What is fashion? Is it a brand, a famous name, or an imitation of someone? Fashion is style and soul. Brooklyn is one of the most vibrant boroughs in the city, and its fashion is unique. Capturing the spirit of Brooklyn and transferring it into the world of fashion was achieved by the renowned Brooklyn actor William DeMeo. What makes the Brooklyn Brand so special? Find out more at brooklynka.
The spirit of Brooklyn
William DeMeo was born in 1971 in Bensonhurst. He spent his childhood on the streets of Brooklyn. Most Americans know him as a brilliant actor. He is the star of The Sopranos and the series about his small homeland, Gravesend, a series about Brooklyn’s mafia in the 80s. Acting was not enough for DeMeo. He repeatedly talked in various interviews about the outflow of people from Brooklyn. In his opinion, this is the city’s most colorful borough. Its history and flavor cannot be compared to those of other neighborhoods. It was this spirit that DeMeo decided to transfer to his clothing brand, Brooklyn Brand.
The brand was founded in 2017. DeMeo wanted to convey Brooklyn’s style and prevent it from going into oblivion.
It all started with something simple, with the Brooklyn Bridge logo on small things like T-shirts, caps, sweatshirts. They quickly gained popularity. New Yorkers and city visitors liked this unobtrusive reference to Brooklyn. Simplicity is beauty.
Later, the brand logo was developed. It consists of two letters B turned to each other. It quickly became a quite popular logo in the world of New York fashion.
Street Style
As Brooklyn Brand expanded its range, it decided to focus on street style. You won’t find business suits or evening dresses here. Brooklyn is not about high society and luxury. It’s about comfort and strength. Brooklyn Brand positions itself as a brand of comfortable, sporty clothing. Most of the assortment consists of velour tracksuits in various colors. Almost all of them have the same design: white stripes on the pants and two brand logos on the left side of the jacket and pants.
In addition to suits, they create T-shirts with prints about Brooklyn – Brooklyn, Made in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Brand, etc. Sometimes, the T-shirts feature drawings of road signs with the names of streets in the borough.
This style of clothing is dictated by Brooklyn itself, or more precisely, the Gravesend neighborhood. It’s not like other neighborhoods in Brooklyn. It hasn’t become attractive to hipsters and creative individuals. Gravesend is a pearl of borough criminal history. In the 80s, the Brooklyn mafia chose this area as their “home.” The Gravesend mafia became not only part of the neighborhood’s history but also its essence. Clothing from Brooklyn Brand has become the embodiment of the neighborhood itself. It follows its own individual course. This is what the creators wanted to convey in their clothing. Their tracksuits will not only help but also not interfere with your personalized path.
Brooklyn is evolving. In 2023, gentrification of the area is in full swing. Borough rents are on the rise. This is a positive sign for neighborhoods with a dark past. However, it also means that development will lead to the decline of the borough’s true spirit. That’s what William DeMeo wants to stop. Not to let the spirit of the boro disappear.
How to create a brand?
It’s hard to know where to start, especially when it comes to predicting what will be successful. DeMeo, speaking about the success of Brooklyn Brand, draws parallels with the world of cinema. For example, Hollywood once rejected The Walking Dead series. Subsequently, it became an incredibly popular series with several spin-offs. The same goes for the fashion world. William DeMeo didn’t know what would happen to his desire to remind everyone of the spirit of Brooklyn. What started as just T-shirts with a logo has become a recognizable brand.
Despite uncertainty about the future, a crucial stage for any brand is its concept. Brooklyn Brand is oriented towards the identity of the borough, its history and its strength. In 2017, DeMeo couldn’t know whether this would appeal to customers. However, fashion is cyclical. Everything comes full circle. If someone had told us in 2010 or 2015 that velour jumpsuits would be in fashion, we would have skeptically shrugged and rolled our eyes. Yet, today they are back in style, partly due to the involvement of Brooklyn Brand.