Inside 1199's Rapper-Studded Runway Debut
Our first-person report on the Paris Fashion Week standout
This Paris Fashion Week, we attended 1199’s debut runway show. We’ve been following along with the brand for some time, so this was a special one for us.
Their model lineup was packed with underground music talent, including Che, Pz’, Teezus, Effie, diamond*, jackzebra, and more.
It was entirely self-funded, and one of our favorite collections we saw all week. See the full set of looks on their Instagram. Read on for the first-hand experience of Welcome’s founder.
This is maybe more personal than objective but for me the show was like watching your son graduate, the extreme pride for what they’ve been able to accomplish.
What 1199 is doing so well is something that a lot of brands are missing the mark on: creating clothing that people actually want to wear. Specifically the current generation of, say, 16 to 28-year-olds. I feel like that’s the comment I hear the most from everyone: the clothing is actually wearable on a daily basis, whether it’s the jeans or the footwear or the jackets.
That is why every rapper wants to be seeded their clothing, because they’re actually making what this generation is looking for, and no one else is providing. I like how they don’t try to appease the Instagram algorithm by making things that are just good for engagement. They’re making things that are good for the body.
I think they’re just students of the game. They’ve studied this for a very long time. Most people don’t know this, but Bazo (one of the founders of 1199) actually used to own an archive store. He used to live in Hong Kong and collect a lot of the clothing because it was cheaper out there.
You can definitely tell Hedi Slimane is a big reference, especially for the jeans, specifically his Dior and Saint Laurent eras. For the footwear, a huge reference is Visvim with all the fringes, whether it’s on these high-top sneakers or the Birkenstock-style shoe. They’re borrowing certain elements to make completely new footwear silhouettes that we actually haven’t seen before.
The show’s finale was amazing. All the models came out in white-out versions of their looks, and white confetti fell from the ceiling. Pz’, Che, Tezzus, and many more were walking in the show. It was beautiful.
It’s clear these guys aren’t just some streetwear brand, not some Instagram brand designers. They play their cards right, they stack their money by selling good quality bracelets and hoodies, and they funneled all that into this show.
They took a big risk, funded their own show, no backing, no nothing. I think that in itself is also very beautiful. I personally believe they’re going to be one of the greats of our generation.
For more background on 1199, read our interview with their founders from last year
The 1199 Interview
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