To celebrate art, fashion, culture and community, we invited the creative Fabric of Auckland and beyond to collaborate on a mural for our Britomart store. Each artwork is now on display at FABRIC and shares the tapestry of our last 20 years.

A story of the people and ideas that have come to define FABRIC. Read on to discover more from our artists, covering everything from inspiration and their most iconic fashion moments.  

 

 

 

Photography: Logan Buchanan. 

 

 

Q: Please share a little bit about yourself and your work - an artist bio. 

Stefan: Stefan 'Spider' Sinclair (Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Tuwharetoa)

Raised in Tamaki Makaurau I've been a tattoo artist for 20 years and I opened my first studio, Two Hands Tattoo in 2005. I specialise in single needle tattooing, my version of a classic Los Angeles style but inspired by my experiences growing up in Aotearoa. My work brought me to New York in 2010 and I eventually settled in Los Angeles, returning home every year to spend the summers with my whanau at Two Hands Tattoo.

 

Q: What is your iconic fashion moment?

Stefan: Years ago I bought a pair of raw selvage denim jeans from FABRIC. I wore them on a cross country motorbike trip across America, coast to coast and back again through 23 states in 4 months. The trip broke them in perfectly, riding through scorching desert heat, snow capped mountains, hail storms, a hurricane and forest fires, the fades on these jeans are ataahua. I have to this day and will keep them forever.

 

Q: Your must have FABRIC item in your Wishlist?

Stefan: I need a pair of those Salomon XT-6's.

 

Q: How would you say fashion and art intertwine - do you think they are important to one another?

Stefan: Fashion and art are the two ways I express my vision of the world around me to the people around me.

 

Q: How do you stay inspired? 

Stefan: My team at Two Hands forever keeps me inspired.

 

Q: Where are you travelling to first when our borders open?

Stefan: If Ngati Whatua open the border to their rohe I will travel north to my land in the Kaipara.

 

 Stefan wears Washed Compass T-Shirt / Black by Stone Island and P032 Trousers / Washed Grey by Comme des Garçons Homme. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography: Logan Buchanan. 

Samuel wears Logo S/S Tee FGT018 / White by Comme des Garçons SHIRT.

 

 

Q: Please share a little bit about yourself and your work - an artist bio. 

Samuel: I’m an artist, composer and performer based in Tāmaki Makaurau. I make experimental music for live performance, and often work in collaboration with other artists.

 

Q: What is your most iconic fashion moment?

Samuel: Not sure it’s ‘iconic’ but I love my woollen schoolboy-esque Comme des Garçons shorts that I picked up on my last trip to Tokyo.

 

Q: Your must have FABRIC item in your Wishlist?

Samuel: I'd replace all my shirts with CdG Homme if I could.

 

Q: How would you say fashion and art intertwine / do you think they are important to one another?

Samuel: Some of the best artists and designers have a lot in common: a critical approach to materiality and form, and an ability to transform our experience of the everyday.

 

Q: How do you stay inspired?

Samuel: I talk to interesting people whenever I can. I’m also inspired by the discipline, energy, and amazing work of my artist and composer friends.

 

Q: Best advice you've ever been given.

Samuel: Adopt, don’t shop.

 

Q: Where are you travelling to first when our borders open?

Samuel: Kaiwaka, then Tokyo.

 

 

Statement for Artwork: My work borrows an image (of Liza Minnelli and Mikhail Baryshnikov) from After Dark, a 1960s ballroom dancing publication that had transformed by the 80s into an ‘entertainment’ magazine with gay men as its audience. I’m inspired by its amazing graphic design, outrageous fashion, and unrelenting playfulness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography: Jono Parker.

Guy wears Crewneck Sweatshirt 63051 / Navy Blue by Stone Island. 

 

 

Q: Please share a little bit about yourself and your work - an artist bio. 

Guy: I first became interested in art / painting at high school and went on to study graphic design at AUT, majoring in illustration. My work has been influenced by vintage graphic design, tattoos, cartoons. I currently work as a freelance designer and illustrator in Auckland.

 

Q: What is your most iconic fashion moment?

Guy: Buying a crew neck sweatshirt from FABRIC with a giant drawing of Vanilla Ice on the front.

