Joshua Samuels on Reworked Vintage and FW26
Designer Joshua Samuels discusses his brand's organic growth, gender-neutral philosophy, and the upcoming capsule collection based on discarded materials.
British designer Joshua Samuels has grown his Instagram following from under 10,000 in 2023 to over 70,000 today. His cult-favorite FO Baggy jeans are now worn on stage by musicians including Little Simz, Beabadoobee, and Sekou.
Samuels' studio is located behind railway arches in Hackney, East London. The space is filled with piles of denim stacked floor to ceiling, work tables with sewing machines, and fabric scraps. The designer started sewing out of boredom during lockdown, making clothes for friends before his brand grew organically through social media.
Design Philosophy and Process
Samuels describes his brand's core as being whimsical and silly. The team creates oversized silhouettes inspired by skate culture and the London streetwear scene. They use discarded denim, jerseys, and even World War II sleeping bags. A recurring flower motif serves as a metaphor for upcycling, representing a cycle of death and rebirth.
"I don't really think about gender when designing. I make clothes for humans," Samuels told Hypebae. He attributes the brand's organic growth to this laid-back attitude and authenticity. The design process is playful and physical, involving iterating on vintage finds rather than sketching. Samuels tests samples by wearing them himself for a month to see if he is drawn to them.
Unexpected Materials and Upcoming Collection
The brand frequently works with unexpected vintage materials. One source is World War II sleeping bag covers made from a nearly 100-year-old green cotton weave. Another recent find is a batch of sun-faded horse jackets from a farm in Wales.
The upcoming collection is a small capsule based on the idea of clothes being rubbish, both as discarded items and in a self-deprecating sense. It involves screen printing onto vintage knits and applying them to other vintage garments. The collection will include crewnecks, flannel shirts, T-shirts, and a hat.
Samuels finds it rewarding to see anyone wearing his designs, from strangers at a bus stop to musicians he admires. His dream client is André 3000. For the future, Samuels wants to expand into a full lifestyle brand, creating everything from activewear to formal wear and footwear from old materials, though he admits he is not much of a planner.
