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Bodega: AW13 Collection
It’s not easy blending high quality design and materials with an urban streetwear aesthetic, but Boston-based retailer Bodega proves to manage this balancing act within its new in-house AW13 menswear collection. True to its name, the brand is known for its bodega, or corner store, style flagship location. The store’s clothing – now more than limited edition trainers from Nike, Vans and other popular brands – combines the durable materials of high fashion with the loose, relaxed appearance of streetwear. This appears to be intentional. “We stay true to our aesthetic, but the key is that we are constantly trying to out do ourselves every season,” Creative and Lead Director Marvin Bynoe said in a recent interview. “Our goal is to make timeless garments. We would love to see our garments cycled throughout the years to come.” It’s an ethos that the FashionBeans man can definitely get behind. Nevertheless, the contrasting materials, experimental patterns like orange and purple camouflage and details such as subtle Navajo print and suede buttons embody more than a boundary-pushing street brand; they stand for Bodega’s new direction. As designer Randy Price remains in Boston, Bynoe headed out to the Northwest, specifically to Seattle. The brand’s autumn/winter designs now blend the pragmatic, almost military-esque look of Seattle with Boston street style. “I’ve always fed off of Dorchester, MA and how the kids there can stand out with such subtle details,” Bynoe said in a statement. “So far in the Northwest I’m seeing people wearing a lot of technical apparel and water resistant clothing due to the fact it rains all the time here.” (Similar to Britain then.) With the AW13 lookbook featuring projections of Boston’s Dorchester and Roxbury neighbourhoods by Guarionex Rodriguez Jr., Bodega’s autumn/winter cuts and styles seamlessly blend into the backdrop. However, a closer look reveals a juxtaposition of by-the-numbers streetwear and material experimentation: solid-colour pegged trousers, Oxfords and jumpers contrast with corduroy vests, camouflage sweatpants, panelled flannel shirts and historical-leaning graphics like the Gadsden snake with the caption ‘Step If You Want’ instead of ‘Don’t Tread on Me’. The AW13 collection is available to buy now at shop.bdgastore.com.
Bodega: AW13 Collection
