Remember Hot Mess, the art collective run by Luka Sabbat and Noah Dillon? It was the platform the duo used to create cool stuff, including campaigns, clothing, and art exhibitions, as well as producing off-the-wall content for brands, including Maison Margiela and Louis Vuitton.
Hot Mess started how all good relationships start … a DM. When they met in LA, the two hit it off, jetting around fashion capitals documenting what they saw. Those early Hot Mess shoots saw the designer-clad duo winging it, doing their thing with little to no planning, sometimes shooting for days at a time.
But, when you burst onto the scene and make a name for yourself like these guys did, it's only a matter of time before you start getting recognised. The two were commissioned to present 250 pieces of multimedia artwork by Milk Gallery in 2017 as part of the New York Fashion Week proceedings. Dillon's images, taken in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, and Durango, were featured alongside poems written by Curtis Eggleston, offering an inside look at the high-octane, free-spirited approach that Hot Mess came to represent. This work catapulted them onto the radar of the cool crowd – including the A$AP Mob and Virgil Abloh.
Abloh was so down for Hot Mess that he commissioned the duo to create a photo book for Off-White called "Woman," which was presented at the Milk Gallery event. These fashion wins made Hot Mess so hot that they were invited to Louis Vuitton's 2018 Cruise show on the French Riviera. The end result? An inside look at the experience of being invited to the show, the pap-to-max arrivals, and, of course, the post-show party antics.
Beyond documenting themselves and their mates, Hot Mess produced campaigns for a range of brands, including Roberto Cavalli, Maison Margiela, and L'art de l'automobile. The collective's work often showcased items worn in the wild, juxtaposing product shots with real-life situations, whether on the street, in the desert, or at the dentist. This low-fi-feeling resonated with a hyper-engaged, uber-online audience hooked on Hot Mess and its disruptive approach to cultural tastemaking.
Back in 2017, they also released a limited-edition clothing collection on SSENSE, comprising hoodies, tees, crewnecks, and button-up shirts, and guess what? It sold out. This isn't surprising considering Luka's fashion credentials, which he has seen on the FROW of a load of the biggest shows and walked them back in his modelling days.
We haven't heard from Hot Mess in a while (the brand's Instagram account has been dormant since March 2021), but the remnants of the parties, merch drops, and exhibitions live on.
More on Culted
See: Rick Owens recruited 200 students to join his army of love for SS25
