THE HUNDREDS X JESS CHEN
Capsul favourite, The Hundreds, has yet again put together a special capsule with their Spring '22 Collection with Jess Chen, a Toronto based tattoo artist. The name may ring a bell for OG fans and members of The Hundreds family. Yes, this isn’t the first time the LA-based streetwear brand has collaborated with the former graphic designer, Jess Chen, whom Bobby Kim had collaborated with back in 2016 for the launch of JENNIFER- the womenswear line for The Hundreds. It featured ‘timeless’ hand illustrated Magnolia Flower print on hoodies and sweatpants. With her speciality being floral designs, Jess Chen often features botanical designs onto her garments and tattoos, incorporating her passion for painting and drawing into her work.
For this new collaboration with The Hundreds, Jess Chen has decided to stick what she does best and beautifully cover up various garments with colourful orchids on black canvas for the perfect contrast. An artist describes herself best! So when asked by Duke London, Managing Editor for The Hundreds, about the new collaboration and her inspiration, Jess says,“I knew I wanted to do something similar but different. Obviously, my forte is floral. I knew I wanted to make a floral pattern, but I didn’t want to do something simple like a rose or tulip. So I kind of decided on the orchid.
And orchids are crazy. I think there are like 25,000 different species of orchids. There are so many different varieties and shapes and textures you can work with. And also another thing about the orchid that I found super fascinating was, flowers typically have radial symmetry, like a sunflower or a daisy. But orchids are bilateral. So if you literally cut it in half, and you reflect it, it’s an exact copy. It’s very similar to a human face, which I think is why we are super attracted to orchids in the first place. But at the end of the day, they’re just super weird, they’re quirky, they’re a little odd. They’re Extra-Terrestrial and sometimes they look like little fairies. I was just captivated by that imagery. And I knew immediately that’s what I wanted to do for the new collab.”
The resulting products reflect the artistic designs and streetwear vibes of the Toronto artist and The Hundreds, onto wearable ‘art pieces’ definitely worth getting your hands on.
Don’t know where to start? Check out the latest collection featuring limited pieces like the Gies Button Up, Lindbergh T-Shirt, Novello Sweatshorts and Copeland Tote Bag- each featuring Jess Chen’s ‘timeless’ signature Orchid Floral print on black canvas, all available on www.shopcapsul.com
Article contributed by: Zorin Tluanga Bawitlung