Hypebeast Community Center: Arran Studios

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Give us the Arran Studios elevator pitch.

At Arran Studios, I express personal narratives using the medium of fashion. Drawing inspiration from iconic American themes, we craft these tales into distinctive items and compelling marketing efforts. The process is organic and dynamic, encompassing curiosity, tradition, and recollections.







The Five Ws

Who is wearing Arran Studios?

Maria Garcia, I have a PR package for you.

What is Arran Studios’ main message?

What I find appealing about Arran is its absence of a structured directory or messaging system. Instead, it functions as a visual journal, chronicling various aspects of my life, culture, aspirations, memories, and more. In this regard, it doesn’t have a clear path since I never know which narrative or theme will spark the next entry.

It seems straightforward for brands to establish their identity, but once that’s done, it becomes challenging to break free from that mold. Over time, you tend to lose momentum, continuing on the same path as initially set. However, I appreciate the freedom Arran provides me. It functions as a platform for me to share narratives about my personal experiences. Currently, many of these stories revolve around my family, which I’ve been fortunate enough to experience and now have an opportunity to share.

When did you launch Arran Studios?

We launched our first product, the denim hoodie, in late 2023.

Where are people wearing Arran Studios?

As a fan, it’s incredibly thrilling for me to share that nearly half of our customer base hails from beyond the United States! It’s been nothing short of exhilarating to witness how our themes resonate with such a diverse global audience. What’s even more fascinating is that while much of our messaging and motifs are deeply rooted in American culture, they seem to transcend geographical boundaries, proving their universal appeal.

We got an order from Greenland the other week. That was pretty cool.

Why was Arran Studios created?

For over ten years, I’ve been designing clothes and collaborating with various brands, yet I’ve consistently experienced a sense of detachment towards fashion as an artistic expression. In contrast, other visual mediums such as video and photography have always allowed for swift storytelling – they felt like potent tools to communicate my ideas instantly. However, fashion has never struck that chord within me.

In a nutshell, my connection with fashion has primarily been seen as a commercial venture, focusing on sales. However, I’ve always admired brands that flawlessly combined commerce and storytelling. Arran represents a personal test for me – an attempt to breathe life into various personal narratives through tangible items and weave stories within garments.

I don’t think I’ve done it to its full potential yet, but I’m excited to keep evolving it.




About The Brand

What was the spark that catalyzed the creation of Arran Studios?

My grandmother, affectionately known as Candy Bar (or simply Pat), hails from the vibrant city of New Orleans. She’s a woman of strength, having lost one leg but carrying a weight of 350 pounds. She has been married eight times, yet divorced nine, making her an intriguing figure with countless tales to tell.

When did fashion design become a passion for you—and on top of that, an intended career path?

It wasn’t part of my original plan, but I never harbored the dream of becoming a fashion designer. However, my affection for various artistic outlets and my enthusiasm for creating products seemed to complement each other naturally, ultimately guiding me towards designing clothing.

I’ve been consistently engaged in this activity ever since my teenage years, and I haven’t let up since then. As I delve deeper into it, I uncover new knowledge, and my enthusiasm for continuing grows stronger with each passing day.

How would you define Arran Studios’ style in your own words?

Bible Belt Retro-Futurism

What do you think makes Arran Studios stand out in today’s sea of emerging fashion brands?

I take great pride in the fact that we design clothing with an engaging touch, yet each piece maintains a sense of purpose, individuality, and sincerity for me.

Every time I encounter fresh work, I strive to go beyond my comfort zone, seeking self-imposed tasks that lead me to create something novel and unprecedented. More often than not, the result is less than perfect. However, this exploratory process has culminated in a carefully curated collection of distinctive, wearable, and narratively rich items that I take immense pride in presenting.

How significant is the impact of marketing campaigns, and the storytelling through visual elements associated with your apparel, on the unique aesthetic identity that Arran Studios is known for?

Initially with Arran, I envisioned our marketing efforts as complementary to the content they represent, enhancing the overall concept. Visual elements provide this additional depth of understanding, and their absence would significantly diminish my intended message.

For me, films and videos have always been my preferred method to express ideas, a passion I’ve nurtured since my fourth-grade suspension for creating YouTube content. This interest has deeply influenced my life, and it felt natural to incorporate it into the brand. Among my proudest achievements is our summer campaign titled “Anywhere, But Here,” which was filmed over three days across northern Georgia. This project, promoting t-shirts initially, transcended expectations and shaped the tone for future collections, firmly establishing itself as a crucial element of our brand story.

In the latest assortment I created, I intentionally took a step back and allowed the garments to shine independently. Whether or not it completely succeeded is yet to be seen, but it certainly presented an intriguing creative hurdle for me.










What style codes or eras do you draw inspiration from?

This list primarily consists of things that appeal to me:

* “A Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash (song)
* Love, Lust, and Loss by Billy Howard (book)
* Works by William Christenberry (artist)
* American Graffiti directed by George Lucas (movie)
* Elvis Presley (musician)
* Rob Hann (photographer on Flickr)
* The American rural South (region)
* A man on Flickr who travels old Southern highways and photographs everything (photographer)
* Evel Knievel (stunt performer)
* Ed Ruscha (artist)
* Earl Sweatshirt (rapper)

In terms of fashion, I’m particularly drawn to the innovative use of trims and construction from the ’80s and ’90s. However, I find myself captivated by the distinctive charm and fabric quality of clothing pieces from the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s, with a special fondness for classic sportswear designs.

What was the biggest challenge you faced when building Arran Studios?

I find myself overthinking things, especially when it comes to personal projects. I’m meticulous about the details – from concepts to execution – but this precision can sometimes slow me down. Over-analyzing can hinder the free flow of ideas, and I’ve come to understand that it’s during these uninhibited moments that my best work is produced.

Previously, I found myself being overly cautious, striving for perfection in all I did. Rather than propelling us forward, I was preserving things as they were. To prevent our brand from becoming stagnant again, it’s essential we embrace change and progress.

What’s next for Arran Studios?

This year, my goal is to let things flow more organically – spending less time fretting over perfection and more time simply expressing my thoughts in a more authentic, unrefined manner.

This month and in the upcoming ones, we’ll be adding several new items to our collection. We are currently developing some innovative products and pursuing a couple of exciting side projects, such as our latest lookbook.

Primarily, I enjoyed creating most of these designs – this collection served as a personal test to avoid excessive contemplation. I’m satisfied with the outcome and eager to continue down this path.

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2025-03-07 22:56