FashionZoot hears
BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB & ICE CREAM S/S 11
In 2005 hip-hop star and producer Pharrell Williams, with his manager Robert Walker and Japanese fashion icon Nigo (who also founded the A Bathing Ape / BAPE brand), launched two lines of luxury urban clothing, Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream which both focus on one key point; “wealth is of the heart and mind, not of the pocket.”
Both lines provide high-quality clothing produced in limited quantities to maintain the brands exclusivity and make their innovative “all over print” designs increasingly sought after amongst a large demograophic, from students to business men, athletes and actors.
Billionaire Boys Club focuses on classic shapes with a preppy style featuring graphics designed by the Japanese legend SK8THG on a variety of Goretex/wool blazers through to basic sweats and t-shirts.
For Spring Summer 2011 there is heavy military references with fresh summer camouflage prints on a selection of strong silhouettes. Alongside the military designs we also see Navaho and Aztec prints and use of more traditionally Western double wash, damaged denim and corduroy pieces. The BBC collection then develops into an American ‘vintage country club’ theme with preppy polo shirts, crisp whites and demure stripes which can be complemented and contrasted with alternative pieces from the BBC range.
The Ice Cream line is named after Ice ‘diamonds’ and Cream ‘money’, featuring candy coloured graphics inspired by 1950’s America, under the concept of ‘couture skate clothing’. The line is dominated by polo’s, sneakers and hooded outerwear, with prints and visuals by Japanese artist and designer, Skate Thing.
Ice Cream focuses on the West Coast skate scene for this Spring/Summer season, with a collection that sticks to a bold acid colour palette with skater graphics on tees and hooded jackets, reminiscent of the late 80’s to early 90’s. The prints for this season include a mixture of screaming ice cream cones, severed hands and melting ice cream monsters, whilst glow-in-the-dark prints light up alternative graphics and melting ice cream appears to be dripping down crisp chinos, fresh sneakers and cotton shirts, giving an alternative and sharp edge to this latest collection.
By Lucy Mclean
