First entering the fashion realm in 2015, 44STUDIO aims to break the gender-defining limits in the fashion industry, and with them, any form of labelling and stereotyping. Masculine and feminine mix together to create a sublime balance. The classic silhouette is revisited and revolutionised to better suit contemporary tastes; tailoring and streetwear converge with each other and the result is extraordinary. We caught up with 44STUDIO founders Xavi Garcia and Franx de Cristal...

What is your personal background?

We both come from the world of hairdressing, but we have always been linked to fashion through collaborations with designers, stylists and fashion magazines. We were influenced, and inspired, as a result and decided to open a multi-brand store called 44STORE, in Madrid, right in front of our hairdressing salon. We then created 44STUDIO, a capsule collection; and from there, our reach expanded. We got the press support and presented our collections on different platforms within Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid, Paris and London. The rest is history.

How did you get started in the fashion industry?

Once we had created 44STUDIO, we began to study pattern making, it was the only way to capture our ideas. We started with garment deconstructions and created our bases by reassembling these pieces. Always inspired by classic tailoring, layered with our vision.

Where do you draw inspirations from?

Music, art, cinema and life in its purest form are our sources of inspiration. But we do have our references, like everyone else; from Margiela, Comme des Garcons, Rick Owens, to our icons: David Bowie, Tilda Swinton, Bimba Bose, Louise Bourgeois and Robert Mapplethorpe.

What is a typical Sunday for you?

A walk in Madrid during the day, seeing an expo or eating with friends, enjoying Madrid clubbing or simply having dinner at home with some good music. It all depends on the amount of work.

How did you start 44STUDIO?

44STUDIO emerged, wanting to close our circle with SALON44 and 44STORE, as something of our own, a brand free of labels. We started with a very small capsule collection, growing more and more with time. We want to go back to the origins, producing a large collection and two small capsules per year.

What is the concept behind your brand?

The main concept of our brand is the redefinition of the male and female silhouettes in classic tailoring, making it streetwear and free of gender.

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What is your favourite part of your job?

Our favorite part of the job is giving life to our ideas through the first stages of the creation. We like to bring soul to the collections telling a story or giving a message. Therefore for us it is important to fully express the concept in every collection and thus close the aesthetic circle.

Who do you design for? Who is your customer?

We design for customers who feel free to decide what to wear without fearing the possibility of being labeled. Men and women who want to create their own identity.

Can you share more about the production aspect?

We produce in local workshops of proximity, we do not make large productions, since we try to be as sustainable as possible and not saturate the environment.

What is your vision for the future of the brand?

The future is uncertain, but we believe that we can continue to offer more through our vision. Expanding our public and collaborating with different artists and brands, in order to establish our own identity.

“there is a place where women are seen with oversize jackets or masculine looks and where men are free to wear skirts or dresses”.

44Studio is a project based on creative and technical development and as part of the slow fashion movement it advocates for manufacturing in respect for the environment and ethics. Through quality garments that last longer, the brand provides value to both costumers and producers. Strong core values, a revolutionary mission and an avant-garde attitude. 44STUDIO passes all the tests with flying colours. Shop their collection here.

Text: Inada Alia