Since its establishment in 2017, Arctic Army has defined the meaning of luxury streetwear in the field of modern fashion. Based on the nostalgic love of creative directors Paul Waite and Ed Jefferson in the 90s, the outerwear brand created its unique urban aesthetics, and later became an important participant in the fashion and music revival of that era. Now, the minimalism and sometimes fancy style of the 90s and Y2K play a key role in the continued collection and brand growth of the Arctic Army.

In its 2021 autumn/winter collection, the brand focused on making highly sought-after 90s outerwear pieces in the boldest way to date. From soft pink down jackets to fur-lined bomber jackets, Arctic Army uses high-quality technology and materials to create individual jackets that make Y2K look enduring. HYPEBEAST interviewed Ed Jefferson to talk about the fashion aesthetics of the 90s, hip-hop heroes, and what it means to be a member of the Arctic Army tribe.

HYPEBEAST: What made the 90s/early 00s the source of inspiration for the Arctic army? Jefferson: Paul Waite and I (the brand's co-founder and co-creative director) are both inspired by the culture, fashion and nostalgia of the MTV Cribs and R&B music video generation. This is the first time I have come into contact with this wonderful world beyond imagination. I grew up in an era when I supported Timberland Boots and Big Pufferfish, big logos and monograms, and have always been inspired by this culture. I remember the first time I saw Marc Jacobs x Stephen Sprouse LV Graffiti working together, and I liked the idea that luxury can be paired with colorful streetwear. You can see this in the DNA of the Arctic Army: everything we do is unapologetic and bold. 1 of 2 Arctic Army 2 of 2 Arctic Army

  Tell us something about how your collection reflects Y2K trends. Y2K is essentially a fusion of popular culture and millennial technological advancement. Our bold badge echoes the logo brand monogram fanaticism of the millennium bug era. We created a digital chinchilla print down jacket inspired by P-Diddy's chinchilla fur coat. Creating digital animal prints is the iconic style of the brand inspired by this era. When making our pastel clay sportswear, the idea of ​​a pink man came to mind—think Cam'ron during Fashion Week in 2002, wearing the iconic pink mink coat and flip phone. The light blue is inspired by the "Breathe" video by Sean Paul & Blue Cantrell and the soft Mercedes that every child dreams of. Why do you think these trends are timeless and have a place in today's fashion? I think logos and heavy brand trends will always have a place in the fashion world. There is a sense of tribal yearning and sharing affinity with brands that you admire aesthetically and resonate culturally. For us, the soldier beetle armband can recognize the Arctic Army at a glance. Over the years, fashion has become more luxurious and casual, you only need to look at pop culture icons such as Kim K wearing T-shirt dresses in the metropolis to understand where we are heading. Luxury sportswear is the new suit and tie.  

There is a sense of tribal yearning and sharing affinity with brands that you admire aesthetically and resonate culturally. Explain how the series reflects the "eternal mood". Our work is always indispensable. They are wardrobe staples that don't go in and out of style. Although bold, their design is also very clean and modern. Purchasing items for the Arctic Army is an investment, and our clothing is long lasting. 

Tell us the importance of the pufferfish jacket in your collection and your brand. Our puffer was first launched last winter and quickly became our best-selling style. In fact, the black color scheme sold out almost immediately. It didn't take long for it to appear in countless music videos and British rap artists, including artists such as Bugzy Malone, Krept & Konan, Mist and Not3s, and Saweetie in the United States. We use our puffer to keep it simple, bold and oversized. 1 of 2 Arctic Army 2 of 2 Arctic Army

  What technical elements can the wearer expect in the outerwear collection? Details such as ultra-soft fleece-lined pockets for a soft touch and large-capacity RDS-certified down filling to insulate you and resist the cold arctic wind. The outer shell is waterproof satin nylon, we also have hidden storm cuffs; the tightly fitting inner cuffs can prevent rain or wind from entering. During the development process, we ensured that the inner bag is large enough to hold the largest iPhone, because this is what I must have when buying items, and I think it is also important for this generation who rely on technology. We are constantly evolving and evolving every season, applying new technologies and breaking boundaries to create the most exciting technological fashion. 

We want our customers to be able to wear the Arctic Army every day, not just in the cold.

Why did you decide to launch a jersey series in this series? Luxury casual wear is a category that we naturally want to develop. This is also part of our plan to make the Arctic Army a brand that can be worn all year round. We want our customers to be able to wear the Arctic Army every day, not just in the cold. We have combined technologies such as raised silicon printing, heavy embroidery and silicon badges on heavy-washed jersey fabrics. This process is a very complex technical combination that needs to be completed on a piece of clothing. After a lot of development and testing, it took more than two years to fully realize this series. We will launch some very exciting new categories in the future, this is just the beginning for us. In your collection, you mentioned the musicians of the RnB era in the 90s. How has your muse changed over time? As we enter this new era of streetwear, I really like Kim K's current Balenciaga stage, I think it is very iconic. The huge down jacket on tights, the use of LED lights in sunglasses and other technologies are all perfect examples of how high-end fashion luxury has evolved into more and more casual and futuristic. It shows where we are going. Kanye West's futuristic vision of fashion is also a source of inspiration. He is our eternal muse when creating luxury jerseys! 

Explore Arctic Army's autumn and winter collections in the gallery above. Buy the series in the brand's online store and select retailers. Read the full text

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