THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME | 08.15.07
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE, THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME
Goorin Brothers Partners with The Seventh Letter Crew to Produce Artful
1333 Minna Line for Fall/Winter 2007 Collection
Using Old School Techniques, World-Renowned Street Artists Collective Designs
Works of Headwear Art for 112-Year Old Company
San Francisco, CA, (August 15, 2007) — Unfazed by the ebb and flow of trends, Goorin Brothers owner Ben Goorin, great-grandson of company founder Cassel Goorin, is staying true to the hat company’s legacy of artistic integrity, authenticity and quality by collaborating with leading edge street artisans the Seventh Letter Crew of Mad Society Kings fame.
“At first blush, with their unmarked warehouse, welding equipment, spray paint cans, tattoos and out there auteurism, they might not fit the mold of what one pictures when thinking of fashion designers. But these guys are true craftsman, real artists passionate about their respective crafts and dedicated to keeping their artistic integrity in everything they do. That really resonates with our core values,” says Ben Goorin. “In this case, their singular self-expression just happens to be mixed in the medium of hats and bags.”
Drawing from their work as artists, Rayes, Steel, and Retna, of the Seventh Letter Crew, have joined with Goorin Brothers to create the 1333 Minna line of hats. Using innovative fabric combinations from hand-sourced materials, unexpected patchwork, bold embroidery and custom screen prints, each hat tells a story in color, form and texture. No clip art or computer-driven design here. This is hand-crafted art.
“Goorin is a family company with history and a lineage dedicated to creating high quality hats. It makes me proud to be a part of Goorin,” said Steel. “It’s important to work with a company that maintains its integrity in the design process. That allows me to take the same energy and passion I approach my personal work with and pour it into fashion.”
Blending the glamour of vintage with a streetwise, post-modern edge, the 1333 Minna line for men and women blurs the boundary between classic and contemporary. Fresh, cutting edge fabrications mixed with Old World details characterize these hats crafted for the New Royal Class – individualistic tribe members for whom hats are a natural extension of their distinct style.
Volume 1 for Fall/Winter 2007 is comprised of six caps in all. Influenced by the artists’ life experiences, travels and tastes, each piece tells a personal story envisioned by the artist and played out in hat form. Volume 2 of the collection for Spring/Summer 2008 will introduce works of headwear art by artist The Mac. For this collection, the four artists designed one cap each, and then contributed art to an additional cap that will be blended with the work of another artist, creating a true fusion of styles and style. Volume 3 for Fall/Winter 2008 will continue to evolve and expand the line, this time inviting the first female artist, Amanda Lynn, to join the mix providing a fresh perspective on the matching hat and bag for ladies.
The 1333 Minna line, along with Goorin’s entire collection of hats, bags, belts and other accessories, is available at Goorin stores, specialty boutiques and retailers, and online at goorin.com. For a store near you, visit www.goorin.com.
About Goorin Brothers, Inc.
Since Cassel Goorin first sold Goorin hats out of the back of a horse cart in 1895, the company has evolved into celebrated purveyors of contemporary, street-smart hats sold worldwide. Blending retro fashions with ultra-modern, unexpected fabrics and washes, Goorin constantly reinvents vintage hats and adds new styles to appeal to a variety of wearers.
For more history, ideas and information, visit goorin.com.