Darryl Brown channels Midwestern workwear history and family connections with the launch of his SS21 collection at Above the Clouds.

The former railroad engineer turned celebrity stylist and designer draws inspiration from his mid-western, blue-collar upbringings with a vintage workwear-inspired collection.

If you're a Kanye West fan, you're likely familiar with the snaps of the rapper dressed head to toe in vintage Carhartt or his infamous Dickies Eisenhower Jacket worn at the 2019 Met Gala. However, what is often unknown, is the face behind many of Ye's workwear looks - designer Darryl Brown and his namesake brand launched in 2019.

To welcome Darryl Brown to the Above the Clouds family, we explore the story behind the brand and delve into Brown's SS21, which has now launched at ATC.

Darryl Brown's life story follows the DNA of working men in Toledo, Ohio. From graduating to become a railroad engineer and conductor to working on the General Motors Assembly line in Toledo, Ohio, the industrial, 9-5 lifestyle shaped Darryl Brown's worldview from a young age.

After dipping his toe in the fashion industry styling and assisting friends in the NFL, local athletes and musicians, Brown ended up in the hands of midwest natives Machine Gun Kelly and Kanye West, who offered him a new perspective of his unique talents and eye for design.

For his collection at ATC, the designer revisited his mid-west industrial origins, telling the story of his father's work history and offering an authentic take on the ever-trending workwear style that has grown in popularity in recent years. Utilising heavy-weight fabrics and colour palettes, Brown provides a realistic yet fashion-forward take on traditional workwear silhouettes and textures, referencing uniforms from the 50s to the 70s in deep green hues, browns and blacks.

A further introduction for Brown's current season focuses on incorporating unique elements of Japanese workwear styles and fabric technologies. Sourcing materials from both across the United States and Japan, the designer applies these fabrics to wide-leg trousers and boxy shirting reminiscent of traditional and contemporary Japanese construction worker uniforms.

The designer wraps up the season with foundational pieces to the Darryl Brown workwear aesthetic. Seriously boxy and cropped t-shirts reference 50s and 60s workwear undergarments designed for freedom of movement. On the other hand, modern essentials like the oversized hoodie and crewneck make an appearance in a vintage washed black, brown and grey melange.

You can browse the Darryl Brown SS21 Collection online here as well as other workwear favourites from Carhartt WIP and Dickies.

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