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Fashion | Brand Focus: INVT

In this month’s Brand Focus, Florida-based artists and co-founders Luca Medici and Delbert Perez speak about their multimedia brand INVT, its thrift store roots, and using their home city of Miami to find inspiration

Miami-based clothing brand and multimedia art project, INVT, has been focused on two things since its beginnings in the early 2010s: utility and individuality. As well as designing clothing, paintings and digital art, INVT is also a production duo comprised of best friends Luca Medici and Delbert Perez, who produce and perform live electronic music. “Our sound consists of a mix of techno, UKG, dubstep and various forms of Latin bass music, like dembow, cumbia, and reggaeton,” the duo explain, “and the graphics for our clothing compliment the themes and influences behind our music: sound system culture, tropical environments, sex, dancing and music.”

The foundations were laid for INVT while the duo were still in high school, where they would go to the thrift store to purchase second-hand goods, before adding their own customisations — embroidery, sewing, airbrush patterns, acid wash and screen paint — by hand. “Eventually, people started asking us to buy, so we launched a website and began doing pop-ups,” they say, and INVT haven’t looked back since.

According to the two friends, INVT is an "everyday hustle", and since launching eight years ago the brand has experienced its fair share of ups and downs. “Our biggest achievement we would say has been sustaining all these years,” they affirm. “We have good months and we have bad months, but by working our asses off we manage to do what we love year after year and make a living out of it.”

INVT products and models

While the designs for the brand’s garments feature inspiration from a handful of recurring themes, one of INVT’s main sources is the experience of growing up in Miami. It’s a city that they circle back to when they “express the visual direction of INVT”. “The music that we make and its process is connected to Miami, and that shares a similar workflow when designing pieces,” they explain. “We go into each session with an open mind and no expectations, and that allows us to tap into our inspirations and flow state. We’re hands on.”

The designs themselves are essential pieces, with the addition of bold, hand-drawn designs on bright fabrics, and the addition of extra zippers and excessive pockets. They’re garments conjured from split-second snatches of inspiration, and the DIY element adds to the unique look of each capsule drop. “Similarly to how a rapper freestyles, we design on the spot,” INVT explain. “We don’t sit on an iPad, design a whole collection and then get it made. Making the pieces by hand is a part of the designing stage for us. Sometimes we will make a mistake and fix it, creating an even better outcome we wouldn’t have thought of initially. We’re just having a good time.”

Moving forward, INVT are intent on developing and growing the intrinsically linked music project and clothing line side by side. The duo recently dropped a 10-track album, ‘La Chamba’, via Bandcamp, and will be going on a EU/UK tour this summer from June to August, with plans to host pop-up shops, drop new collections, and connect with their community while on the road. “We’re planning on doing this for life, so building a strong foundation and community is very important to us.”

Amy Fielding is DJ Mag's digital staff writer and fashion editor. Follow her on Twitter @amybfielding

Want more? Check out our recent Brand Focus with Sarangua Embroidery, the London-based creative company providing affordable access to custom, luxury and flexible services