BY IOAN LEWIS
AUG 14, 2024
Adapt or die; the primary ethos behind human development. From the first ape to walk upright to the discovery of fire to somehow being able to buy a Balenciaga crisp packet for over £1000. Whether or not we’ve put our evolution to good use is up for debate. Nevertheless, we as a species would not be here today if we didn’t adhere to this most primally encoded rule. The same can be said for our surroundings and the environment we keep. The creation of the printing press, the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of the combustion engine. This is the evolution of technology, adopted by the masses in an attempt not to fall behind. This has also been reflected in the development of fashion. New fabrics lead to new possibilities, and new cuts and techniques lead to grander creativity. Christian Dior was born from the development of Yves Saint Laurent’s teachings and ideas. A young Franco Moschino challenged, mocked and ultimately changed high fashion’s traditional elitism, forever altering how and who observes and designs clothing. The death of a brand does not come hand in hand with the death of its creator; it comes when the consumer forgets it. Adapt or die, and all its sentiment, is the ethos of Bandlands, which carries an outlook of internal and external development in their practice and designs.
Courtesy of @badlands.gbp
Badlands was born from £100 and three white t-shirts in between the Welsh Valleys hills. Printed on this trio of tees was the beginning of a brand that strives to be more than a means of apparel. Badlands is etched with visions of trailblazing outside of the tramlines of fashion tradition and a desire to leave a lasting imprint on the industry. A streetwear brand by nature, Badlands’ humble beginnings aren’t reflected in their portfolio of pieces. Traditional printed tees with creative designs and fortified quality sweatwear combined with winter tactical pants, logo shorts for the summer, and even cadet jackets keep you looking fresh in the typical Welsh rain. This kind of output united with high quality and extreme thought and care, is typically unheard of by a brand that is still emerging from infancy; perhaps it is a signifier of the heights it might reach.
Courtesy of @badlands.gbp
At a glance, streetwear may seem to be a simple practice lacking variety. As with most practices, some fundamentals make up the foundations of streetwear, better classified as its nuances. Emphasised sizing, graphic prints and five-panel caps, to name a few, are stalwart features of streetwear. Nevertheless, a streetwear brand is defined by its conceptualisation of the genre and the character that emerges. Stussy is a surf-oriented brand focusing on a high-quality array of seasonal pieces with a keen focus on the blend of fabric variation and eye-catching patterns and designs. Always Do What You Should Do is a skate-first brand concentrating on relaxed, freeform printed designs and monograms. Both are skate brands; both are uniquely identifiable. When we consider Badlands, their definition comes in the idea of comfort through resilience, which is evident in both their products and their adherence to adapt or die. Badlands’ early designs comprised block-coloured grey and black hoodies embellished with the brand name. Loose-fitting hoodies are a streetwear brand’s bread and butter. Simple is comfortable, a rule that transcends fashion, but bravery is necessary for success. Badlands took courageous developmental steps early, exploring with more colour and producing complex products like ninja-hooded jackets and embroidered caps at a time when most brands would not risk taking such a large step forward. Badlands eventually found comfort in complexity as larger releases of printed tees, jackets, shorts, cargo trousers and much more became the norm. Compared to their predecessors' journey, Badlands has found its character growth through pressure to be not too dissimilar to the creation of diamonds.
Courtesy of @badlands.gbp
As we look at our contemporaries across the pond, it's evident that Wales is behind their perpetually running fashion machine. Wales as a whole has struggled to match England’s swift adaptation to modern culture and it is perhaps never more evident than when you look down the narrow gap of the Welsh Valleys. The Valleys’ contribution to fashion design and its evolution is minimal, the best-known contributors being Laura Ashley and Julian MacDonald. This is not to subtract from their success and legacy, but in the nature of adapt or die, these creatives do not speak to or for the current youth. Badlands must be painfully aware of this and are beginning to take the steps to fill that hole, slowly becoming a fashion moniker for the area. Streetwear has been a rapidly growing medium of fashion but has been all but nonexistent in South Wales, hidden in the cascading shadows of the mountainous terrain, until recently. With the growth in its popularity and the adjustment of attitudes, Badlands have taken an opportunity and have morphed with it, adapting in an outward sense to do their part to continue the uplift of the community in Wales and guarantee the culture’s survival. The brand is spurred by its deep passion for its heritage and is dedicated to representing the nation well by increasing its reputation within the fashion realm.
Courtesy of @badlands.gbp
Ultimately, Badlands is a brand that embodies the essence of streetwear; relaxed and comfortable on the outside but ambitious, courageous and spirited once you turn the page. Forget their commitment to their community and national identity. Forget their journey of rapid growth and improvement. Forget their imaginative designs, their aura of fun and their adapt-or-die mentality. Badland’s greatest strength, the foundation of their character, comes in the assurance that they know who they are and will continue to dance to their own tune, seemingly never intending to diverge from that path. This, above all else, inspires confidence that quality and care will always follow the brand as it continues to breach Wales’ fashion barricades.
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