The Brilliance!

Michael Cherman is a fashion & graphic designer from New York who first made his mark with his brand ICNY, a sportswear company that utilized 3M reflective to keep night activities safe while still emphasizing smart, good design. The concept was Cherman's response to an incident in 2012 when he was hit by a car while riding his bike home from work. Sometimes great ideas are born out of shitty life experiences. During that time, he was also honing his branding and design skills with projects for the likes of Nike, KITH, and A$AP Worldwide. Fast-forward to 2016, Cherman's inspiration has shifted from the serious, technical, safety-as-priority ICNY to the opposite end of the spectrum with Chinatown Market, his new endeavor described as "An homage to the spirit of Canal St." So...You pretty immediately feel this is a brand its creator is having a lot of fun with, which honestly is why I wanted to write this post. (That's not to say he wasn't having fun with ICNY, this looks pretty fun to me). Smiley faces, bootleg Gucci kingsnakes, 'Thank you have a nice day' and a rose lifted from plastic takeout bags, the 'SHIRT SHIRT T-SHIRT', which is hilarious to me...all tell a story of someone who found a simple point of inspiration and is having a good time building on it. It's all very New York but still somehow universally wearable, much in the way that early aNYthing was. I was living in the Chicago suburbs when A-Ron got that brand rolling and I never felt weird wearing it - it just felt like a perfect homage to an incredible city that anyone who has ever visited could appreciate and participate in to a certain extent. Check out the Chinatown Market Instagram and the site at the link below. Thank you and have a nice day.