Through the medium of fashion, LOOSE Clothing is the embodiment and expression of a hip-hop sub-culture infused with a crisp, fresh take on enduring popular culture. We seek to set a standard with lines of clothing that are timeless in terms of both design and quality.
The Block Party takes inspiration from 1970's Brooklyn New York, particularly 1977 - known as 'The Coolest Year In Hell'. This was the city and the decade that gave birth to Hip Hop as a form of music, and as a culture. In 1977, the Great Blackout Of New York hit - almost 24 hours of no power throughout all five boroughs. The economy was crap, the Son of Sam was on the loose, and the city was in the grip of a brutal heat wave. As a result, widespread unrest broke out almost immediately. Over 1600 stores were looted, and entire city blocks burned down. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything good in this situation, unless you were an aspiring DJ who needed stuff.
DJ Disco Wiz, a contemporary of Grandmaster Caz, has said that 'before the blackout, there were perhaps five bonafide DJs in New York; after the blackout, every block had one'. Hundreds of poor kids suddenly had access to free, high-end stereo equipment that they would otherwise have never been able to afford. The growth of hip-hop became exponential after 1977. If not for the Blackout, and the looting that followed, hip-hop may very well have never expanded beyond New York.
We had a lot of ideas for this collection, which have been worked on endlessly maintain our quality and style. This moment in history serves as our inspiration, while we maintain the roots to the heart and to authentic street culture - staples of the LOOSE lifestyle - and infuse them with a selection of enduring popular culture and classic New Zealand 'flavour'.
This collection is made up of pieces that embody our culture or image. Things or people that have inspired popular works or have had a lasting impact on society, directly or indirectly influencing the LOOSE lifestlye and brand. The design and look of the collection has been shaped by a number of people, films, albums and cities, all coming with their own set of connotations and influences that ultimately bought The Block Party to life.
The collection maintains the desire to be simple, but iconic. A Block Party represents something that can't be characterised with a single word, but is an expression of 'cool', 'fresh', 'fun' and 'euphoric'. We are lucky to have collaborated with talented artists and other creatives on this project, and it has become something that we are looking forward to releasing.
I am proud to present: The Block Party.
The Block Party takes inspiration from 1970's Brooklyn New York, particularly 1977 - known as 'The Coolest Year In Hell'. This was the city and the decade that gave birth to Hip Hop as a form of music, and as a culture. In 1977, the Great Blackout Of New York hit - almost 24 hours of no power throughout all five boroughs. The economy was crap, the Son of Sam was on the loose, and the city was in the grip of a brutal heat wave. As a result, widespread unrest broke out almost immediately. Over 1600 stores were looted, and entire city blocks burned down. You’d be hard-pressed to find anything good in this situation, unless you were an aspiring DJ who needed stuff.
DJ Disco Wiz, a contemporary of Grandmaster Caz, has said that 'before the blackout, there were perhaps five bonafide DJs in New York; after the blackout, every block had one'. Hundreds of poor kids suddenly had access to free, high-end stereo equipment that they would otherwise have never been able to afford. The growth of hip-hop became exponential after 1977. If not for the Blackout, and the looting that followed, hip-hop may very well have never expanded beyond New York.
We had a lot of ideas for this collection, which have been worked on endlessly maintain our quality and style. This moment in history serves as our inspiration, while we maintain the roots to the heart and to authentic street culture - staples of the LOOSE lifestyle - and infuse them with a selection of enduring popular culture and classic New Zealand 'flavour'.
This collection is made up of pieces that embody our culture or image. Things or people that have inspired popular works or have had a lasting impact on society, directly or indirectly influencing the LOOSE lifestlye and brand. The design and look of the collection has been shaped by a number of people, films, albums and cities, all coming with their own set of connotations and influences that ultimately bought The Block Party to life.
The collection maintains the desire to be simple, but iconic. A Block Party represents something that can't be characterised with a single word, but is an expression of 'cool', 'fresh', 'fun' and 'euphoric'. We are lucky to have collaborated with talented artists and other creatives on this project, and it has become something that we are looking forward to releasing.
I am proud to present: The Block Party.
