You might have seen we’re just launched our second collection with New York’s Adsum. Taking inspiration from everything from classic American workwear to British military design, it’s a small but perfectly formed range of cold-weather gear that should make life outdoors over the winter months a fair bit more bearable.
We caught up with Adsum founder and creative director Pete Macnee to find out more about the ideas behind the clothes, as well as his thoughts on the beautiful game of hockey…
Maybe a basic first question, but what’s the story behind the new collaboration? Was there anything in particular you were looking at or thinking about when you worked on the new range with Gramicci?
I wrote at the top of the CD board. “Kill Deer Find Christmas Tree”. ‘Harvest’ is a more appropriate word... I wanted the collection to feel utilitarian and outdoors and move away from tech outdoors. We discussed traditional fabrics like waxed cottons, wools and canvas and landed on the collection you see.
Where do you start something like this? Do you sketch things out? Or does it start with fabric? What’s the process from turning the idea into actual clothes?
Sketching, image gathering, reference gathering. I put a bunch onto a digital board and piece it together after the initial CD is nailed down. I like to get feedback from all involved throughout the design process. Some reference garments will come from the basement of someone I know while others we dig for with vintage dealers etc.
The collection pulls from a wide-range of influences. There’s classic workwear with the Canvas Work Jacket, military design with the Ventone Jacket and then even sportswear with the Hockey Toque. Why do you think these three pillars are so omnipresent when it comes to men’s clothing?
I did a quick Google on omnipresent. It might be a simple answer but I think it’s because these influences have always been present since men started to decide what to put on in the morning. The three pillars mentioned are a part of every culture across the world. Sports, Workwear and Military design are a large part of the base of my personal style which is why it's on display in the FW24 Gramicci Adsum collab.
The Pine Camo design used on the G-Pants and the Work Jacket is really strong. What made you want to design a new camouflage pattern, rather than just use one off the peg? What was the inspiration there?
I was kicking ideas around the can with Matt Petruccione and he actually suggested a pine camo and we went down the rabbit hole of looking at different variations done on old outdoor and hunting garments.
For me, pine camo isn’t as one the nose as a regular military camo or the ones that are very recognizable. It felt more ‘outdoor’ than ‘military’, which I liked as well. We outsourced a graphic designer to help make the custom pine camo combining a few references we liked best.
What’s the process behind making a camouflage from scratch? I know you maybe didn’t have to have the same considerations as someone designing hunting camo, but still—I can’t imagine it’s particularly easy.
I’ve made a bunch of repeat patterns over the years but didn’t do this one. The focus is on seamless repeats, proper scale and making sure the camo executes properly when applied to whatever fabric you are working with. You can be very precise with repeat patterns but I personally enjoy when patterns are blown out and hard to recognize easily.
Yeah I get that—it kind of becomes like Magic Eye trying to spot what’s hidden in the pattern. With Adsum I feel like I can sometimes recognise the influences or the mood behind the clothes, but it’s always something new and fresh. Whilst some brands just remake, it feels like you’re always pushing things forward. Is that something you think about much? Is it important to add your own fingerprint to something?
I use my intuition when I design things for Adsum because I can. Hopefully there is continuity between styles and collections but my interests with creative touch points, colors, and clothing styles evolve as life goes on. There has to be newness in clothing collections but it should be balanced by core product that people want to buy from Adsum and Gramicci. It’s a bit of a balancing act.
The Hockey Toque is another standout piece. It kind of reminds me of the hats you’d see in classic American winter films, but those ear flaps give it a bit of a spin. What was on your mind with this one?
I wanted the hat to be unique so it pops out from the collection. My son had a similar hat given to him and I like the function of the flaps and how it looked on him.
You used to play hockey didn’t you?
I did play some hockey growing up. I was a defenceman in highschool. Limited ice time. It’s a beautiful sport and I wish played more these days. My son is getting into it so I’m back on the ice a little.
Is having that personal link or interest important when designing something?
It’s easiest for me to be honest with where my inspiration comes from. It’s less work too. My hope is that some other people line up with creative or design concepts and it makes sense to them. The more I design the more I let go of trying to be something other than my true self.
Going off on a tangent… but I’m interested so I’ll ask anyway. Ice hockey isn’t very big over here, so I don’t know loads about it. What’s the culture around the sport like? What do the fans wear?
There’s a story of an ex-hockey player recently sticking up for a restaurant manager in Arizona and he ended up getting attacked by six guys and fended them off. You actually go to war on the ice and can play the game very physically but there’s unspoken codes of conduct followed by players that have been passed down through generations. You leave things on the ice and sportsmanship is a big part of the game. Well, it is for me.
It's a mixed bag regarding hockey fans but the fashion is not as good as European football in my opinion.
Okay—last question… I touched on this before but your clothes really nail a certain timeless East Coast USA flavour that makes me think of classic films. In a hypothetical situation, which movie character is wearing this gear? Who can you imagine wearing this stuff?
Clark Griswald mixed with Jeremy Renner in Wind River. I appreciate you saying that very much about my clothes being east coast USA flavor—that’s what I'm shooting for.
The Adsum + Gramicci Collection is available now.
Read an older interview with Pete about Adsum’s history here.
