Vibe Check #21: How Greg Lauren Turned Air Conditioning Filters Into PPE

Highsnobiety Podcasts

Artist and clothing designer Greg Lauren is known for his wabi-sabi garments combining vintage Carhartt with cozy jersey knitwear, his penchant for old-school militaria, and collaborations with everyone from KITH's Ronnie Fieg to storied swimwear company Birdwell Beach Britches.

But he's also done plenty of time as a fine artist, honing his illustration skills to portray superheroes like Batman and Superman (he's a staunch DC guy) in a different light, usually through dramatic charcoal on Japanese paper. These days, he's toggling between designer life and #dadlife, helping his son with fractions (1:20) while coming to terms with his kid's love for Marvel heroes.

Speaking of heroes, he's also doing his part to help those on the frontline of Covid-19. A medical professional recommended ways to make masks out of air conditioning filters (8:34), which led to several Greg Lauren-designed masks. At the end of the day though, Lauren's glad to be in a place where he can continue to hone his creativity, and appreciates the return-to-roots perspective this time has given him (18:57), and he hopes others can find a similar sense of introspection.

That was something that I've been exploring for 10 years. I would destroy luxury fabrics, put them through processes that were normally used on rugged, rough fabrics because I was trying to tear down some of the things that were put on such a pedestal, cashmeres and fabrics that were so expensive and so excessive. It's really strengthened what was already the beginning of a commitment to doing things differently, and not just for the aesthetic, but to have a more responsible approach to making things. I know that for my next collection, I'm committed to doing as much of that collection using our scraps or deadstock and vintage materials as possible. We're going to continue making things out of what we have, and not trying to create more waste.

Stay tuned for new episodes of Vibe Check every Tuesday and Thursday.

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