As a society, we are primed for rebellion. From the time we are children, hoping to break away from the life our parents built for us to forge our own path, to being adults looking to fight injustice, rebellion is in our nature. And we rarely do it alone; we often look for a culture of like-minded visionaries to unite under the common goal of subverting the expectations of the generations before us. From the greasers in the 50s to the grunge of the 90s, rebellion often defined the 20th Century. One of the more influential rebellious movements was the British punk movement. While the music of the Sex Pistols was one of the drivers, one of the passengers in the movement was the rise of the style trends. END. x YMC “Best of British” collection takes us back to those days with a new line inspired by the clothes that sparked change.
“YMC has been a long-time partner of END.’s,” says Callum Hill, Senior Collaborations Design Manager for END. “Aligning heavily with our values as a retailer. Since being founded in 1995, the brand has represented an integral part of cultural touchpoints in the UK — movements that have heavily inspired the creative vision of END. since day one. With our collaborative capsule, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the musical culture of the UK and the style identities born out of it.”
More from a long-running collaboration
When developing a new line, there is more than trend and fashion involved. There is a cultural responsibility to adhere to. Music, movies, art, and even politics bleed into fashion, and representing them between the two brands is something both have kept in mind for a long time. Shaun Somerville, Design Director for YMC, speaks about the long-running collaboration.
“YMC and END. have worked together for many years, and our relationship thrives on a shared mindset — that clothing doesn’t exist in isolation but is part of a wider culture encompassing music, art, and design, which speaks to who we are and what we are passionate about. This capsule celebrates those inspirations, drawing on the origins of music’s role in creating identity to develop eight new pieces that reflect us both.”
