In case you were growing consistently exasperated waiting for a seasonless, gender neutral, locally-produced, multi-way collection of timeless staples, PHLEMUNS, the brainchild of James Flemons, and Lexie Park have swooped in at the eleventh hour to give us what we need.
The Opening Ceremony-alums' brand, titled PHLEMUNS Nonbasics, will take you back to your '90s/early oughts upbringing, featuring stylishly normcore classics that can be dressed up or down for a variety of occasions. Inspired by industry leaders in wardrobe necessities like The GAP and United Colors of Benetton, Park and Flemons hoped to democratize high fashion — creating a quality line that is stylish, practical, and most importantly, affordable. Think elevated basics at a price that wont break the bank.
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"We wanted to do something that felt tangible and welcoming to all different types of everyday people," Park and Flemons say of the collection. "Fashion can seem so intimidating and 'too cool,' [so] our goal was to make images and clothes that made people happy. The foundation was loosely based off of the lifestyle feeling we grew up with that The GAP, United Colors of Benetton, and FUBU used to promote in the 90s & 00s. Nice stylish basics that were an affordable go-to accompanied by beautiful memorable imagery."
While PHLEMUNS has fans in almost every artist to ooze cool (from Dev Hynes to Solange to Kelela), the stars of PHLEMUNS Nonbasics debut campaign are the designers' friends, collaborators and influencers — all shot in pairs. Not only does the creative choice echo Park and Flemons wish to design for and be worn by everyday people, they hoped to "share love" for those included and highlight their service to the duo's mission.
See the full collection, below.
Photography: Harrison Glazier