Independent Brands - Australian Edit
Although famed for their notorious surf-culture, Australia’s ever-evolving admiration for skate has continued to unfold ever since its early-day inception during the ‘70s and early ‘90s. With the likes of the ‘Dogtown’ Z-Boys, the establishment of the countries own self-sustained ‘Bowl-Riding’ championships and the legendary X-Games swooping on in to connect Australia's tangible skate-scene on a global scale, independent skatewear brands have risen in popularity over the past decade to challenge USA Costa-Mesa counterparts. Here at Flatspot we’re proud to share with you some of our independent Australian skatewear favourites, with brands such as Butter Goods, Cash Only and VX1000 appreciatives PASS~PORT pathing the way for 2020.
For fans of expressive jazz and ‘90s hip-hop memorabilia, Perth’s own Butter Goods coins itself as a timely ‘international purveyor of street-ready garments’. Finding themselves at an interesting cross-section of the contemporary market thanks to their infatuation with popular culture, music legacy and skate-centric performance, Butter Goods is a brand that goes above and beyond any average run-of-the-mill skate brand. Helping Australia renew its focus on boardfeel and skate-specific function, Butter Goods’ latest Q4 instalment for 2020 continues to honour their endless consideration for cut, colour and custom creativity. References to big-wig music scene benefactors such as John Coltrane and Marion Brown follow in pursuit of last season’s ode to the likes of Dionne Warwick and American jazz fusion band Return to Forever, with classic sportswear colourways, insulation-increased fabrics and utilitarian elements adhering to the changing in climate head-on. ‘90s skatewear nostalgia reigns supreme across the new-season Base Camp Reversible Sherpa Jacket, cotton-cord layers and pigment-dyed crewnecks, whilst the use of heavyweight compositions marks the season’s timely transition to warmer profiles. Using Perth’s ‘most isolated city in the world’ distinction to their noted advantage, Butter Goods pairs days-gone aesthetics with referential character to deliver a truly unique undertone well-suited to their ‘Butter Worldwide’ mantra.
The Cash Only D3 collection will be available online at Flatspot on Saturday 12th December at 00:00am (GMT).
Brought to life by the same creative duo behind Butter Goods, Garth Mariano and Matt Evans actively dub 2018-launched Cash Only as an ‘Australian based multi-faceted urban conglomerate’. Following in Butter’s footsteps when it comes to celebrating underground cultures and old-school memorabilia, Cash Only is a playful brand backed by both an unruly and unrivalled aesthetic. Graphic-led designs such as the Trust Nobody and DJ T-Shirt keep things expressive in their creative venture, with the long-sleeve Blunt Crewneck and Logo Pullover Hoodie providing exemplary warmth to complement the season. Commemorating all-time movie classics such as Martin Scorsese’s ‘Taxi Driver’ and the 1991 classic ‘New Jack City’ through its gritty and graffiti-clad approach to contemporary styling, Cash Only sets out to bring a ‘touch of sentimentality’ to the already well-populated market. Urbanised underpinnings pay reference to the crew’s rough-and-ready skate roots and ‘skater owned and skater operated’ ethos, whilst AW20’s latest release showcases just how creative and on-target the brand remains to be even after just two years in the game.
Situated 2,444 miles away on the East Coast of Australia, Trent Evans’ PASS~PORT is backed by both Butter Goods and Cash Only’s similar inspiration to ‘bring something new’ to the Australian and international skate-scene since skateboarding’s appraisal during the ‘90s and early ‘00s. Drawing inspiration from not only their hefty rosta of worldly riders but from the notions of ‘travel, friendship and Australian heritage’, PASS~PORT continues to forge its own identity with its relatable aesthetic and humble appeal. For AW20, themes of celebrated connectedness and diversified identity are honoured though break-through profiles such as the Intersolid T-Shirt and corresponding Long Sleeve T-Shirt, whilst pastel hues and noted workwear undertones pair well with the brand’s iconic interlocking-hands logo to honour both the changing seasons and the brand’s own self-confessed admiration for non-conformist ideals. Block-tone hooded sweaters, insulative bucket and beanie hats and heavyweight layers keep the brand on-target for the colder months, whilst Evans’ ‘localised Australian narrative’ continues to be re-exported through a contemporary skate-centric lens once more.
