Hood by Air Is Officially Back After Three Years

The famous brand, which pioneered today’s streetwear culture, is back with a plan.

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After a three year hiatus from the fashion scene, the New York City-based menswear brand Hood By Air officially announced its return starting this Thursday.

Designer and cofounder Shayne Oliver revealed earlier this month that the brand is finally back. “Even now, gentrification leaves no physical spaces for new, influential ideas to exist or reside,” Oliver said in a statement. “So, Hood By Air will be a place for these ideas to have a home.”

Following the exciting announcement, Oliver broke down the new business structure into four distinct parts – “HOOD BY AIR,” “HBA,” “MUSEUM,” and “ANONYMOUS CLUB”. The designer explained that each year, HOOD BY AIR will host a themed event or activation that will be represented as collectible fashion products. On the other hand, HBA will be a direct-to-consumer brand that will produce clothing outside of traditional fashion systems “without the constraints of old-world calendars and cadence.” MUSEUM will archive pieces from the original Hood By Air brand, and guest designers like BIPOC creatives will reinterpret them for the new generation. Lastly, ANONYMOUS CLUB will be an independent platform that supports and collaborates with emerging talent. 

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HOOD BY AIR IS A MONUMENT TO YOUTH CULTURE – AN INSTITUTION DEDICATED TO NEW IDEAS, HOUSING AND TRANSFORMING THEM INTO WORKS OF ART AND FASHION. 13-YEARS-AGO YOUNG, BLACK AND POC CREATIVES STARTED HOOD BY AIR, CREATING SOMETHING ENTIRELY UNIQUE IN FASHION. OVER A DECADE LATER, WE CONTINUE TO PRODUCE OBJECTS AND ARTIFACTS THAT TRANSCEND ATTITUDES AND IDEAS IN ORDER TO CHALLENGE WHAT LUXURY MEANS FOR FUTURE AUDIENCES. IN RECENT YEARS WE HAVE SEEN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES DISTANCE THEMSELVES FURTHER AND FURTHER FROM REAL CULTURE. RADICAL WORKS HAVE BEEN PUSHED OUT BY GENTRIFICATION. THE YOUTH HAVE BEEN ROBBED OF THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SPACES NECESSARY FOR NEW IDEAS TO GROW. THE SYSTEM IS ANTIQUATED, AND WE WANT TO REPLACE IT WITH SOMETHING NEW. THERE IS ANOTHER WORLD THAT NEEDS TO BE CREATED. WE’VE DONE IT BEFORE, AND WE’RE DOING IT AGAIN. TODAY, WE INTRODUCE ANONYMOUS CLUB, A VEHICLE TO PROMOTE AND SPONSOR YOUNG TALENT. THESE YOUTHS AND THEIR PROJECTS WILL BECOME A PART OF OUR WORLD, A COMMUNITY WE CALL THE HOOD BY AIR ALUMNI. HOOD BY AIR, THE NEW INSTITUTION.

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As apart of the new concept, the fashion house shared new releases including a limited edition t-shirt in collaboration with the brand’s charity initiative Uprising, and debut the first limited release Cash Card, in partnership with Cash App. All proceeds from the sales will be donated to Black Trans Femmes in the Arts, Emergency Release Fund and Gays & Lesbians Living In A Transgender Society. Through these initiatives, HBA plans to support Black, LGBTQ artists and communities, local police reform, and other Black Lives Matter causes.

The revival of the iconic brand emerges during the fashion crisis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when many designers and consumers are rethinking the industry’s traditional systems and schedules.

Oliver said, “There is another world that still needs to be created. It’s about tearing the old one down while figuring out a way to build a new one up, and in the midst of all of that, amplifying the ideas and conversations that we feel are important. 13-years-ago Hood By Air was birthed out of young, black and POC creatives performing at the highest level. This was the contemporary output because no one else was doing it. Hood By Air resides here to allow risk and be vanguards for where it’s going next. Hood By Air, the new institution.”

Keep up with new releases through HBA’s Instagram or website. In the meantime, you can check out the limited edition t-shirts below!

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