Improve your wardrobe 666 per cent with this month’s hottest collabs and trends – from Twin Temple’s new collection with KILLSTAR to Blondie knitwear to the return of a nu-metal staple…
Welcome to Kerrang!'s brand-new style column, with me, Kitty Cowell! Each month I'll be bringing you the latest releases, collabs and trends in alternative fashion – and as you can see below, we're starting big in 2024.
If you don’t know me, I'm a nu-metal, emo and hardcore kid, and I style music videos and photoshoots for a bunch of your favourite artists – you might've even seen my work on the cover of Kerrang!. Kerrang! was my bible growing up and Pandora was my style icon, and now me and P are besties as Ray Zell has actually drawn me alongside her!
So, basically, if I can reignite your love of fashion circa 2005 – when Oli Sykes was launching Drop Dead amongst bulletins and Top 8 friends – then I will. If you are a Gen Z wishing you were there at the peak of LimeWire and need to legit stay ahead of the crowd, I’ve got you.
Let's take a look at what's coming soon that you absolutely need in your life…
That’s right, Blondie knitwear – so you can keep warm while hanging on the telephone. British knitwear and ready-to-wear label, HADES, renowned for their conceptual collections that celebrate countercultural bands and radical ideas, have joined forces with the legendary New York punks for this awesome new collaboration. Let’s face it, Debbie Harry is still one of the most stylish women in rock, so taking a page out of her book can never be a bad idea.
The Atomic collection has been created with Debbie herself and Blondie, including a knitted Call Me bag – a first for HADES – as well as a deep V-neck knit, inspired by one worn by the iconic frontwoman in the late ’70s. The new range also includes a Blondie striped crew cut jumper (inspired by the Parallel Lines album cover), a fitted vest, a Call Me jumper showcasing the artwork from the original 7”, and statement scarves for Heart Of Glass and Hanging On The Telephone.
Speaking about the collab, Blondie said, “Working with an independent business to create these tributes has been a journey. The Blondie aesthetic has always had a punk, DIY feel and we know our fans go crazy for this collection.”
One way or another you’ll catch me dreaming of HADES’ handcrafted garments, made in Scotland from 100 per cent super-warm, lambswool. With good quality wool you can avoid having to wear countless layers and looking like the Michelin Man this winter. Unless that’s the look you are going for – if so, no judgements!
Top tip: if you are single, try wearing the Call Me jumper to a gig, and see how many people ask for your number. (Finding true love not guarantee with each purchase.)
Call Me jumpers and Heart Of Glass scarves are available now and the rest of the collection will be on sale in February. So keep your eyes peeled!
Washington alt.rockers Death Cab For Cutie are having something of a renaissance – having recently been announced as headliners for this summer’s All Points East – and now they’ve teamed up with LA cult streetwear brand Brain Dead for a limited-edition T-shirt release.
Even if you’re not super clued-up on streetwear, you’ll have seen Brain Dead everywhere, having worked with everyone from Green Day and Korn to Turnstile and Gatecreeper. With their unique, disruptive approach, Brain Dead’s global collective of artists and designers interpret cultural phenomena in their own distinctive way.
The limited-edition Death Cab design includes artwork from the band’s fourth studio album Transatlanticism, which turned 20 last October, but the beloved blackbird from the original cover has been reimagined as a red, black and blue graphic illustration, and paired with Brain Dead’s signature silhouette logo.
As usual Brain Dead’s offering is left-field and surprising, but at the same time it’s absolutely spot on. They are without a doubt one of the most exciting streetwear brands right now, especially if you are an alt. music fan.
This is a limited-edition one-off T-shirt release, and Brain Dead’s collabs are known for selling out super-fast. Originally slated for a January drop, it goes on sale March 19 – be ready!
Hold the batphone, there’s a collab between KILLSTAR and Twin Temple! Everyone’s favourite Satanic doo-wop duo have come together in a most unholy union with the alt. fashion gods, as dark aesthetics meet timeless style in the most goth way possible.
The new collection showcases ’60s-inspired silhouettes, luxurious custom burnouts, and a striking black-and-red colour palette across a range of items – from darling dresses to bold statement accessories, including a bag and choker. The collab features mens and womenswear pieces (that can obviously be worn by anyone) and is available in sizes XS to 4XL – we love to see inclusive offerings! A collection fit for any and all Satanic occasions – from sorcery to seances – you just need a full moon and some crystals to complete the look. But I’m sure you already have those, right?