 

Q: Your must have FABRIC item in your Wishlist?

Guy: Stone Island button down overshirt. 

 

Q: How would you say fashion and art intertwine / do you think they are important to one another?

Guy: Definitely important as every creative field inspires and influences others. Fashion brands have always given me the greatest freedom with briefs and commissions which has let me produce some of my favourite work.

 

Q: How do you stay inspired?

Guy: I stay inspired from everyday life and what I see and hear about going on in the world.

 

Q: Best advice you've ever been given.

Guy: Life is short.

 

Q: Where are you travelling to first when our borders open?

Guy: Sydney and Melbourne in no particular order. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography: Jono Parker. Jacob wears Sweatshirt Mixed Wool Knit / Brown shadows by Golden Goose.

Q: Please share a little bit about yourself and your work - an artist bio. Jacob: I'm a 25 year old self taught artist, working with resin in an abstract form or conceptual pop art inspired work with friend sam dean. two very different styles of work. I’ve been painting full time for 5 years now working mainly on a large scale. My work has been described as "neo expressionism", my work can often reflect my mood or current mind state through colour, paint strikes etc. art for me is a tool for self expression.   Q: What is your most iconic fashion moment? Jacob: Collaborating in T-shirt designs with nz label Moochi in 2018 after my first solo show, or getting given my uncles Levi’s jacket when I was 18.    Q: Your must have FABRIC item in your Wishlist? Guy: The jumper I wore for the shoot- sorry I’m not sure what it was? (Sweater Mixed Wool Knit / Brown Shadows by Golden Goose)   Q: How would you say fashion and art intertwine / do you think they are important to one another? Jacob: I think they do go hand in hand - art and fashion are an expression of oneself. Both portraying originality and personality by the ones who created it and the one who owns it.   Q: How do you stay inspired? Jacob: I don't. However I don't let that get to me - creativity comes in waves and for me it rushes in and rushes out. I'm constantly looking at my surroundings, the people around me and the experiences I am going through to draw inspiration, forever making notes and mental stamps for when the time comes to create. I also work in the film and tv industry creating/designing film sets where I get to use all my creative skills, this often will trigger inspiration as I'm constantly thinking creatively whether or not it's for my own work.   Q: Best advice you've ever been given. Jacob: The best advice I've been given I probably ignored.   Q: Where are you travelling to first when our borders open? Jacob: I want to work in Europe.

 

 Statement for Artwork: Depth in history & community. 

Paying homage to the original and 'true' creative or artist. Celebrating the long term dedication and understanding of a practice and life of service to the arts.  

This is a remix piece from the Jake feast & Sam Dean 'Killaseek' collection, re worked by Jake & Sam as a new statement, encapsulating the depth and history of both their work & practice whilst exploring the history of shared iconography through the juxtaposition of new & old paying homage to those who came before us.

Borrowing, appropriating and recontextualising icons and iconic work. We twist meaning and stamp our own mark on classic reference points, co-opting and harnessing the subconscious power these visuals hold. Having been inspired by the originality and tenacity of the likes of the late great Billy Apple and his dedication to an iconic style and heavily graphic sensibility his work among many others sparked our drive to carve our own way in the industry, crafting our own unique style and never settling... just like Fabric has done as a renowned creative establishment for the past 20 years. 

With the notion of heritage, depth & history it felt right to re-appropriate some of our old work, exploring the depth of the work, adding in new elements like Billy's Apple right at the centre of the piece as a statement on and celebration of NZ art/design icons and their storied history. With the notion of timelessness front and centre the other imagery such as Mickey & Minnie found in the piece speaks to this idea. 

Living in a small city, in an era of competition it can be hard to stay 'on top'  or to feel 'relevant' without changing styles, hopping on trends or trading in your authenticity. This piece is a homage to the true creatives, the ones who stick to their guns, the artists who simply are... and the people who stay true to themselves and their craft. 

Depth & history is rewarded with reputation, we strive to be timeless not just on trend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography: Jono Parker.

Guy wears Mos Type Jacket / Khaki by Sage De Cret and Painters Shirt / Brown Stripe by MHL by Margaret Howell and Daria Sunglasses / Black by Anine Bing.