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TheRainbowGazetteissue3.spring.2014.#10RBWwww.TheRainbowVenues.co.uk dark circle made in england Dark Circle is a British clothing brand for the dedicated streetwear enthusiasts. The Birmingham based brand was established in 2008 by Aaron Dezonie, blending American streetwear with traditional British fits, Dark Circle create an aesthetic that stands on its own in originality and style. Dark Circle are preparing to launch their Latest collection simply called Ss14, which will be in stores from early April. Ss14 drop one, which consists of t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, button down shirts and jackets is the brands largest collection to date and can be found in select stores across the UK. Ss14 is also the brands first “Made in England” collection. All Shirts, Shorts, Jackets & Coats are being produced locally by some of the countries most reputable factories, famous for manufacturing for heritage British brands such as Barbour, Burberry & Aquascutum. All fabrics for these cut and sewn items have been hand picked from UK textile manufactures that have been producing and supplying for some of the most well known brands around the globe. To date, Dark Circle has been seen on the backs of some of the biggest names in street culture, most recently and most noticably is their close affilation to hip hop phenomenom Kendrick Lamar. Kendrick was spotted wearing Dark Circle across his whole European tour last summer which helped propel the brand into the spotlight for bing a name to watch out for. As well as Kendrick Lamar, Dark Circle has seen their products on the likes of Tinie Tempah, Rita Ora, Iggy Azelea, Mac Miller, ASAP Rocky, ASAP Ferg, DJ Smasherelly, Angel Haze, Chase & Status and Chance the Rapper. This summer looks set to be even bigger for the brand as they have already hinted at some brand and artist collaborations they have in the pipeline. left image: straight dark pullover hoodie in heather grey top image: darkest coaches jacket, red plaid short sleeve button down shirt. white original garment t-shirt. middle image: custom camp field jacket, orange technical jacket. black dark england bucket hat bottom image: navy field jacket, heather grey flannel uniform button down shirt. Tell us more about Ss14 drop one - what was the inspiration behind the new line? Aaron: The inspiration for the new collection is British Heritage workwear. The attention in mens fashion has been on American work and sportswear for the past few seasons and looks to continue in this direction for the next few years. For us we have taken influence from traditional British work and casual wear. We have even checked out country and hunting wear to get a true sense of traditional British mens fashion. Through constant research we have found original fabric suppliers, some over 150 years old to supply fabrics and trimming for our own garments. The hardest challenge with this collection was adapting these classic shapes and silhouettes that made our heritage world famous and adapting it to a modern more urban audience at the same time still encompassing that traditional mature feel. What else can we expect from Dark Circle over the coming months? Aaron: As mentioned in April we are dropping Ss14 drop one and planning on dropping Ss14 drop two in July. Between now and then we have a number of artist collabs on the cards which we are exploring new ways to experiment with the brands identity. We have been talking with Hypebeast Blog and have something unique in the pipeline which we are yet to see from another British streetwear brand. The big move of the summer though, might well be the opening of our first flag ship store in Birmingham City centre. Its still in the paperwork stage but could be crossing the t’s and dotting the I’s within the next few weeks. The Flag ship would be our best achievement yet. Dark Circle is a blend of British and American streetwear, your previous lookbook was also called “An English Brand In New York – From Birmingham To Brooklyn” - what is the the connection for the brand between the two cities? Aaron: I was living in NYC back in 2005, trying to figure out what i wanted to do with my life and this is where the vision for Dark Circle and how i wanted to pursue it all came together. New York city opened all the doors for me to start what i wanted to do. To this day we still have alot of ties to the city which help motivate the brand movement. Brooklyn, especially Willamsberg in Brooklyn became a focal point for the direction of Dark Circle and the type of customers we want. Translating that to a UK audience is the backbone for the brands aesthetics. Now our vision has adapted to the UK market, we want to take this and share it with the US/Brooklyn market that first inspired me. Dark Circle can be found online at the webstore or in a number of select stores across the UK and US. For more information about where you can find Dark Circle clothing check out their home page www.darkcircleclothing.com photography: Michael Woodward model: Rory Edwards interview by: Chloe Dowding