s tiring being an android. If you’re of a lazier disposition, leave the universe-shifting, knowledge-transcending, device-developing stuff to those guys, move your cursor to the cart and kit yourself out in the style of the future.
Drop two of the C2H4 x mastermind JAPAN collaboration is available now here, be quick.
