Rapper/actor Mos Def is tipping his toes into the design field.
He will be teaming up with Philly-based streetwear label Undrcrwn for a 14-piece cut-and-sewn capsule collection for spring 2009. The three year old Undrcrwn brand was introduced to Mos Def at the industry heavyweight MAGIC trade show.
“It all went down in about 90 days, but I feel like I’ve known these guys forever,” said Mos Def during an interview near his apartment in Jersey City. “When you meet a good friend, you just feel the connection.”
Undrcrwn’s creative director, Dustin Canalin, described Mos Def as “a popular figure in the streetwear culture, and a true artist. He looks at creativity first, and dollars later.”
Canalin spoke of applying Mos Def’s DNA to Undrcrwn’s DNA through pieces such as nylon jackets with upside down flags and t-shirrts with bandana stripes. Colors and prints were incorporated from the 2004 Dead Prez album “RBG: Revolutionary But Gangsta”.
“A lot of it was just child’s play,” Canalin said. “It’s just playing around with things, and saying, ‘People always do this, let’s not do that.’”
“I come from a place where how stylish or fashionable you were had nothing to do with how much money you had,” Mos Def explained. “Brands like Supreme are giving luxury brands a big run for their money. These types of brands represent a certain type of perspective and a new kind of status.”
The line will be called “Mos Def designed by Dustin Canalin for Undrcrwn,” and will retail from $36 to $200.
