Streetwear is a category that has long since disrupted the market, consumers ogling over the trend’s hero pieces, which change year after year. This past year, we’ve seen collabs between bigger and smaller brands, many honing in on fleece jackets, corset tops, parachute pants and varsity attire.
Once having been a style aesthetic specifically geared towards graphic t-shirts, all things oversized and a fresh pair of 1s, streetwear continues to change, and brands continue to evolve their ideology of what exactly the aesthetic means to them.
As we ring in the new year, here’s a list of brands that we feel will become home to the dopest new streetwear pieces, even you can’t resist them.
UNSEENBEING
Toronto-born designer Thomasi Gilgeous came up with the idea of UNSEENBEING in an effort to reconcile the art of creativity and edge that can so often be overlooked with fast fashion. UNSEENBEING is an effort of ‘the person who’s pen is always creating, regardless of the spotlight’. Home to flared jeans, sherpa jackets and limited edition jerseys, the colours are loud and the designs radiate individualism with humanity, as Gilgeous attempts to push the boundaries of streetwear, shaping the future of fashion.
The Crane Apparel
Born in 2017, The Crane Apparel was an ode to the importance of lifestyle and comfort, after their conglomerate brand began its journey in 2016 as a printing company. The Crane Apparel was fostered with good intentions, representing long life, good fortune, love and good luck. With simple and intricate designed clothing pieces, the brand offers staple pieces like Letterman jackets, mesh shorts and trucker hats, which are all closet staples for any streetwear fanatic.
Adidem Asterisks
Founded in 2018, Adidem Asterisks is a Toronto-based label with a multidisciplinary approach to design. Nick Bruno and Xavier Miller tailored the brand to hobbies they were interested in: culture, art, sports, music, to name a few. Over the past few years, they’ve created ready-to-wear objects and exhibitions, including the Roots x Adidem collab. This collab was set to expose the younger generation to lesser known parts of Canada and familiarize them with Canadian culture, and what better brand to partner with than Roots?
Sweater vests, tearaway pants and nylon fanny packs are all popular items at Adidem Asterisks, and of course who could say no to a trendy patch jacket?
Toronto-native celebrities like Dylan Sinclair, Pressa and Jazz Cartier have all been seen sporting Adidem Asterisks, which is just another reason to consider carving out space in your dresser for one of their latest and greatest pieces.
4YE
Originally known as a Toronto-based media company, 4YE was founded back in 2018 by popular comedy duo Trey Richards and Jermaine Richards, with help from Kevin Dang.
The media company is now emerging as a streetwear brand in its own right, gaining most of their traction thus far from durags. They’ve since begun to expand their brand with cleanly-crafted hoodies and sweats, which have been sourced through Toronto’s fabulous thrift market and remixed to be 4YE original. Apart from creating cool sweaters, it’s an effort from 4YE to eliminate fast-fashion and to extend the life cycle of second-hand clothing. How cool is that?
Headlessforever
This streetwear company plays no games; if you’re looking for a new place to find graphic tees and grungy, acid-wash apparel, this is the place for you. The idea behind Headlessforever came in hopes of helping people to understand the importance of using their head when it comes to mindset and beliefs. Ergo, each piece is based on a level, and each level has different meanings. From silk button ups, to toques, to waxed denim, each piece is crafted differently than the last, and provides an edge that not all clothing brands are able to commit to.
Libero
For many, their first thought in the morning is what they’re going to wear, and how they’re going to express themselves through clothes. And this particular streetwear brand is no stranger to the ideology that ‘clothes are [our] first words, before any introduction.’
Libero’s aesthetic embodies European culture and mixes it with North American lifestyle to create exquisite and appealing pieces for all. Muted hues and tasteful designs are how this brand stands out, with pieces crafted for all genders, with no set boundaries. From their Heist collection (Libero Heist of ‘77) , to their prep school-esque collection (Libero Academy), to their dressed-up dinner collection (Setting the Table), the brand has it all.
These streetwear brands are among many rising stars that can be found throughout the streets of Toronto, however each one listed above is special because they teach us the importance of being confident with yourself, all while being open to trying new things for the first time. Each piece from each of these brands is crafted with love, positivity and cultural impact, we made sure of it.