Brand: 18 East
Season: Fall 2021
Buy: 18 East's website and studio
Editor's Notes: It was a long summer in New York, one that refused to properly give way to cooler temps. We suffered 80°+ F temps through mid-October, and only this past week has really begun to feel like autumn proper.
It'll probably turn into winter within a half-month but, for now, it's the perfect weather for 18 East's latest collection.
As usual, 18 East is coming correct with a blend of cultures both old and new. Sometimes, those cultures are really, really old.
Take the brand's signature khadi textiles, for instance, which are still woven by hand in India exclusively for 18 East's seasonal fare.
This time, the fabric has been made extra hefty and dyed with indigo to lend artisanal texture to a trucker jacket and double-knee pants, the latter finished with Rajasthani quilting (an ancient style historically developed in Jaipur).
These items epitomize 18 East's design ethos: approachable post-skate shapes informed by ethical, slow-made craft. Classic workwear and skate-friendly shapes rendered in fabrics that need to be felt to be believed.
But you don't even have to handle the goods to know what looks, well, good. Even if you never knew that 18 East's corduroy pieces were "hand-printed with a Gujarati block design dating back to 1340," as the brand explains, they're still appreciably wearable and attractive.
This season also sees 18 East dipping back into its militaria influences by way of a cotton ripstop suit, camp shirt, and Nalgene sleeve for all your stylish water carrying needs.
Alongside more cargo pants created in collaboration with Jimmy Gorecki's Standard Issue, 18 East also took the opportunity to preview a piece from its next cool weather drop: its latest round of collaborative Padmore & Barnes shoes.
