“ONAR as a word reflects the spirit of my label because it is a fusion of unlikely matches,” the brand’s founder, Irene Kostas explains. “It’s about organic materials in plastic hallways, tradition meets future, rich textures in pure Scandinavian shapes. A mix of my influences that come from the richness of Greek and Middle Eastern aesthetics combined with the minimalism of Scandinavian architectural culture.”
This season’s collection displays beautiful outerwear lined with leather and shooting in Helsinki clarified the brand’s deep rooted music connection. Their shearling jackets really caught our attention this season. The brand swerve the faux fur movement, selecting the highest quality shearlings, meeting the maximum regulations of animal well-being. Each piece in Kostas’ range is handmade in Finland from supplies that are solely by-products of the meat business. The designer expresses that she’s a believer in creating ethical and sustainable products addressing that ONAR apparel is in the midst of the most sustainable and attainable.
With their creations at the top of every It Girl’s shopping list, it’s easy to see that the label’s delicate and ecological materials are a hit. Our favourite of this season’s prestigious hand-picked shearlings, is reminiscent of the infamous pink- hooded fur coat Cam’ron wore at Mercedes Benz Fashion week back in 2002. Nothing says wealth and extravagance like a fur or shearling jacket worn with matching hat. The Harlem rapper was considered brave for this look back then, but it’s certainly become one of his most iconic looks.
During the eighties, Harlem-born designer, Dapper Dan, had an uptown clientele of hustlers, street cats and hip hop royalty. He once said, “The mainstay are items made out of silk, linen, leather, exotic skins, minks and furs. Those fineries determine your status. The only variation you’ll find is among the young people for a period in their life and as they graduate, they go right into that.” From A$AP Rocky to Kanye West to Snoop Dogg, many influential rappers in the game have worn premium fur or shearling coats. Though exaggerated fur coats have always been affiliated with hip hop, the trend has declined over the last few years.
With that being said, ONAR and its ethical shearling offering is sure to appeal to some of rap’s most iconic figures right now and might even catch the eye of Cam’ron…
This is an extract from Issue 8, The Nomad Issue of Viper Magazine. Read more from the magazine here. Buy physical and digital copies here.
Words by Ellia Pour
Photos by Arthur Richardson
