⁄Catch Up: HANDSOME
Last week we stopped by Armed to snap some pics of HANDSOME’s newest collection – Toronto. We had the pleasure of catching up with the brains behind the amazing brand, AJ and Christian, since we last featured them in OTM. Be sure to stop by the store or go online to get your t-shirt fix.
What has HANDSOME been up to since we featured the brand in OTM?
> We have been working on a handful of new projects across both jewelry and clothing. Two of our recent releases are The Tanzania Collection and a collaboration with LATrE. The Tanzania Collection is a series of hand woven bracelets that we conceived on a recent trip to East Africa. LATrE is a Toronto brand focused on reworked military deadstock. We worked with them to create a series of hand-dyed T-shirts. Their workmanship is exceptional. Each T-shirt is hand-dyed with meticulous attention to detail.
What inspired the TORONTO collection?
> We were really inspired by our city when we began designing the collection. Toronto is Handsome’s home and where we have built our foundation. It’s in this city that we first met and we wanted to pay tribute to the place that has inspired us so much over the years.
How do you go about creating the mixtapes and why are they so important to each collection?
> It was always important to us to make our collections an all encompassing experience. Even when we’re doing something as basic as a graphic tee we think of the graphic as a piece of art, the cut of the shirt as the clothing design, then explain the motivation behind it to bring some literature and education to the mix; it then seemed only natural to add a mixtape to provide a sonic experience. The mixtapes basically take everything to the next level and reinforce the intentions behind the collections. It also gives us a chance to collaborate with artists we respect and admire who bring their own creative perspective to the collections.
Tell us a little bit about your collaboration with ARMED.
> Armed is an excellent, independent boutique on Dundas West in Toronto. Working with them has given HANDSOME a chance to bring our physical presence to a new neighbourhood. We have chosen to display our Toronto-centric designs there including The Toronto Collection and our LATrE collaboration.
What is in store for Handsome Clothing in the near future?
> We are going to continue developing both our jewelry and clothing. As we continue to work on different projects we are taking the opportunity to experiment with new types of products. We are focused on creating pieces that excite us and taking our time to ensure an innovative and handsome result. We think it’s safe to say that the future holds a lot of exciting prospects for HANDSOME.
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