BRAIN DEAD
October 15, 2020
Long ago in the distant future, shape-shifting masters decided to send a message of truth to earthlings of the twenty-first century. They found a radio portal to channel the message through the chosen ones, Kyle Ng and Ed Davis, and the message is told through the creativity of Brain Dead.
The Californian native and founder of both niche tech-sportswear label AXS Technology and now-defunct Farm Tactics brand, Kyle Ng, connected with Melbourne-based graphic designer Ed Davis back in 2014 via online. Their initial conversation led to a few collaborations on freelance projects. As the relationship further developed with a common passion for ‘weirdo art’, the two decided to get more people involved and create a brand.
Despite being over 13,000 kilometers away from each other with the Pacific Ocean separating the two apart, the creative duo continues to tune into the same wavelength to turn around some of the most intriguing and outstanding streetwear brand out there.
The aesthetic of Brain Dead appears as a new school hippie meets post-punk in the sci-fi dimension, or something like the spirit of 90’s counter-cultures entered a tangible body in the form of rare printed ephemera -- to celebrate the “inner-light”. However, under the skin, Brain Dead is more “fluid” constantly in the act of change, as Kyle likes to point out.
The Fall 20 collection is a continuation of a joyful journey that the brand started five years ago. The sharp language of the graphics tells various stories from a higher dimensions, tapping on subjects like clean love, how to adapt and survive, micro and macro cosmos, and fungi spheres from outer space. The main highlight of this season is the collaborative work with the contemporary artist Leon Sadler, which features his archival work from Procedural Series on an all-over printed sweat-suit, and a cozy fishing jacket.
In essence, Brain Dead is a representation of a modern DIY culture that discovered its ground in the game of streetwear and continues to lead the fashion industry by example on how to get trippy effortlessly with the most efficiency.
