READYMADE & Denim Tears’ Collab Is Too Cozy

Denim Tears is all gas and no breaks with its 2022 collaborations. Fresh off a linkup with Stüssy and Our Legacy (again), the Tremaine Emory-led brand has teamed up with READYMADE for its latest collaborative project.

The Denim Tears x READYMADE collab materializes as a collection of apparel and accessories riffed with READYMADE’s signature upcycled garments and Denim Tears’ famed Cotton Wreath motif.

Hoodies, semi-flared sweatpants, and shorts — all pre-loved pieces courtesy of READYMADE — lead the collection, showcasing the Cotton Wreath concept at its coziest as an allover design.

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Baseball caps follow suit with the collection’s Cotton Wreath pattern in addition to a playful “READYMADE Tears” and Denim Tears’ branding on the front and back, respectively.

Wrapping up the Denim Tears x READYMADE offering is a shoulder bag with straps comprised of pearls and knit recreations of raw cotton — a reiteration of Denim Tears’ overarching ethos: the exploration of Black stories, including traumatic ones like slavery.

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Most recently, Denim Tears used rhinestoned Cotton Wreath prints on Levi’s denim to spotlight the history of Black people’s enslavement and the cotton industry.

And I can’t forget the Cactus Plant Flea Market linkup, which essentially posed as Emory’s way of reclaiming Independence Day in honor of the Black community.

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Denim Tears’ READYMADE collection — currently available at Cherry Fukuoka, The Gallery Box, and Makes — is undoubtedly cozy and stylish. But, like any of the brand’s collaborations, Emory ensures there’s indeed a story behind those A1 threads.

It reminds me of my favorite quote from our interview with Emory: “Knowledge and drip. I just want to make shit that looks great, that has some meaning behind it. That’s it.”