Twin Temple say about the new collection, "We are infernally excited to unleash our very first collection of clothing in collaboration with KILLSTAR! We couldn’t think of a more diabolical coven to work with – truly a match made in Hell! We hope you take great carnal pleasure in adorning yourself with our offerings.”
The KILLSTAR x Twin Temple collection is available now.
Alternative lifestyle brand MaskOff have collaborated with Manchester hardcore mob Guilt Trip on a small apparel release. The collection includes hoodies and tees in stonewashed materials and heavy oversized fits. It’s made in Europe in limited numbers, with amazing attention to detail including embroidery and metal collaboration tags. Something you don’t often see from small brands and bands.
Guilt Trip guitarist Jak Maden says, “This was our first collab so I wanted to make it a special one. After seeing the products available with MaskOff, I knew we had to do something really high quality – this is where we had the idea to have something on a vintage-looking blank that was also as thick and robust as possible.
“Once we got the design to where we were all happy, we sent it off to a friend who has worked for Guilt Trip and MaskOff in the past and goes by Edens End. He added a few final touches and really rounded off the design.
“Collabs like these are something I look forward to doing more of in the future, as it really opened doors in terms of accessing better custom blanks and higher quality products – this comes at a price, but in the long run it’s worth it for the consumer and it’s a product we're all very proud of.”
Watching small brands and bands come together to create quality collaborations with an eye for detail and materials is really exciting to me. If you like hardcore music there’s a strong chance you like streetwear too and, of course, merchandise. Collectively hardcore fans probably keep a lot of big streetwear corporations turning over, so now it’s our time to support the small brands. We can be really smug once they take off and say – like always – we found them first!
This is a limited-edition release so head to MaskOff asap to pick it up.
With sustainability at its core, Birmingham-based brand P&Co are making conscious clothing with quality and style in mind.
It’s clear from P&Co’s graphic design that their main inspirations come from motorbike culture, traditional tattoo artwork and rock music, with their silhouette influences being a mix between vintage workwear and modern fashion. Last year they collaborated with K! fave Frank Carter and their rep is growing by the day.
Their most popular styles keep selling out – especially the checkerboard 304 Service Fatigue Pants. But one of their best-loved items is, in fact, the boiler suits – featuring embroidered back designs and adjustable waists, for when you’ve got work at 5 but Slipknot practice at 6.
P&Co is becoming the go-to brand for musicians, tattoo artists and bikers around the world. Even if you can’t ride, you can now look like you do…
Early 2000s fashion is trending hard at the minute and with it has come a rebirth of nu-metal music and style. We recently saw the Korn x adidas collaboration (finally), which caused a ton of hype and sold out almost instantly. And let’s face it, Jonathan Davis is a style icon – besides his adidas tracksuits, he’s also synonymous with Oakley glasses.
JD famously wore styles like the Oakley Fat Cat, but the only place you’ll find those at the moment is in second-hand stores. However, a very similar style also worn by celebs in the late-’90s and early-’00s is the Oakley Eye Jacket.
As seen on everyone from Joe Satriani and Brad Pitt to Michael Jordan and Dennis Rodman, the Eye Jacket is a true design and fit game-changer of the ’90s and beyond. And now it’s been re-choreographed as a limited-edition revival release – the Eye Jacket Redux – this design renegade is back!
In a throwback to the ’90s and touching on current basketball culture, Oakley’s new campaign features NBA player Kelly Oubre Jr as an ode to Dennis Rodman’s iconic style. He follows in the footsteps of numerous ’90s sports icons (and rock stars) who wore the shades off the court to make them so outrageously popular.
If there’s one piece of style advice I can give you, it’s that if you take your style tips from Dennis Rodman and JD you will never go wrong. Eye Jackets looked good in the ’90s, early 2000s and they still look dope today. Timeless eyewear, not really in a classic way, but in a really badass way. And who wants to look classic when you can look badass?!
And, of course, how would we forget Kerrang!'s own apparel! We've got a flash January sale on now, with loads of discounts on tees, caps, jackets, hoodies and more!
