Archival Reinvent has been on our radar since their first proto-futurist release, Recovered: Disk Reserve, which explored functionality with no holds barred.
Archival Reinvent’s AW21 drop will continue that theme, with blacked-out silhouettes, baggy minimalism, and streamlined military confidence.
The whole release is characterised by grey hues, beige bursts, and bold flashes of white. When you consider the political climate of Hong Kong, it makes sense to understand the brand as an attempt not to stand out but to blend in. Jackets and hats have built-in face masks, both from the hood and from the chin. Archival Reinvent is a brand that knows the virtues of masks extends far beyond the slowing of germs.
Somehow, though, the AW21 lookbook stands out as if the colours were bright and contained every spectrum of the rainbow. They’re visually assaulting, with cables and wires and a technological omnipresence that conjures images of Hong Kong’s hectic streets. It’s invisibility in volume, safety in numbers, assuring anonymity.
T-shirts have fastening waist pockets, secret zips, breathable vents; shorts and jackets have pockets that overlap pockets, pockets fastened to pockets. Bags and vests have straps and clips, across the body, over the shoulder. Pieces are modular and removable, granting you the ability to customise layouts to your own desire. Whilst fabrics are coated with Teflon protector.
Archival Reinvent make the sort of clothing that grows as you wear it. You ask yourself, Why is that zip there? And then it makes sense, one week later as you’re overheating in a crowd and all of a sudden the zip lets a breeze come through. It’s satisfying clothing, but it’s also armour, built in preparation for an uneasy future.
Highlights from Archival Reinvent’s lookbook are available below, and you can shop the AW21 range here.
