Toronto has become such a melting pot of incredible talents that at times, it’s hard for certain talented and skilled individuals to stand out. There are countless rappers, artists, designers, and creatives throughout the city that if you want to get recognized, you have to do something to differentiate yourself from everyone else in the city.
The city has seen its fair share of clothing brands come and go but one of the reasons that many of these brands did not have longevity is because many of them were doing the same thing. Just fitting in, not standing out.
Take RDCL for example. Based out of Toronto, they are doing something really unique with their custom denim jackets. Sourcing different pieces from various places throughout the world and then assembling them in Toronto, this is the type of dedication that is required to thrive in Toronto.
I sat down with Ali, the man behind RDCL, and asked him a few questions about his brand:
Image: RDCL Toronto
What does RDCL mean? Is it an acronym?
RDCL is just short for Radical, it’s a term that I think represents a culture of redefining and juxtaposition. Redefining old ideals and juxtaposing them with new perspectives. It’s hard to define what culture is at this point in time, but I think anyone out there that’s pushing boundaries and creating despite the constant pressure to be the same or ‘cool’ is positively adding to the ever-evolving radical culture.
How did RDCL start?
Conceptually, RDCL started when I was a lot younger, we were moving around quite a bit because of my dad’s job and I was constantly being exposed to different cultures and subcultures that were influencing my tastes in music, film, fashion etc. My personal evolution was happening at such a rapid rate that I always felt radically different from my peers. Instead of that being negative, it’s actually given me a great amount of freedom to be able to create with my own unique vision and do whatever I want. As a brand, it’s meant to be an amalgamation of everything I’ve experienced and continue to experience in my life.
Tell us about some of the steps that go into making a jacket.
Each of the pieces is made with vintage denim that I handpick from North America, Europe & Asia and the patchwork is carefully sourced from different parts of Pakistan. Textiles are a big part of my culture and every handmade patch has a story tell about the person who created it and the energy that’s transferred into them through hard work, dedication and love for the craft. The jackets are assembled by hand in Toronto and each final piece is a 1 of 1 RDCL denim jacket.
Image: RDCL Toronto
Were you excited to see your product on someone like Roy Woods?
The most exciting thing about seeing Roy in RDCL is that Roy IS RDCL. Anytime I see anyone wearing my stuff that truly represents the brand, it makes me happy.
What does the future hold for RDCL?
An expansion of the brand not just limited to clothing, combining audio, visuals and literally anything else that I feel like focusing on at the time.
Image: RDCL Toronto
Image: RDCL Toronto
What is your favourite denim brand? Share with us in the comments.
Featured image: Instagram/ @rdcltoronto
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