Spicie for The Radar 2024.

Spicie is an experimental crochet brand based in New York. Designer, Amber Kollar, uses a unique web technique to manipulate yarn into sculptural garments with avant-garde silhouettes.

Transcription of Letter:
To: The Radar
From: Spicie
Date: Jan 21, 2024
Subject: Unraveling Spicie: Where Crochet Meets High Fashion

Dear The Radar,
I am writing to share the inspiration behind my couture crochet brand, Spicie.
In a world of often dominated by mass, production and uniformity, Spicie stands as a testament to the beauty that emerges when craftsmanship and creativity intertwine. Each garment is handmade, following the curves of the human form.
While learning crochet, I have also taught myself to see mistakes as an opportunity for innovation. Embracing loose stitches, building/adding to old swatches, repurposing textiles to create new garments.
Freehand crochet has allowed me to communicate this web effect individuality through art (fashion). The body being the canvas. Thank you for being a platform to showcase this medium.

- Spicie


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HDStudios for The Radar 2024.

Effortless. Timeless. Luxury.

Designed and based in Toronto. Founded by women. Exclusive collections designed for everyday off-duty dressing. Womenswear bridging the gap between feminine and masculine silhouettes. HDSTUDIOS is a brand where less is really more.

Transcription of Letter (Extended):

To Radar,

Whether you’ve been with us since the beginning or are just discovering HDSTUDIOS, we welcome you to partake in the essence of everything HD - a brand born from two small town girls coming of age in metropolis. At HDSTUDIOS, we believe in a commitment that goes beyond just clothing; it extends to a lifestyle and a philosophy that appreciates simplicity, duality, and timelessness. Our journey began in 2017, when we moved from a tiny town outside of Detroit to the Canadian equivalent of New York City; Toronto. Embarking on this new chapter of our lives lead to growth and challenges beyond what we could’ve ever imagined, but also inspiration and creative exploration that helped us evolve in ways that our 18 year old selves would be so proud of. We started HDSTUDIOS in 2020 from a little cafe just outside of our studio apartments where we started creating pieces that embodied the duality at the heart of HDSTUDIOS, the interplay between our roots and values.

Central to our journey is the philosophy that ‘less is more.’ Emphasizing the power of simplicity, functionality, and intentional designs at the core of HDSTUDIOS. Transcending and embodying infusions of our brand values into each piece; guiding our design, and commitment to sustainability. The slogan ‘Where less is really more’ defines our approach through thoughtful curation, design, and conscious efforts that bridge the gap between the masculine and feminine silhouettes. In every garment, you’ll find the intersection between our roots, values, and individuality; a narrative that speaks to the evolution of two small-town girls who dared to dream big.

Thank you for being a part of our journey.

xx
Danijela & Noor


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Lorem Ipsum for The Radar 2024.

FORM FUTURE FUNCTION

LOREM IPSUM is an accessories label created by Caleb Zhang and Alex Cao, driven by form, future, and function.

FORM  — inspired by the cutting edge and its relationship with the natural world, LOREM IPSUM’s designs are born from sleek and subversive aesthetics, and then reimagined into silhouettes and motifs as futuristic as they are familiar. 

FUTURE — no longer placeholder text, LOREM IPSUM envisions its pieces as chapters in a larger narrative, as visual forms of all that is possible in an ever-changing world.

FUNCTION — loyal to practicality, LOREM IPSUM crafts ready-to-wear products made from premium materials. Each product is versatile and designed for everyday use.  

Transcription of Letter:

This month marks a year since we launched our brand LOREM IPSUM. It’s been surreal to be able to share our craft and our passion with the world, and even more surreal to do so at our first NYFW. Alex and I started LOREM IPSUM our junior year of college as a mere side project, never believing that we’d be able to launch a collection — let alone three. Growing up in the suburbs of Texas, we’ve always found clothing and accessories as a way to build worlds far away from our own. Each of our pieces combine futurist utility with dystopian storytelling to challenge the convention that accessories should only be mere commercial products.

Reflecting on our journey, we feel immense gratitude to the communities and people who have supported us along the way. We’re excited to celebrate this next chapter in our story with you.

Caleb & Alex


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SKNDLSS for The Radar 2024.

SKNDLSS is an art, fashion, and performance platform created by Sustilé Blank - established in 2013 in the nightlife scene of Detroit, MI .
It now exists as a gender-inclusive metals brand conceptualized by combining high fashion with street style pieces. Worn by celebrities such as Julia Fox and the Clermont Twins- SKNDLSS specializes in defense jewelry and body armor for a lifetime in a new world.

Transcription of Letter:

To: The Radar
Re: Old structures must be burnt before we can rebuild

In a world, that seems to become more daunting every day - creativity and love continue to move us forward.

Power structures want us to live in fear without connection.
I am so proud of my community’s resilience - and my own.
Through art and authenticity, we provide an alternative narrative that dictates a better future.
The road of being an artist is dark and lonely - this glimmer of hope makes me choose creation over destruction.
Thank you endlessly to everyone who makes me feel comfortable in my skin and supports my vision.

To the new world we are creating -
Xoxo,
SKNDLSS



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Adam Small for The Radar 2024.

Adam Small is a Canadian based designer who founded his namesake label in 2019. The brand focuses on experimental design with a dystopian twist, while simultaneously providing high quality basics to their core customers. Their FW24 collection titled “Sticks and Stones” is the next evolution of the brands world building.

Transcription of Letter:

TO: THE RADAR
Since the brands inception, we’ve been dedicated to two core principles.
Pure expression and the pursuit of truth.
Our FW24 collection stays true to those commitments.
As a designer, my goal is to pose questions, ignite dialogue, and challenge personal beliefs.
This season, we explored the harsh reality that is existing in 2024, showcasing the resilience of the human spirit while bringing attention to the barriers that confine us.
It serves as a reminder that truthful expression may sometimes be raw, intense, and severe... a beauty in its own right.
- Adam Small



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