HOUYHNHNM

Kyle.Brain Dead" started when I met my partner, Ed Davis, online. At the time, I was working in the clothing industry and he was a graphic designer. We both liked the same things and thought the same things were good, so we decided to start a brand inspired by those things. At first we made a lot of T-shirts with artwork on them. All of this started from the idea of what we wanted to do as art. Art, music, and culture are all things we love.
Kyle:Brain Dead started when my partner, Ed Davis, and I met online. At the time I had a clothing line and he was a graphic designer. So we started out making a lot of t-shirts at first and putting on art shows. Art presentation, music, culture, all those things that we love.

Kyle.We like all kinds of music. We release a lot of electro, punk, rock, and noise music. . we like it all, and we like music from all over the world. . And most of the people we work with are musicians, so it's always interesting to get a glimpse of both sides of their art and music.
Kyle:All types of music. we released a lot of electronic music, a lot of punk music, rock, noise. we love everything and from everywhere. A lot of the artists that we work with are also musicians so it is always interesting to see them do both.

Kyle.Ed was working on a project called "Rat Brain," which I really liked, and he was making all kinds of boot T-shirts. I was making menswear at the time, but I had always been interested in art and design. Ed liked my brand, and of course I liked what he was doing, so one day he said, "Well, let's do it together. It was a natural progression, it was fun, and we got going very quickly. We did an art exhibit with Blanket at Mohawk General Store, and soon after that, Nepenthes contacted us and we did another exhibit there. I ended up curating an exhibit of my collection of African paintings with them. All ideas come from talking about what we like and what we think. Between Ed's graphics and styling, I think it's our connection and our taste that makes "Brain Dead" what it is. We've done a lot of collaborations and exhibits, and that's just as important as the clothes.
Kyle:Kyle: Ed had this project called 'Rat Brain' where he had made all these bootleg t-shirts that I was really interested in. Ed really liked my brand and I really like what he was doing so one day we said Ed really liked my brand and I really like what he was doing so one day we said "ok let's do it together". We did an art show with blankets at Mohawk General Store and then Nepenthes hit us up and I ended up doing an exhibition there. The whole idea was how do we create Our connection and mutual taste between his graphics and the styling is what Braid Dead is. We do a lot of collaborations and put on shows are just as important as the clothing itself.

Kyle.Three years ago .
Kyle:3 years ago.

Kyle.It's a little crazy, but it's great. We didn't know how big it was going to be. Instead of saying, "Let's make this," we decided to use what we had learned and the relationships we had made through our previous brands. . There weren't many graphic T-shirt brands at the time, and a lot of people thought it was something new and fresh. When I talked to Mohawk General Store, I said, "We are an art-focused graphic T-shirt brand, why don't you carry us? They were very interested. They were very interested.
Kyle:It's pretty crazy. It's awesome. For us, we never knew how big it was going to become. 's just do it". We decided to go through the channels I knew from the brand I had before and use those relationships. Many of them thought is was new and fresh and at that time When approached the likes of Mohawk General Store we said "hey were a graphic t-shirt brand That was really interesting for them.

Kyle.Of course . The science fiction books Ed was reading are a big part of this issue. Especially a book called "Area X." He kept talking about it, and eventually I got hooked on it. He kept talking about it, and eventually I got hooked on it. I'm not the type of person who reads books at all, but Ed's ideas were so interesting to me that I based my plans and designs on his stories. I love the communication and connection with him. We are always introducing new things to each other. There is a movie we both like called "Paris, Texas" and we both liked the idea of making a suit for Harry Dean Stanton, the actor in the movie. Like these ideas, sometimes we come up with ideas that don't connect at all, but we're okay with that. But we're okay with that, and I think that's why we end up with some of the craziest things.
Kyle:A big part of it was these science fiction books Ed was reading. One in particular is called 'Area X'. He kept talking about it and I ended up getting really into the aspect of the book. I never actually read the book but Ed's idea really interested me so I planned and designed a collection around what he was explaining to me. I love the communication and connection we have and we always introduce new things to each other. There is this movie called 'Paris, Texas' that we both like and we like the idea of making Often there is an idea that leads to something completely unconnected and we just go with it and that is why we create it. It's really weird.

