Over the past three months, we have seen CONTRA exceed our wildest expectations. Placement in a SoHo boutique? Check. Selling out in less than two weeks? Check again. Having our product worn by some of the biggest influencers and musicians in the world? Check, check, and check. Such success is unequivocally proof that when one’s foundation is rooted in quality, craftsmanship, and the process itself, success will follow.
However, we are always looking for ways to innovate even further. Certainly, a cut-and-sew fashion label that reappropriates vintage goods is a novel concept. One could even argue that CONTRA merges the world of runway fashion with hypebeast culture. However, we are neither hypebeasts nor fashion house executives. Rather, we are creators who simply want to push the bounds of the clothing narrative... and as such, are always seeking to create a feverish array of products in an unusual, outside-the-box way that adheres to our brand pillars: form, function, and provocation.
With this in mind, we are proud to announce a new iteration of the CONTRA label entirely: FOUND OBJECTS.
A little background first before jumping into things: In art history terms (excuse the academia for a second), a found object is a natural or man-made object, or fragment of an object, that is found (or sometimes bought) by an artist and kept because of some intrinsic interest the artist sees in it.
With our conception of FOUND OBJECTS, however, we not only strive to “find” or “keep” these objects, but create something new out of them. By deconstructing pre-owned fashion goods that have some symbolic/deeper meaning, layering any and all scraps from our previous launches, and adding in a cut-and-sew element that is unique to each and every creation made, we yearn to resurrect the seemingly “dead” into a juxtaposed and complex object that can be worn functionally and practically.
With that being said, why? Why focus on already-made objects opposed to creating a “new” product based off of an “original” idea? First, it is our inherent belief that the life cycle of clothing, vintage goods, and scraps should never end. In a fashion world filled with waste and temporality, we strive to limit our footprint and create something “new” from those things which have been deemed by others as “dead.” Simply put, it is our want—no, our obligation—to merge our creativity with the environmental needs of the world.
However, on the other side is our perspective that the individual materials themselves do not define the finished product. Rather, the deliberate manual process involved, underlying story told, and way in which those materials are combined morphs itself into an intrinsically unique product that has—as a byproduct—become something else entirely.
Certainly, worldly creations will always—whether we like it or not—originate from something else. Likewise, a creation is not “owned” by anything or anyone. Rather, it is an assemblage of thoughts and observations taken from preceding thoughts and observations. The only thing that changes, therefore, are the perspectives and narratives which these objects are framed.
Herein lies the foundation of FOUND OBJECTS: previously seen goods deconstructed, then reconstructed, and finally framed with a purposeful narrative that hopefully—in some minute and small way—resonates with you.
We strive to grow each and every day, ingratiate ourselves in the process, and shape the world around us in small and meaningful ways. As such, we sincerely value all feedback, comments, and questions. Thank you again for reading, and have a wonderful rest of your day.
FORM. FUNCTION. PROVOCATION.
CONTRA New York
