DEFYANT
Founded in 2006, Los Angeles-based men’s streetwear brand DEFYANT is headed by Joe Jihoon, who worked as a television/film writer and producer for over 10 years in New York and Los Angeles before transitioning into fashion. DEFYANT has gained a massive following from musicians and celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Jason Derulo, Justin Bieber, Sean ‘P. Diddy’ Combs, Flo Rida, and many others. DEFYANT challenges conventional trends with its latest Ancient Porn and Kung Fu capsule collections. The brand highlights playful reinterpretations of Ancient Greek oinochoe erotic paintings and originally rendered camo prints of overlapping martial arts poses. These collections mark the exciting re-emergence of the brand into the market with a distinctively fresh array of tees, button downs, hoodies, pants, jackets, and outerwear. The ethos of DEFYANT is to always challenge the status quo and go where others do not dare. Being different is not only good at DEFYANT, it is also one step closer to being original.
FM: When did your collection officially launch?
JJ: The brand itself was launched in 2006. But we took a hiatus in 2016 to step back and really focus on the direction of the line and launched our first collection in 2017.
FM: How did you get the idea/inspiration for your line?
JJ: The main goal for us as we worked toward our 2017 launch was to take a long, hard look at the state of streetwear and move forward with a fresh approach, something no one has ever seen. We wanted to fully embrace our brand name—which is a play on the word defiant—and constantly challenge the status quo. That’s what drives and inspires us. We have a lot of ideas and want to bring them to life one at a time.
FM: What is your background in fashion and/or design?
JJ: I am not classically trained in fashion. I worked as a visual effects producer, screenwriter, and filmmaker before transitioning to the apparel industry over a decade ago. I’ve always loved fashion though and look at it from a storytelling perspective. Each time you wear something there is something you want to convey to the world, and I am always searching for new ways to tell an exciting story through the clothes we wear.
FM: What are all of the different styles that appear in your collection?
JJ: We sell several different pieces of apparel and accessories, including bags, hats, scarves, etc. We’d love to design and make shoes, but we’re saving that for later.
FM: What are your main fashion/style inspirations?
JJ: Our aesthetic rests on looking great by looking different. We want our customers to discover their own unique qualities in our garments. It’s streetwear elevated in our own authentic way. It’s hard to create something totally original, but the journey down that rabbit hole is what makes this work fun and worthwhile.
FM: What differentiates your line from others on the market?
JJ: We incorporate new ideas, original patterns, graphics, and other details into the garments that haven’t been done a million times over by other brands. Even those that at first seem familiar will have a different twist to it that hasn’t been done yet.
FM: How would you describe your typical customer?
JJ: Our customers have a strong sense of who they are. They appreciate independent thinking and are openly defiant of conventions.
FM: What are some of the highlights of your collection?
JJ: Our Kung Fu Camo line gets most of the attention. But I’m very attached to our Ancient Porn collection, which is our interpretation of old erotic art from around the world. They’re so wickedly beautiful to me.
FM: Retail price ranges?
JJ: Prices range from $50 to $200 for tees, pants, shirts, and hoodies and $300 to $1,000 for more elaborate pieces like raincoats and trench coats.
FM: Where can people buy any of your pieces?
JJ: We’re available at select retailers in Los Angeles and New York right now, including Brigade, Hue, Dreams on Air, etc. We’re also available on garmentory.com as well as our own website, dfynt.com.
FM: What are your goals for the collection in the next year?
JJ: We want to keep elevating our look and continue to make eye-catching, one of a kind pieces that we can be proud of today, ten years from now, and beyond!
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