Kyle.We come up with the same amount of ideas. . I used to do design and planning, so those are the main things I do. We work together on the story of the brand and the art. . But we exchange ideas and opinions on most things. Ed is in Australia, so while he's doing other things, I go out and shoot lookbooks by myself. We trust each other. It's a little weird, but trust is really important. We always say to each other, "Okay, I'll take care of it. For example, if I have an idea for a graphic, Ed will understand what I am trying to convey, and he will give it shape. . Then I color it and release it. Most of the time, Ed doesn't even see the clothes until they are released (laughs).
Kyle:We both come up with ideas equally. I come from a design and production background so take care of that. We oversee the story telling of the brand and work on the art creation together. Most things we bounce of each other As Ed is in Australia I might go and shoot a lookbook alone whilst he looks after something else . It is a little crazy but the trust thing is really important. ". I might have an idea for some graphics and then Ed know what I am talking about and then does them for me. I will then do the colours and we release it. Ed often does not see that clothes until they are released, which is a little weird.

Kyle.Yes, I am watching the whole process. They are located in Canada, and I have been working with them for a long time now. They have been with me since I first started making clothes, and now they are working with me on Brain Dead.
Kyle: I am looking after all of the development on that. The manufacturers we work with are from Canada and the relationship I have with them is so long. They have stuck with me since I first started making clothing and we now work together on Brain Dead now.

Kyle.It's the best and it's difficult . . but what I can say is that there is definitely something interesting going on. If we were in the same room all the time, I think we would end up killing each other (laughs). Distance balances that out.
Kyle:It is great and difficult at the same time but it definitely makes things interesting. If we were in the same room all the time I am sure we would end up killing It the separation that makes it work.

Kyle.Yes, they are very good partners. We've had a lot of exhibitions, and soon we'll be doing one in London with an artist named Will Sweeney. He's going to do something exclusive for us. Since we started working with Dover Street Market, we regularly do exhibitions, pop-ups, limited editions, etc. . It's been great.
Kyle:We will do one in London son with the artist Will Sweeney. He is going to do some exclusive stuff for us. We have consistently been doing stuff with Dover since we started working with them such as art shows, pop-ups, exclusives. We have consistently been doing stuff with Dover since we started working with them such as art shows, pop-ups, exclusives.

Kyle.They contacted us. They were doing something with t-shirts, and we were able to share some of the same aspects of culture and art that we saw in them. There was a real sense of connection.
Kyle:They hit us up, which was cool. They were doing some t-shirt stuff but We share a like-minded perspective with them in terms of how we look culture and art and that really connects us. that really connects us.

Kyle.A good friend of mine is doing the distribution for us right now. They also carry a brand called SUICOKE, and we love their shoes. We have collaborated with them before. We like their vibe, what they do, and the fact that they are not fake, so we decided to have them distribute for us. I trust them and they have helped me a lot in understanding the Japanese market.
Kyle:They are great friends. They do Suicoke and we love their shoes. We did the collaboration with them. They are like-minded people who we trust and help us to understand the Japanese market. They are like-minded people who we trust and help us to understand the Japanese market.

Kyle.. I've been to Tokyo many times already. Maybe dozens of times. It's my favorite place. It might be my favorite place in the world.
Kyle:I have been here a few times. A bunch of times actually. I love it here. Tokyo is my favourite place in the whole world.

Kyle.It's very nice. I've done a few exhibitions in different places before, but this is the first time I've done one for BrainDead. I liked it when I did the run-through, of course, and the ideas were good, but this time I decided to make something that would be the core of the show and more ideas around it.
Kyle:I have shown here before in different places but this is the first time we have shown Brain Dead. We liked the fast-pace element to the brand and ideas but we also want to have the core and build around those ideas.

