By: Ayana Curiel, Ariauni Hilliard
Photos by: Anna Olp
LOS ANGELES – In honor of the 10-year anniversary, Los Angeles Fashion Week hosted sustainable streetwear brand Gypsy Sport, with an upbeat runway show inspired by the last ten years of Gypsy Sport collections.
Gypsy Sport originated on Tumblr in 2012, where creative director Rio Uribe posted pictures of street wear. He quickly gained a huge following and then started his brand selling hats and shirts. The logo “haturn” stems from this brand history, meaning “two hats become one planet, a symbol of unity & balance,” according to the Gypsy Sport website.
The first person to walk the runway was musician Radamiz, wearing an all-over abstract print Gypsy Sport set and an accompanying branded crossbody bag. Rapping an original song to set the tone, Radamiz explained that Rio and him had an online relationship when they were both based in New York. Since then, they have supported one another, further signifying the brand’s emphasis on community.
The clothing shown was very versatile in style. Fabric choice played a big role in the designs that were showcased, representing rich LA culture. Some of the designs that stood out were bright yellow jersey knits, bedazzled dresses and sequin hoodies.
From clothing to hairstyles to makeup the models embodied their looks while remaining confident and allowing room for the designs to stand out all at the same time.
One example of this was a male model in a baggy, 90s-inspired denim set with a white tank top underneath who threw up the hand symbol for ‘west coast’. Some other models tossed their hair or interacted with the crowd.
The 90s west-coast rap music also allowed everyone in the room to submerge themselves in the light-hearted experience, including the models. Notably, the energetic model and performer Salina EsTitties danced and sang midway through the collection on the stage in the center of the runway production.
This show was not a regular runway but more of a celebration of Chicano style featuring Latin and Indigenous models. The garments that were presented are paving the way to genderless fashion and promoting this phenomenon to the industry will change the perception of fashion for those who are open minded.
“I think it [the show] went great,” Radamiz said. “It felt like an honor to represent the ten years of something, it’s so hard to get one season done, it’s so hard to get two shirts done, and it looks bloody behind the scenes and it’s not always great. So just to be the first person to walk out in commemoration of somebody lasting ten years, it was a responsibility that I enjoyed having,”
Many up and coming brands are becoming more transparent in the industry and willing to grow in terms of inclusion and representation. Especially in the current zeitgeist, the push for authenticity is more prominent than ever before, and Gypsy Sport is doing just that.
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