MDCCXI Cloth is making waves with their new line Essentials: Installment 3 available now on Colabination. After browsing the rest of their impressive contemporary merch and chatting with the Brand Director & Founder, Deane Nanni, I learned three things:• This brand successfully illustrates streetwear clothing in terms of modern street and indie-wear.
• They are all about collaboration with a wide variety of artists- “Anyone from anywhere”.
• MDCCXI is armed with a passionate team supported and loved by many.
All of the above facts have earned MDCCXI the support of Philadelphia’s fashion-oriented millennial population. Deane took us behind the label, where we got the inside scoop from when MDCCXI was just an idea, to what we can expect to see next.
MDCCXI started as a dream between Deane and the guys he grew up with from “Ground Up”, a popular hip hop group in Philly.
“This group is very fashion forward. Starting a clothing line was something that we always all knew we wanted to do,” Deane tells me.
However, in the fashion world it can be very intimidating for new designers and labels to pitch their ideas to the network. So how did MDCCXI get its start on the road to success?
“Well, Ground Up started with 20 followers and are now supported by 20,000 (and counting). We were lucky to have a solid market to introduce our stuff to. We came up with the first line and bought blank shirts wholesale and then printed up the designs we had. Now, we source our fabrics and make the patterns, which is now all cut and sewn in Philly from scratch. That’s also why our prices had to go up in line with did the better quality.”
So what other behind the scenes work goes into MDCCXI’s designs?
“I have an in house studio where I’ll do pattern work. I have a backlog of sketches that I go to for inspiration, and BIJ LINCS is like our architect- he sets the tone for what’s next.”
Speaking of what’s next, Deane’s favorite piece is one in their newest collection:
“It’s a white pillar tee that is a really nice and lightweight poly cotton blend, that’s fitted with an elongated body.”
Like every artist, there are certain icons that embolden their own ideas and inspire creativity.
“We look up to artists that are starting from scratch- not the Louis Vuitton’s and Prada’s, but labels that started as early as 2012 making a splash in the fashion industry.”
— Deane Nanni
Deane also tells me that his dream collaborations would be with Aime Leon Dore, Kith NYC, Loyalty Club, and Jaefields [another Colabination brand]. With how fast MDCCXI has grown and with some of his their heroes already in the Colabination fam, we wouldn’t be surprised if we saw those dreams come true in 2016!
Brands like MDCCXI attract those who “want to be on the forefront of fashion trends. We have lots of those people who support local.” Although the release of Essentials: Installment 3 is still fresh in everyone’s mind, the brand is already looking forward to further capturing their fans attention with their next line in the works called Running Dreams.
Deane tells me “I’m so excited for this. This is now our formula. This one will be how we release our lines from here on out.” I didn’t get many spoilers, but it sounds like another round of fresh merch that will be the next essential to your wardrobe. If you want to stand out from the crowd this fall in quality clothing from artists who “create at all costs,” add a few pieces of their new line to your closet.
Now that you’re informed about Philadelphia’s fastest rising designer, make sure to let all of your friends know what they’re missing out on and visit Colabination for more.
Written by Brooke Decker for Colabination
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