Kyle.. We make books, and we make everything. . even music. . but for some reason, we are interested in clothes. I think clothes are like lifestyle merchandising. It is deeply connected to the Internet culture, and in this day and age, everyone wants to show what they are interested in. I feel that a lot of brands are trying to make it too obvious. We try to incorporate those references in a less obvious way. I think that's where the empathy comes in. . the connection we're trying to make between the energy and the vibe that's going on. For example, the band T-shirts. We have made band T-shirts for bands we have worked with, and I think there are cases where kids who don't know the band buy them and then get hooked on the band.
Kyle:We do books. we do all those things. music too. but there is something the clothing that really interests us. Clothing is like merchandise for lifestyle. For me, many brands were doing it too obvious. You can feel the connection to what we are trying to. The connection between us and the vibe and energy we are trying to create. For example, band tees. we have made band tees for bands we have worked with but in a way where someone will buy the t-shirt and maybe these kids do not even We have made band tees for bands we have worked with but in a way where someone will buy the t-shirt and maybe these kids do not even know the music and then will get into the band.

Kyle.. I had two brands, Axis Technology and Farm Tactics. . One was more basic, and the other focused on jackets and outerwear.
Kyle:I had a two brands called 'Axis Technology' and 'Farm Tactics'. One was more basics and one was more jackets and outerwear.

Kyle.. I think they are probably African paintings that I collect. . I used to make sculptures, but I don't paint. I used to make things with African people. I would explain what was going on around me recently, and they would paint it. Of course, they don't understand a single thing I'm saying, so they end up with some crazy stuff. This is similar to the relationship between Ed and myself. Technology allows us to communicate from a distance, but at the same time, it doesn't always mean the same idea. I also like the fact that ideas are free to change. Ed will sometimes create a graphic based on a tentative idea, and sometimes he doesn't even know what kind of jacket I'm working on right now. When I tell Ed, "This is the jacket I'm working on right now," he says, "Oh, I like it" (laughs). (Laughs.) I get a lot of enjoyment out of these things. Sometimes, I think there are times when I've made something, but when it's finished, I don't feel comfortable with it anymore. But we're always introducing new things to each other, and we do research together, and we get a natural high out of it, which is great.
Kyle:I used to sculpt a lot. I was working on a lot of stuff with Africans. Of course they had no idea what I was talking about so the paintings would turn out completely crazy looking. That is very much like the connection between Ed and I. I like the idea how Axis Technology enables us to communicate and create a dialogue but at the same time it is not always the case. I also like never really having full control of the idea. Ed will come up with some graphics for an idea I had for example. It is the same for him. He sometimes will not know the jacket I am working on. It is the excitement that is interesting. Often you create something yourself that you are not really excited about and you are already over it. Because we are constantly introducing new things to each other and working on things both together and alone gives us that natural high that is awesome.

Kyle.He's my best friend, but the funny thing is that I don't see him that much (laughs). So, we have a little bit of an unusual relationship. We don't say "no" to each other very often. We don't say "no" to each other very often, probably because we don't consider "BrainDead" as a business. But I think that's why there are a lot of genuine elements in BrainDead, and in fact, it's like a family business. It's like a gesture, like you do it and then you understand what it means. It's growth , and it's a good thing.
Kyle:He is my best friend but it is funny because I don't see him so much. We don't really run Brain Dead like a business but that is why there are authentic elements to it because fact that we are like a family making things. It is more like a gesture. You do it and at the end you know what it is. It's like improv. It's cool.

Kyle.As for Brain Dead, we are going to keep pushing new ideas, and Ed and I will keep pushing each other. Ed and I will continue to push each other, and although the spring/summer collection is coming out now, we are already moving our heads toward the next one.
Kyle:For Brain Dead we will look to push new ideas. Ed and I will continue to push each other. A spring collection will come out and we are already over it and into the next one. next one.