For the second installment of the Lapstone & Hammer RECONSTRUCT program, we’ve collaborated with a brand that truly embodies the ethos of the project: ALUMNI. ALUMNI, an ongoing art project based in Philadelphia focused on upcycle design and found vintage goods, shares the same basic principle as the entire RECONSTRUCT project: promoting sustainability by breathing new life into existing pieces of clothing, re-making them into something entirely different.
Starting as a personal collection of vintage goods and upcycled garments, ALUMNI quickly grew into a store and brand with a simple mission: recycle and recirculate. The brand specializes in ivy and collegiate wear, highlighting the timelessness and nostalgic nature inherent in the aesthetic and story of each piece. ALUMNI aims to recirculate vintage staples and extol the value of vintage clothing by emphasizing the quality and craftsmanship of late production methods and standards from a time before fast fashion. In contrast, the up-cycle projects elevate these vintage basics into one-of-one art pieces. Focusing on sustainability, the goal is to reduce waste by recycling found vintage goods and transforming them into contemporary fashions.
For this project, we teamed up to craft our iteration of the classic pullover hoodie. Combining ALUMNI’s roots in Collegiate wear with Lapstone's specialty of Japanese and streetwear styles, we took vintage collegiate crew necks and applied a contrasting hood and pocket, creating a “hybrid” style hoodie often found in traditional Americana wear. Using elements of each brand, we’ve made 25 unique 1-of-1 hoodies that will each cost $110.
ALUMNI X LAPSTONE: RECONSTRUCT will be available in-store Saturday, October 17th @ 10:00am. Available online 12 PM pending availability.
