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We’ve seen some bold hoodies in our time, but no amount of patchwork, embroidery, or graphics can hold a candle to the mind-boggling smash that is the Lance Stitch Hoodie from Airei.

The hoodie is usually a garment optimized for ease of wear and comfort. We’re talking heavyweight, fleece-backed cotton and oversized fits, but Los Angeles label Airei throws all customs to the wind for the Lance Stitch Hoodie.

This handcrafted piece is cut from a viscose-wool blend and features frayed edges throughout. All of the frayed edges in the world, though, would pale into insignificance on this piece. Running from the chest to the… to the piece of excess material that hangs from sleeve to sleeve via the ankles is a line of contrasting white thread.

A continuous loop from sleeve to sleeve drapes around the shins, creating a sculptural finish and effectively making the humble, utilitarian hoodie something much more conceptual. It plays into the label’s overarching mission, which is to deconstruct garments, showing their visible stitches and raw edges as an exploration of fabric. Airei was, after all, founded by Drew Curry after studying the political and technical history of cotton.

This unconventional hoodie, then, is perhaps better viewed not as a hoodie at all. Of course, it has all the trappings of a hoodie in its hood and dropped shoulders, but the piece was never meant to be a convenient thing to throw on in the evenings. It’s an artistic study of composition, fabric, and form.

Shop the Airei Lance Thread Hoodie below.

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