Be part of the Archive Fashion community long enough and you begin to notice the eerily similar approaches to the game. Enter @denimglasses and @archived.dreams, two accounts that have crafted their owned narratives in the context of this niche fashion genre. Together with the help of ARCHIVE.pdf, the two have organized an Archive Fashion Pop-Up in none other than New York City. From a wide selection of archive garments from Denim Glasses, to original products by Archived Dreams and archive fashion scan prints provided by ARCHIVE.pdf, this an event you can’t miss.
In commemoration of this event we have interviewed the two creatives to look deeper into their process behind the pop-up, info behind their curations and products, and more.
How did you two come to know each other?
Archived Dreams: We met through Instagram. I think I reposted some of Matt’s pieces and later he reached out to me telling me he wanted to do a pop-up.
Denim Glasses: I was looking for pages who had high engagement with their audience, and Hector was able to connect this fairly niche community whose interests range from archive fashion to broader topics like interior design and even pop culture. I was intrigued by that. He had a bunch of good ideas and we just rolled with it. That’s pretty much how it all started.
Archived Dreams: It’s crazy to see it all finally come to a reality.
How did the idea of a pop-up come about?
Archived Dreams: While talking over direct messages, we both realized we could help each other out by collaborating on this event.
Denim Glasses: It's a huge undertaking and it's something I'd never even done before, or even thought of doing. Until the pandemic I started to pick up a little bit of traction and it was an obvious next step for the page to have that tangible retail, hands-on experience for the people in this community.
What were the ideas that first came to mind for the pop-up?
Denim Glasses: I've been to a lot of pop-ups in the city before, and one con is the intimidation to make a purchase, and they're not very impulse-friendly. So we wanted to create an experience where you could just show up and enjoy some of the imagery on display. I guess to chop it up with everybody and that's kind of what my aim for this was. And if you want to buy something, obviously that's your call.
Tell us about your sense of curation. What do you look for when sourcing clothing? What draws your eye towards a piece that you decide to sell?
Denim Glasses: Originally it started off as what I gravitated towards with very practical pieces, but ones that had small, but very distinguishable details and characteristics. An example would be an Undercover jacket with insect embroideries. It's just a classic trucker jacket, but it's amplified by just that little detail and that's what makes it so rare and sought after. Through punk I've brought themes of decay and even a dystopian look to the page, that's come about really out of nowhere, just very naturally. But I think that's just a reflection of what my personal interests are and what I personally gravitate towards.
For Archived Dreams: Tell us about the details behind some of your original products and the process of making them.
Archive Dreams: The Mother Nature knit is a fully reversible jacquard knit sweater made from 100% recycled cashmere. I have been working on this sweater design for months now and it should be ready by the end of the year so I will be offering a pre-order at the pop-up.
The Pañuelos are made from what I believe was a vintage shower curtain. I found this shower curtain and later had it cut and sewn into bandana sized pieces. This made each piece unique as each had a slightly different flower pattern.
The eggshell shoelaces are designed to go very well with white and cream colored sneakers, they feature Metal Aglets with my logo engraved on them as well as Archived Dreams branding on the lace.
The tote bags are made from 100% recycled cotton. I took these tote bags and botanically dyed them all different hues of colors by using several natural dyes. I experimented with dyes made from Red lettuce, lime, onion, and indigo. Then they were embroidered to add finishing details.
In addition to the clothing, ARCHIVE.pdf and Denim Glasses have collaborated to print several archive fashion scans for sale and display. Can you tell us more about this concept?
Denim Glasses: We had the initial idea to have a selection of ARCHIVE.pdf prints filling the walls, and that idea transitioned to making stretched canvas prints. It gives the space more of a gallery feel. If you don't know yet, the block that the pop-up will be on is mostly occupied by galleries. We picked this space with these ideas in mind. We wanted to make each print big and obnoxious so that they're really hard to miss. I'd go further but, gotta leave some stuff to the imagination.
Make sure to stop by to the pop-up event if you’re in the area. We’ll see you there!
Address:
504 W 22nd St
New York, NY
Hours:
October 30-31, 12pm-6pm
Denim Glasses: Instagram
Archived Dreams: Instagram
Interviewer: Riv
Editor: Isaac L. Davis