5 OF OUR FAVOURITE LOS ANGELES STREETWEAR LABELS

Los Angeles could be going through what one would describe to be a streetwear renaissance, as there are more promising brands emerging from LA than ever before. Other locations have had their fair share of streetwear success throughout the rise of this style, but what makes LA different from places like Tokyo, London, or New York, is the relaxed atmosphere that dominates the west coast.

Brands like Fear of God, Undefeated, John Elliot, The Hundreds, X-Large and Tyler, the Creator’s Golf Wang have helped cement Los Angeles as another capital for the streetwear industry today.

Chris Gibbs, the founder of LA's influential retailer Union (which is known to introduce the hottest new brands), says that: "LA is maybe not the birthplace, but it's the home of streetwear right now." Gibbs also believes that the city’s casual aesthetic alongside the fact that it’s easier and more affordable to start a business in LA, helps create a perfect storm for successful streetwear brands to be produced.

Stephen Malbon, founder of Malbon Golf, points out that, “Because of the celebrity culture that is so prevalent here, they get recognition quickly,” which is certainly true, but there is no doubt that LA’s casual aesthetic is bringing a whole new surge of semi-under-the-radar brands that are positioned to reach similar levels of success, many of them blurring the ever-thinning line between streetwear and high-fashion. Scroll down to learn more about five from our list of favourites.

1. RHUDE

Rhude - AW18 (instagram.com/rhudedesigns)

Rhude - Rhude x Union Los Angeles for ComplexCon (instagram.com/rhudedesigns)

Rhude - “Paraiso” AW18 (instagram.com/rhudedesigns)

Rhude was launched in 2014 by Rhuigi Villaseñor and has since been producing ready-to-wear collections focusing on the collaboration between “minimalistic styles and streetwear sensibilities,” (as said on their site.) They have become well known for their cigarette carton-inspired branding and often blur the line between streetwear and high fashion. Today the brand is stocked at Union, Ssense, and Barneys and has been co-signed by Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, and Migos to name few. Rhude continues to produce their products in the U.S. while sourcing fabrics from around the world, all the while celebrating youth and elegance through their simple and functional designs.

2. PLEASURES

Pleasures was launched by founders Alex James and Vlad Elkin at an LA gallery pop-up in June 2015. Since then, the brand has grown a massive 170,000 followers on Instagram and are showcased in over 100 retailers worldwide ranging from Bodega to Dover Street Market. They have had many awesome collaborations which include: a partnership with Commonwealth to produce a long sleeve in honor of the brand’s LA store opening, a four-piece capsule collection with Pakkard Studio and Depop, an exclusive T-shirt with Hong-Kong’s OKOK, a production of Ebbet’s Field vintage satin coaches jackets in two colors, an exclusive collab with Colette and Club 75 and even the Grateful Dead. Alex James explains how they, “Create clothing based on feelings through past experiences. From your most satisfying memory to the worst feeling of your life, Pleasures is here to remind you that you are accepted.”

3. ADVISORY BOARD CRYSTALS

Remington Guest & Heather Haber - (scmp.com)

Advisory Board Crystals - (instagram.com/advisoryboardcrystals)

Launched in 2016, by founders Remington Guest and Heather Haber, Abc. already has Union, Grailed, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys, and Colette among its collaborators and stock lists. The brand is certainly synonymous with LA purely because of their association to crystals and the transcendental. They actually sell crystals on their online store that are selected by the founders themselves. The two met while sharing an Uber Pool ride in Los Angeles and ended up at the same party later that night. In an interview with Vogue, Remington Guest says that their meeting was, “Truly divine timing in practice.” Heather Haber explains that, “On one of our first ‘dates,’ he walked me into a crystal shop to buy me a lepidolite. From there, we knew crystals were a part of our love story.” Before they began Abc., the couple held positions at Band of Outsiders. On their website, the brand describes itself as, “The contemporary iteration of a crystal shop inspired by the needs of the modern human with the desire to utilize the incredible properties of crystals as an integral addition to the art of daily life.”

4. CHERRY

Cherry - “ADHD” Hoodie (instagram.com/cherrylosangeles)

Cherry - (instagram.com/cherrylosangeles)

Having just launched in late 2017, Cherry LA is an awesome streetwear brand that has already earned some Instagram influencer action/celebrity endorsement after being spotted on the likes of Kaia Gerber and Wiz Khalifa. The brand has some solid marketing skills too, after painting a house in West Hollywood bright red and then naming it ‘The Cherryhouse.’ According to Forbes, their signature style is a T-Hoodie, (a T-shirt sewn over a hooded sweatshirt.) “Cherry exemplifies the best of what’s coming out of the Los Angeles scene right now—the label’s brilliant branding has its fans going wild over the printed hoodies, tees, and re-worked Dickies—but they’re elevating all of the above with the way in which they’ve taken American workwear standards and remade them with the craftsmanship you’d expect from a luxury house. It’s no wonder they’re being snapped up all over Instagram with people running to be shot in front of their first ‘installation’—a Cherry-red house in West Hollywood. Talk about smart marketing,” says Olivia Perez, Forbes contributor. Founded by Joseph Perez and David Levy, Cherry LA is only just at the start of what will hopefully be a very long life in the fashion industry.

5. MIDNIGHT STUDIOS

Midnight Studios for Courtney Love - (instagram.com/midnightstudios)

Midnight Studios SS17 'Safety Pin' - (instagram.com/midnightstudios)

Midnight Studios - ‘Best Friend’ Shirt (instagram.com/midnightstudios)

In 2012, Shane Gonzales began an internship for Russ Karablin’s streetwear line, SSUR. He learnt about screen prints, packing orders, and eventually moved on to design and marketing for the brand. A short time later, Shane combined his interests in fashion and music to launch Midnight Studios in 2014, and has been working on it ever since. Now, with a full menswear range being stocked at renowned retailers, alongside collabs with the likes of A$AP Rocky and Guess, the brand is perfectly positioned for stellar growth. His collections touch on everything from Vivienne Westwood-era punk style to the new wave-inspired nihilism attached to influencers like Raf Simons. Gonzales, “Combines the punk and youth street styles in an anti-aesthetic manner,” as explained on the brand’s website. His dreams for the company is to include runway shows and womenswear in the near future.