Don Design reimagines loungewear in epic urban culture collab
Visionary South African hip-hop creative, Don Design, has delivered a loungewear fashion capsule range inspired by one of the biggest lockdown search trends, the tie-dye, which has evolved from its original counter-culture roots into a designer artistic expression.
Super-fresh, expressive and optimistic, along with the right dose of streetwear casual, with his 2021 capsule collection Don uses a premium cotton while the print itself moves away from the traditional tie-dye swirl, with its bright multi-colours, in favour of a more minimalist, modern, and diffused pastel look with a roomy, oversized fit.
“The range is inspired by the desire to distract myself from the literal and figurative amnesia brought about by being stuck at home in a timeless state. As I couldn’t go out and source material, nor be inspired by being in different places, I wanted to create something that expressed myself through DIY. Overall, the look is a merge of urban culture with the nostalgia for happier, care free times,” says Don.
Something for summer and easy to wear, the seven-piece fashion capsule, in collaboration with Smirnoff, is expressed through a bucket hat, men’s graphic tee, ladies slouch tee, ladies biker shorts, men’s slouch shorts and socks.
Known for his quirky iconography, this Don Design drip is no exception and the logo – “MTWTFSSM” – is a clever mash up of Don Design’s MondayToMonday clothing brand logo and the Smirnoff logo, a play on the innovation of South African pop culture and an amplification of Smirnoff’s #OntoTheNext hashtag.
Don Design is celebrated for having visually crafted the South African hip-hop aesthetic through his direction of a number of music videos, most notably for AKA. As designer for the “MondayToMonday” clothing brand, which released the now famous and iconic “Sandton Airport” hoodies (inspired by the brand “SUPREME”) in 2017, Don has garnered heavy street cred for merchandise drops along with a legion of fans.
As we live a new-normal, the Don Design-Smirnoff Loungewear Capsule is destined to be an instant classic.
“It’s a collaboration that came out of the love for South African streetwear. Naturally, Don Design’s work caught our eye and presented the ideal partnership during a difficult time. It was important to us that the collaboration truly celebrated the local designer that we partnered with. Don came up with the idea for tie-dye and we loved it immediately,” said Jessica Davis, Smirnoff Marketing Manager.