The culture of 4chan is unavoidable across the internet—and now you can hang it in your closet.
Kara Quinteros is a freshman at Parsons School of Design in New York. Her boyfriend frequently visits 4chan, and she initially thought of creating a line of clothing inspired by it as a joke. The idea of exploring online anonymity through fashion soon became serious. “The idea that someone can portray their true thoughts about something, while being completely anonymous (i.e., being hidden but not hidden simultaneously),” she said in an e-mail, “seemed like something that would actually be very well portrayed through clothing!”
Quinteros decided to use entirely synthetic materials for her collection, titled Start A New Thread. Many of the materials are also transparent. “4chan itself is, in a sense, a synthetic environment. It provides a sense of anonymity, though who is to say how real or synthetic this really is?” she said. The end result is striking, a little edgy but also a little funny. Transparent vinyl dresses peek out from white neoprene hoodies; a mint green resort look is juxtaposed against a harsh vinyl overlay; a feminine dress is emblazoned with text from 4chan’s fashion board, /fa/, with the acronym for “kill yourself” sitting on the model’s hip.
“I really didn’t want it to come across as being incredibly serious, as I believe that fashion should have the ability to be fun and even laughed at,
[and] should be in touch with not only the designer’s own interests but also the interests of emerging generations,” Quinteros said. “It should be an entertaining portrayal of who we are.”
Quinteros’ collection was selected to show at a runway show sponsored by Designow last Sunday. Pieces from the show are for sale on her brand’s website, and you can check out behind the scenes videos on her Instagram.