Skingraft Fall 2014

Skingraft’s quest for world domination is looking better than ever. The brand has already amassed a following of celebrity taste makers such as Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and Tyson Chandler. In May of 2013, they opened a store in New York City (adding to their LA location). For the third jewel in their crown, Skingraft showed their collection at “The Tents” of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, a first for the brand.

For Skingraft’s fall 2014 collection, designer Jonny Cota was inspired by the idea of drastic climate change and an inevitable return to a dystopian survivalist future. He wanted a collection that would feel as though it could survive in harsh climates, building the collection on a theme around Siberian, Mongolian, and Arctic tribal cultures.

Details and small intricacies are part of the design aesthetic of Skingraft’s brand DNA. Infusing fabrications of hand-quilted leather and mohair, shaved pony hair, ribbed nylon-fused fleece, and wool knit, Skingraft is not just your average streetwear brand.

Skingraft looks to also provide a touch of luxe to whatever they do—like incorporating silk twill or intricate embroideries detailed with leather and metal jewels. Able to handle the duality of a woman— the idea of hard and soft—while being able to cater to the preciseness of a man, this collection shows how well the brand is able to keep pace with the ever-changing industry.

A few standout pieces of the menswear portion featured men’s skirts with the word “Alpha” emblazoned across the front, leather drop-crotch pants, leather ALPHA bomber jackets that gave the illusion of almost being sculpted out of stone, and hooded wool wrap trench coats. While the collection was mostly in Skingraft’s usual all-black color palette, Cota did incorporate indigo, olive, and gold detailing.

On the women’s wear side, a beautiful gold embroidered Mongolian skirt was the standout piece that embodied Skingraft’s concept of tribal print. Another noteworthy creation was a gorgeous indigo leather hand-quilted hooded crossover coat. With much emphasis put on the wolf, one of the few animals that can have an “Alpha” male or female in their social group, Cota furthered the motif by incorporating wolf-like ears on both the men’s and women’s caps, hats, and beanies.

As the collection marched down the runway with the final walk, you got a sense of a brand cementing a path that separates them from your typical run-of-the mill streetwear companies and establishes itself as a brand that is really pushing forward the idea of design, making for a well-deserved MercedesBenz Fashion Week debut!

—John Woody