Hood by Air makes a reintroduction

Shayne Oliver's Hood by Air is back after a three-year hiatus, returning with a new structure to support more "radical works" of art and fashion.

Launched by Oliver and Raul López in 2006, the New York-based brand's club-kid-inspired streetwear captivated the New York fashion scene, earning accolades including the LVMH Special Jury Prize in 2014 and the CFDA Swarovski Award for Menswear in 2015. The label then went on pause in 2017, due to reported financial and internal troubles.

News of the brand's approaching relaunch first surfaced in spring 2019, and now the label has released even more details of its reintroduction, via a press release and new social media accounts.

According to multiple reports, the new Hood by Air will be split into four “entities," including 'Hood by Air', 'HBA', 'Museum', and 'Anonymous Club'.

Hood by Air will operate as the heart of the label, reports said, centering product launches, activations and events around a yearly theme. HBA will be a direct-to-consumer platform and "dialogue" that will host product drops and other retail experiences based on the annual theme. Museum will offer updated versions of archival Hood by Air designs, with some pieces being re-interpreted by designers-in-residence.

Finally, Anonymous Club will act as "a vehicle to promote and sponsor young talent," the brand said via Instagram. "These youths and their projects will become a part of our world, a community we call the Hood by Air Alumni."

On social media, the brand emphasized its commitment to bringing more fresh and innovative works to the fashion and creative industries, particularly from Black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) talent.

"13-years-ago young, Black and POC creatives started Hood by Air, creating something entirely unique in fashion," the brand said. "Over a decade later, we continue to produce objects and artifacts that transcend attitudes and ideas in order to challenge what luxury means for future audiences.

"In recent years we have seen the creative industries distance themselves further and further from real culture. Radical works have been pushed out by gentrification. The youth have been robbed of the physical and psychological spaces necessary for new ideas to grow. The system is antiquated, and we want to replace it with something new. There is another world that needs to be created. We've done it before, and we're doing it again."

On Thursday, Hood by Air will launch two new projects: a limited-edition t-shirt made in collaboration with Uprising, a charity initiative working to support Black and queer communities, as well as a special 'Cash Card' designed by Oliver, in partnership with mobile payment service Cash App. Proceeds from both projects will be divided between organizations including Black Trans Femmes in the Arts, Emergency Release Fund and Gays & Lesbians Living in a Transgender Society.

Hood by Air makes a reintroduction

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