There is a misconception and a commonly held view that what one wears defines their personality. As much superficial and unfair as it might sound, it is true that ‘first appearances’ have a huge impact. Within a span of few seconds, judgments are passed, and opinions are made based on one’s dressing style, grooming, and the way they carry themselves. These opinions often negatively affect the unique dressing style of people. It dulls their spark and takes away their confidence in expressing themselves through their clothes.
Besides being criticized for the unique dressing style, people are also bullied for not following the stereotypes. Not all businessmen spend thousands of dollars on neat, sewed, tailor-made suits or semi-formal outfits. The stereotype of wearing the typical basic black, white, and pastel colors in the corporate spaces is dying. Businessmen no longer wear the regular office suits and ties. Most tech-based and creative companies do not restrict their employees to wear formal clothes or follow a strict color or dress code. They believe in allowing people to dress as they like as it boosts their confidence, which consequentially improves their productivity.
‘Art Comes First’ is one label that breaks all the stereotypes by following their passion and sense of dressing. The partnership of two friends Shaka Maidoh and Sam Lambert have used their creative instincts to make their design-line reach the top in the past ten years. Their design-line focuses on menswear and has brought an innovative and interesting twist to the basic and formal styles.
The Start of An Epic Menswear Brand
Born in two separate countries Angola and West London, respectively, Sam and Shaka were not aware of the plans destiny had in store for them. They met through a mutual friend in the ‘90s in West London in Portobello and instantly bonded over their love for vintage clothing. Their fervor towards black vintage style dresses, vintage photographs, vinyl, and art motivated them to take their passion a step further and transform it into a full-fledged business.
Sam Lambert was a former Savile Row designer, and Shaka Maidoh a former media artist and stylist. They began practicing their art of mixing and matching different clothing articles by experimenting with the styles of their friends and family members. Upon receiving appreciation and positive feedbacks from their circle, they decided on launching their label in 2010.
The dynamic duo is an ardent believer of self-expressionism – a display of individuality through various art forms like hairstyles, clothing, painting, writing, and drawing. According to them, expressing oneself through clothes can make them feel empowered and more in touch with their inner self.
Music and Fashion Are Proportionate To Each Other
Shaka and Sam’s design-line is greatly inspired by music. According to them, if music is the heart, then fashion is the brain. They believe in immersing themselves in a certain kind of music completely before working on a design. It helps them look at the design from a different perspective and gives their thoughts a whole new angle. The soundtracks’ expressive melodies and tunes inspire them to get the minute details on the garments right.
All Black Everything
Inspired by the vintage style of clothing, the duo wanted to add their flair to their designs. They traveled a lot and often came across a pressing problem of not finding garments that were as per their style. So, they came up with the idea of creating tailor-made, sleek, and sharp looking garments that were apt for traveling as well as for formal and sometimes casual wear. The reason why they work with only ‘black’ is because of its ability to blend seamlessly well with every color. The collection of their unique quintessential black hats have become a symbol of the identity of their label.
Combining Clean, Sharp and Trendy Together
Art Comes First is working towards artistic expression and cultural craftsmanship to redefine the global style. Making remarkable use of their former design experiences Sam and Shaka have branched their design lines into multiple lines, including Avec Ces Freres. The neat, dignified, and sharp cuts with innovative pattern making skills are what sets this design line apart. A lot of their inspiration is taken from their travel experiences, which largely reflects in their garments.
The talented young boys aim to create something that affordable and can be used in daily wear routine. They despise the idea of buying extremely expensive clothes that are fit for a particular event and end up hanging in the closet forever. The boys envision to create aesthetically pleasing garments. The duo is largely aware of the trends and styles the new generation loves to follow and want to come up with innovative designs that speak to them and are exciting and attractive at the same time.
Groundbreaking Collaborations
Collaboration with the iconic British brand ‘Fred Perry’ for their new capsule collection has been a phenomenal success for Art Comes First. Their punk take on the classic Fred Perry pieces was indeed a distinctive amalgamation.
Chalkley and Elliott’s collaboration with Art Comes First has truly redefined the style of 21st-century RudeBoy. The sleek and sharp cuts of the dynamic traveling tailors Sam and Shaka and the classic flair of Chalkley and Elliott’s influential minds have brought about a revolution in the world of men’s fashion and have raised the bar even higher.
The unique and extraordinary ideas of both these men serve as an inspiration to dress cooler and sharper. With their punk aesthetic, it is sure that their clothing line will give one the extra push and boost of confidence that they need.
