Marc Ecko’s newest design project is a return to his origins.
In celebration of the brand’s 30th anniversary, the streetwear designer is making his much-awaited comeback to his eponymous business, Ecko Unltd., with a limited-edition collection called “Ecko Unltd. x Dear1993.art.”
The 13-piece line includes T-shirts and hoodies with Ecko and the brand’s iconic design elements, such its well-known rhino logo and graffiti artwork. There will only be 93 pieces of each style that may be purchased, and each one will be numbered and signed. The range of prices is $60 to $285.
Regarding his design process, Ecko stated, “I try to frame it as more of leveraging the history of 1993 and the year that I started where so many dynamic things started within what was a renaissance in American culture, and specifically, hip-hop culture.” As I began reading through my black book and all of my archives, I could sense the community I was a part of being there in every item, piece of art, video, and ephemera. This seems to be more of a love letter to 1993 than it is about maximizing the brand.
Ecko Unltd Fashion
For the collection, Ecko Ultd fashion consulted a number of his archived drawings and designs, including an illustration he created for Sony Epic Records but never produced. In addition, the collection honors Ecko’s original six spray-painted T-shirt designs for the company.
The designer, who sold Iconix Brand Group his share of the company in 2009, called Ecko Unltd.’s 30th anniversary “bittersweet” and said it brought back “pangs of nostalgia, joy, and pride.”
This was a little bit like “Get out of your shell and feel confident,” he added. “Art and design have been very personal and therapeutic for me.” “Most of the artwork I’ve produced in the past ten years has essentially been my profession. I haven’t felt the urge to market it. Since there’s no purpose for commercializing it, I wanted [this collection] to be sincere and intimate without going overboard. Therefore, all that was truly done was improvise.
An item from the Ecko Unltd. collection designed by Marc Ecko. ECKO UNLTD’S COURTESY.
The firm is also launching its “Archival Edition” line, which draws inspiration from its best-selling items, in addition to Ecko’s collection.
The “Ecko Unltd. x Dear1993.art.” collection will be offered at a VIP pop-up in Los Angeles in addition to being accessible on the brand’s website.
