HECHA / 做
Jun 11, 2019 / Photo: Courtesy of Daryl Oh
Fashion is inherently artistic, but oftentimes the creative aspects of garment-making take a backseat to production and profits. However, art and creativity are at the heart of HECHA / 做, a sustainable, gender-flexible brand that was founded by Luz Angélica Fernández and Ting Ding.
The pair met in 2015 at a time when they were both seeking a creative outlet to battle the monotony of their daily grind. Brought together by their interest in dance music, they began to discuss their desire to create fashionable, functional garments that weren’t feeding into fashion’s broken system. They launched HECHA / 做 in 2016, hoping to re-contextualize artwork by transforming paintings and symbolic language into utilitarian clothing.
“Every hand-painted piece from our main line starts as a large scale greige fabric canvas that Luz attaches to the length of a wall and paints over the course of about four of five hours, including setup and drying time,” the founders explained. “She paints the fabric with black and white screen printing ink a well as UV reactive neon fabric paint in either orange, green, or blue.”
All the designs in the pair’s line were developed by Fernández and her mother Lucy, with creative input from Ding. They say workwear and sportswear heavily inspired their creative process, and that inclusivity was a primary priority when considering their designs and fabrics.
“We incorporated adjustable straps, ties, extra panels, and multiple buttons to areas of the garments where there is the most variation in body size or shape as a way to increase inclusivity, adaptability, and encourage customization,” they said. “Similarly, we chose to use a recycled polyester spandex fabric for out active line that is naturally more form fitting but has enough stretch to accommodate a range of measurements.”
The result of their efforts is a group of fluid pieces made to make a statement with minimal fuss. They are elegant-yet-erratic, evoking an engaging quality often missing from more commercial fashion.
To build off of their inaugural line, Fernández and Ding are currently working on the brand’s first pop-up, which will take place at Refuge Arts in Bed Stuy.
“Our pop-up will utilize the space as a blank canvas to be painted and filled with context, providing a platform that allows for open format participation from our collaborators alongside wither friends and artists with our community,” they explained. “The four day long event will host vendors, collaborative projects, visual art, live music and movement performances, workshops, a panel discussion, food and drinks, and more.”
More about HECHA / 做’ s artistic, inclusive wares can be found on their website.
