Skepta Launches his 'Tracksuit Mafia'
“The clothes don’t make the man, the man makes the clothes.”
by @hibaxali
photo credit @skeptagram @mainslondon
British grime artist, Joseph Junior Adenuga, better known by his stage name Skepta is launching his debut label; Mains. Known for his love of tracksuits often referencing it in his music as the 'tracksuit mafia.' Skepta's own style has a cool, effortless feel of athleisure mixed with urban. His philosophy on trends and clothing is at the centre of his collection. Observing his own influential role in the industry he believes in minimal labelling. His own 'uniform' for years now has been plain tracksuits and sneakers.
Unlike many artists Skepta's conscious stance on fashion and what it represents is noteworthy. Selling style rather than the label of a specific brand, focusing on the individual is key. In the past he has worked with fashion retailer Uniqlo and London designers such as Nasir Mazhar and Cottweiler. In an interview with ID magazine, Skepta explains his transition from high end designer wear to simple street style clothing and what it means to him:
photo credit @skeptagram @mainslondon
“I was just getting tired of going to the area where I hang around and different estates and seeing the kids hanging round always looking stressed out and troubled. But they’d always have a £300 bag and Balenciaga trainers. Big superman boots on and jeans with 1000 rips in. You can do so much with that money. When I was younger, I was influenced by the guys who were older than me, so I thought maybe it was my time – because I can afford to buy Gucci or Louis if I want, let’s be real – to sacrifice, because I thought maybe these kids are doing it because of me. So I wanted to get back to wearing clothes that are for us. The marketing teams at Nike and JD Sports, they came for us. The people modeling in the windows are people like Jamal from SBTV. I want the kids to see that maybe they should be aligning themselves not just with a price range, but the people who are designing for you.”
Skepta wants to turn the focus on the essence of style and the values of personality rather than the monetary image society places on fashion. His new label has no graphics or logo's previously commenting on how he always tries to steer away from wearing anything that highlights too much of a brand. His love of tracksuits is in the preview of his collection featuring an olive green one. motifs and embroidery will be a major aesthetic for the collection, inspired by his Moroccan and African heritage. The brands discreet logo is shaped like a British electricity socket as its name 'Mains' refers to power. Unisex track suits in black and khaki, along with t-shirts, jackets, bags and caps, the collection is set to launch next week. Skepta commented saying that “growing up on the streets, it took me a while to realise that you can do great things in a tracksuit'