Slawn x Ksubi Collaboration – HYPEBEAST

Mon 24 Oct

A Slawn x Ksubi collaboration is, as Slawn himself tells Hypebeast, “unexpected”. But the surprise and spontaneity of the partnership between the artist and Australian brand channels everything both parties have stood for in recent years.

Ever since moving to London back in 2017, the Nigerian artist’s creativity and chaos is best distilled on his socials, where he’s developed a bonafide cult following in recent years. Having built up his reputation as a rising talent, Slawn’s irrepressible energy has recently been applied to breaking into the art world, showing his work as part of Skepta’s ‘Contemporary Curated’ auction held at Sotheby’s New Bond Street galleries, followed by his first (sold out) solo exhibition at Efie Gallery in October titled, ‘On A Darker Note.’

“Whatever I have around me or whatever I can reach with my hands is what I’ll use to create,” he told Hypebeast, for Issue 30. That creativity has manifested into his Motherlan collective, his signature graffitied portraits, his work with Off-White™, Awake NY and Supreme – and now, an out-of-the-blue collaboration with Australian brand, Ksubi.

Just like Slawn, Ksubi has built a reputation for its own distinct style, launching collaborations with Travis Scott and gaining a loyal fanbase which includes the likes of AJ Tracey and Jorja Smith through to Frank Ocean, Bella Hadid. Originally established as an artistic collective themselves, Ksubi is now aligning with one of the leaders of the current generation of creative talent coming out of the UK.