A$AP Nast dropped his collaborative ALICE HOLLYWOOD hat in London on Friday, and as you’d expect, swarms of London’s stylish lot set their sights on MACHINE-A to get in on the action. The launch saw a super-limited selection of hats in black and camo colourways with a Union Jack-patterned second brim suited to the occasion.
ALICE HOLLYWOOD is designed by Shane Gonzales, who you might know as the brains behind MIDNIGHT STUDIOS, the LA-based label worn by Playboi Carti, A$AP Rocky, Bloody Osiris, and Lil Uzi Vert. Gonzales’ ALICE HOLLYWOOD hats have cropped up on the crowns of cool kids across social media. If you’re super on the fashion ball, you might have noticed Rocky wore an all-black ALICE HOLLYWOOD hat backstage at January’s FW24 Bottega Veneta show, so it’s not surprising that Friday’s launch shut down Soho.
Buzzy collabs aside, the link-up between Nast, Gonzales and MACHINE-A makes total sense. Despite living in LA, they have both been inspired by London and its subcultural style. Gonzales is heavily drawn to the punk movement, citing Vivienne Westwood as one of his influences. So, some good old “God Save The Queen” style Union Jack action available at a banging London boutique feels like the perfect reflection of these influences.
We went down to the launch before heading to Nast's birthday party at the Broadwick Hotel. But before all of that, we got down to business, talking caps, collaboration, and London with Nast, Shane and MACHINE-A founder and Buying Director Stavros Karelis.
You guys are both based in LA. Design-wise, how does London inspire you?
Shane Gonzales: It’s the home of punk rock, the path the Vivian [Westwood] paved [is the] path that got me started in fashion in the first place.
Nast: Absolutely!
MIDNIGHT STUDIOS is inspired by subcultures. Are there any subcultures in London that inspire you?
SG: Punk rock is the number one for me. Mod swag definitely came through on this hat for me with the Union Jack on the brim.
How important is collaboration to the development of MIDNIGHT STUDIOS?
SG: For this particular one, me and Nast have been working together for a long time. This is [the] first time we’ve been able to put it in a physical product. [It’s] a real blessing for me because I’ve wanted to do it for a long time. It just made sense for this.
AN: We organically do what we do. Shane is an amazing creative mind and an amazing designer, and I respect his perspective and his approach to design. Great collaboration happens when two people can come together [without] ego, and let it flow and do what we both do best, even if we don’t do the same thing or be into the same thing. I think that’s what collaboration is: two worlds colliding, two minds colliding and just letting creativity flow.
Stavros Karelis: I completely agree. It’s also about respect and trust. A collaboration is about respecting your collaborators but also trusting them blindly. Each one has their own input, and then you have an incredible synergy because you connect on so many different levels.
MACHINE-A is known for its cutting-edge curation of brands and designers. How long has MIDNIGHT STUDIOS been on your radar?
SK: For a very, very long time. I’ve known Nast for almost a decade already, and I admire him for his art and his culture [and] what he has created, but also his sense of style and the way he interacts with fashion from a music and culture perspective.
The same applies to Shane. I’ve been a huge admirer of his work for so many years, so when Nast reached out about this collaboration for MACHINE-A, it was for me a given; an immediate yes. What is common to all of us is that we see fashion as a cultural thing, and I think that is what is the most important part.
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