PARACHUTE PANTS & CHUNKY KNITS: STORY MFG. SS22

by Sam Le Roy 2 years ago

by Sam Le Roy 2 years ago 3 min

feature mfg — Elliot Jones for Story Mfg. ©

Brighton-based Story Mfg. has become widely regarded as a pillar of the fashion world, constantly creating breathtaking collections while maintaining and upholding a distinct outlook and ethos on sustainability and material use.

For SS22, Saeed and Katy put energy towards hand-knitted sweaters, vests and other accessories, as well as a number of cargo trousers and shirting options in a collection dubbed “Sandwich Friends”. All of the above make use of natural dyeing techniques – produced in the brand’s India-based atelier – ranging from natural indigo and butterfly pea to jackfruits and myrobalan (seriously, go have a read here on their techniques, it’s amazing). The biggest highlight for me is a series of “Cloudwalk” garments, dyed with barks and butterfly peas with an intricate, all-over pattern of swirls – that Forager jacket is calling my name.

Talking on the collection, co-founder Saeed Al-Rubeyi said the following:

“A lot of people know Story Mfg as a brand that really makes clothing in a non-standard way – but just how unusual we are isn’t always clear. We make stuff from scratch. We cook at home, using our own recipes so to speak. We go slow because if we want something (a fabric, a trim, packaging) we generally have to make it ourselves. It takes a long time, often we have to make a tool, to make a tool, to make a tool, to make the thing we want.

We have to grow our own, in other words. A little garden of things. It takes time, hard work and help from nature but the result is bendy, wobbly, textured and unique – and more rich too. Seven years in we have quite a harvest to pick from, but we still like to try new things and for that we always look inwards.

The lookbook – styled by Dan Pacitti, who apparently is involved with everything good right now, and shot by Elliot Jones – sees the brightly-colored, typically oversized garments posted up in a studio for a very personal, human feel, in front of a just as colorful backdrop. When calling a collection “Sandwich Friends”, you immediately output a playful energy, one furthered by models chomping down on apples in headshots. Story Mfg is the brand to beat, not only in terms of being considered and sustainable, but also in garment design as a whole – they’re simply that far ahead of everyone else.

The collection sadly won’t see release until early 2022 (I’m just as sad as anyone) but select pieces are available through the pre-order section of Story Mfg.’s site with a 33% reduction in price.