Damascus Apparel
Words: Chad Allen
Photography: Kevin Longwell & TigerDiv
EDM and style. How do these two words sit together in a world where expression
is all about how outrageous your get up sits next to the half-naked half-spider
on stilts with neon streamers? In a world where it’s about the music yes, but it’s
also about the choice of clothing, and just as EDM takes on different genres of
music, so do the styles and garments that occupy each stage of epic sound.
Bass music in EDM is recognized by a more cutthroat group of pirate like low
decibel speaker seekers with a fine tuned pallet for rugged sounds. Music
that could at any moment be on the brink of summoning a mosh pit, and
often does. Where does style fit into this bunch? Enter Damascus Apparel.
Combining a little Japanese anime influence with some sacred geometry roots to what some might seem like fitting a square into a circle, but
the creative minds at Damascus saw these types of combinations as
matches made in heaven. The intricate patterns used in designing these
highly artistic pieces of clothing are breathtaking, covering almost every inch of their brand in a signature look that stands out next to their
competition. But believe me, with the exceptionally unique look that
Damascus Apparel has, not many can compete.
Located in San Diego, owners Nate and Josh had little to no stamp
on the music scene in the beginning, proving to be somewhat of
a rough start. At the time, EDM wasn’t willing to take chances
with new brands, especially a clothing line that took risks with its
expressive design. This made efforts to create a loyal following seem bleak but not out of reach, and like anything that is
destined for greatness perseverance finds a way to prevail.
The search for the right artists to sponsor and help pave a
well branded path had begun, one of said sponsored artist
was MC Dino.
Coming from the EDM Bass scene, Dino had the kind of
following and clout that could turn heads when entering a venue, and soon others took notice of his fresh
new eye catching sponsor. When I asked MC Dino
what persuaded his decision to take a chance with
Damascus Apparel, he replied, “it wasn’t hard to take
a chance with their artistic and creative vision. These
young kids had extreme talent and wanted to make
a difference.” He also went on to say, “This wasn’t
a chance. Their vision made me a believer.” From
the looks of things, he wasn’t far off. One thing
quickly lead to another and here we are, several
years later, with roots now planted all over the
world. You can find their designs popping up
in Canada, Australia, Netherlands, Germany,
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