New Collection Celebrates Basquiat’s Legacy and Influence on Young Black Creatives
Together with New York-based fashion designers Ev Bravado and Téla D’Amore, H&M has launched a new collection exploring the legacy of Jean-Michel Basquiat and his impact on young Black creatives. The 30-piece collection, featuring Basquiat’s iconic imagery and rarely seen artworks, combined with Bravado and D’Amore’s stained glass motifs and expressive designs, is available today at hm.com and select stores.
Ev Bravado and Téla D’Amore, semi-finalists for the 2024 LVMH Prize and finalists for the 2023 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, are recognized for their carefully crafted pieces, expert garment distressing, and upcycled denim. This collaboration with H&M continues their work of blending fashion, art, and culture, further amplifying Basquiat’s legacy through placement prints, embroidery, and patches of his artworks on their signature silhouettes.
“Basquiat has always been an influential and larger-than-life figure for us,” said Bravado and D’Amore. “To be able to comb through his archives and select rarely referenced artworks is a blessing. The Basquiat estate has been super supportive of our unique vision. Providing this collection on a worldwide scale with H&M makes it ten times more special because it will be largely accessible.”
The Basquiat estate, run by Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, expressed their support for the collaboration. “Ev and Téla have quickly become some of the most exciting voices in fashion, and we knew that they would honor Jean-Michel’s vision while adding their own distinct style to his work. A central tenet of his legacy is to empower and amplify young Black creatives, and through H&M’s global platform, we hope to inspire a new generation of artists to carry on his creative spirit.”
The collection includes tailoring, jackets, short-sleeve shirts, jeans, hoodies, t-shirts, a dress, skirt, corset top, and accessories. Highlights include a bomber jacket adorned with the vibrant artwork “Ass Killer” (1984), a black blazer featuring Basquiat’s scribbles about jazz greats Charlie Parker and Miles Davis (“Discography 1,” 1984), and luxe black leather trousers referencing the artworks “Untitled (Ideal)” (1988) and “Untitled (World Famous)” (1983). Other standout pieces are a unisex distressed denim jacket and matching jeans with Basquiat’s art enshrined in a recurring window design.
Ana Hernandez, Menswear Designer at H&M, commented, “Ev and Téla have translated Basquiat’s iconic art through a contemporary lens, resulting in a collection that feels new, meaningful, and exciting. They also have a deep understanding and connection to Basquiat’s life, values, and art – and how it all resonates with today’s cultural climate. This collection follows their maximalist, ‘more is more’ designs, but the artistic approach really ties into Basquiat and makes the collaboration a standout.”
On June 19 in Paris, H&M, Bravado, and D’Amore hosted an intimate cocktail party to celebrate the collaboration, attended by friends, family, celebrities, artists, and industry insiders. Guests included Tina Kunakey, Alton Mason, Amelia Gray, Colman Domingo, Evan Mock, and Justin Jefferson, all wearing pieces from the collection. H&M, Bravado, and D’Amore also created one-off, custom-made pieces worn by Alton Mason and Téla D’Amore that will be donated to the Basquiat estate.
