
One of my favourite things about working with small, UK brands, is watching them grow – seeing how they progress with every release, watching them gain increasing recognition for their work, and witnessing how they feed that growth and recognition back into the brand to take things even further. One brand that this definitely applies to is Victate, who have given us a little preview of what to expect from them for Summer ’11, with their Mainline collection.
I first picked up on what Victate had been doing in November last year. Since then, the brand have completed their three part Autumn/Winter collecton, comprised of various graphic tees and sweats, and have gone on to try a few new things for Summer. The first change customers will notice, is the move from 160gsm cotton tees, to a 215gsm body for better wear, fit and comfort. I think it’s a good move for the brand, and I’m sure when you get the chance to see one of the new tees up close, you will to.
For Summer, Victate present 4 new graphic tees, and the addition of a couple of new artists, means this lot has a bit of extra artistic flair. The animal-inspired croc and feather tees are a nice little concept, but the intricate illustration on the Certificate tee is my personal highlight, printed in red on a white tee, and complete with tonal sleeve branding and inside label. They also bring back their Heritage design on black and white tees, which is a great, clean and simple graphic.
The brand also give us a look at what to expect from this Summer’s Private Stock collection, with two Liberty ‘Phoebe’ Floral pocket tees, crafted by hand, and featuring hand-screened monogram lining inside each pocket. The tees are a limited edition of 50, and serve the Victate customer looking for something a little more exclusive in their purchase.
I’m really impressed with what the brand have created for this season. The expansion of the line into three separate ranges (Mainline, Private Stock, and a new range of simple, everyday basics called ‘Life’) is a huge step, and will see the brand compete with those on a much larger scale. It’s strong graphically, features improved quality, and has hit the branding spot on, and I have no doubt that a lot of UK brands will start looking to Victate for inspiration.
Look out for the Summer collection online at Victate soon, but for now, check out some previews below.







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