REWORKED | COP WHAT YOU WANT (cwywcartel.com)
The term ‘streetwear’ is overutilized and misunderstood to the point that it feels like anyone with a heat press is a designer. While it feels wrong to diminish those who create their own art and lump them in with people simply using other artists’ work on their clothing, is a heat pressed shirt really design?
A few years ago, on the HBO show “The Hype” a designer named Justin Mensinger won the discovery of the next name in fashion contest. His work was built on thrifting and utilizing scrap materials to develop apparel. Justin eventually landed a collab with Reebok:
When watching the show, it felt as if Justin would win because his work served a purpose. He was taking items which could have ended up in a landfill and repurposing the items while also addressing mental health issues. In a similar fashion Memphis-based artist and designer Kelvin Johnson is weaving together amazing pieces by sourcing garments and materials from items as diverse as tapestries and carpets, to blankets and sweaters.
During a local festival, the Broad Street Arts Fest, I ran into KJ, or he ran into me. I heard someone call my name and I couldn’t make him out behind long locs and shades. KJ remembered me from my days of hitting up every sneaker shop in the region. He explained that he decided to pursue his work in apparel after watching me launch arch and make my own sneakers. I long considered my work with arch a failure because it never attained the level of success I wanted. It was humbling to stop and rap with Kelvin, but to see his work opened my eyes to the talent in the city.
For every screenprint, heat pressed ‘streetwear’ brand here, you very rarely find something uniquely beautiful and eye catching. There were over 50 vendors at the Art Fest and only two stood out. One of them was Kelvin’s CWYW (Cop What You Wear) label. The mixed material sweaters and pants felt familiar.
In the southwest part of the country, you can buy ponchos in TJ made from various fabrics. The clothing is generic, but people pick it up because they don’t realize how the temperature fluctuates in San Diego and the South Bay. A lot of the work Kelvin is doing looks like it’s influenced by that region, but the utilization of pop art and cultural materials creates something that resonates a lot more.
His “Cop What You Wear” is a commentary on the current state of the clothing industry. “I source my materials from some of everywhere, and with that being said, not all my pieces evolve around sustainability and upcycling, even though most of them do! I try my best not to stain the environment like other fashion brands!”
Instead of buying cheaply made fast fashion, you should ‘cop only what you will wear’. It’s a commentary on the TikTok trend of never repeating an outfit. This “trend” lends itself to purchasing of cheaply made clothing that has no value beyond “getting off a fit” for the Gram or TikTok. Kelvin is designing garments you’ll want to wear again and again. KJ is telling stories via the creation of completely new designs made from items we’ve thrown away or items that have been damaged and sitting in our closets.
I forgot to mention this part, you can book a discussion to plan out your own work of art: CUSTOM INQUIRY | COP WHAT YOU WANT (cwywcartel.com)
Take a minute to browse the work here: About Us | COP WHAT YOU WANT (cwywcartel.com)