コラム
2023.04.25Affliction
★Afflictionの歴史【Part2】★
前回に引き続き、Affliction(アフリクション)についてお話させて頂きます。
こちらは記念すべきAffliction(アフリクション)ファーストカットのTシャツです。
Affliction(アフリクション)は2005年に設立され、走り続けた10年間を振り返り、10周年を機に社の歴史を振り返って、”HISTORY OF AFFLICTION” を2015年Affliction Clothingのサイトに投稿しています。本日その内容をご紹介します。
まずは2015年に作られたプロモーション動画をご覧下さい。皆様の中には動画の中のAffliction(アフリクション)をお持ちの方もいらっしゃると思います。
↓
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rc-4gfnlA80&t=245s
では、”HISTORY OF AFFLICTION”です。↓ 抽象的な言葉や表現が多いので、意訳になっていますが、Afflictionがお伝えした事を私なりに訳してお伝えします。
==★ HISTORY OF AFFLICTION ★==
WHAT STARTED AS A FEW FRIENDS CREATING SOME COOL TEES AS A WEEKEND PROJECT, HAS QUICKLY TURNED INTO A TEN YEAR WHIRLWIND JOURNEY WITH ONE GOAL: TO MAKE THE MOST UNIQUE CLOTHING IN THE WORLD. THE NAME AFFLICTION, WHICH MEANS “PAIN AND SUFFERING DUE TO ADVERSITY” WAS HAND PICKED AS A PLAY ON WORDS FROM THEIR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY WHICH IS NOTORIOUSLY DIFFICULT AND CUTTHROAT. THE SELF-PROCLAIMED SHY AND ANTI-SOCIAL PARTNERS, COMING FROM BACKGROUNDS IN GRAPHIC DESIGN AND SCREEN PRINTING, QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THEY HAD STARTED A TREND THAT WOULD NOT SOON END. IT ALL STARTED WITH AN IDEA TO MAKE A SMALL LINE OF TEES THAT WERE TRULY UNIQUE AND WERE PREMIUM IN FIT, FABRIC, WASH, AND ART.
THEY SET OUT TO MAKE THE BEST POSSIBLE PRODUCT BY NOT FOLLOWING ANY NORMAL RULES OF PRINTING, AND COVERED THE ENTIRE SHIRT IN THEIR EXTREMELY DETAILED ART. THEIR CREATIVE VISIONS INVOKE EMOTION AND DISPLAY THEMES BATTLING BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL. THE IMAGES CLEARLY LEAVES THEIR CONSUMERS WANTING TO SEE MORE. THIS UNEXPECTED DREAM TEAM HAS PROVEN TO BE TOUGH ON THEIR COMPETITION, LEAVING MOST IN THE DUST. THEIR UNWAVERING WORK ETHIC AND UNMATCHED CREATIVITY HAS LED TO SOME AMAZINGLY UNIQUE PRODUCTS. THEY SPEND THEIR DAYS FINE TUNING THEIR ILLUSTRATIONS AND THEIR NIGHTS TOILING OVER THEIR SCREEN PRINTING MACHINES CREATING WEARABLE WORKS OF ART.
DUE TO THE HIGHLY GRAPHIC NATURE OF THEIR PRODUCT, THEY ARE NOT LIKED BY ALL, BUT THEY HARDLY SEEM TO CARE. THEY ARE CONSISTENT IN THEIR APPROACH AND DON’T SEEM TO MIND IF OTHERS HEAD IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. DRIVEN BY PASSION AND A CREATIVE SPIRIT, THE BRAND THAT IS BEST KNOWN FOR PREMIUM TEES HAS NOW CLAIMED ITS SPOT AMONG THE BEST WITH THEIR UNIQUE TAKE ON ALL CATEGORIES, INCLUDING: DENIM, KNITS, WOVENS, AND OUTERWEAR.
THEY ARE EQUALLY INSPIRED BY THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO WEAR THEIR PRODUCT, WHICH HAS BECOME A COUNTER-CULTURE STAPLE. THE BRAND IS CLEARLY NOT FOR EVERYONE, AND THEY DON’T WANT IT TO BE. AFFLICTION IS ROOTED IN A PASSION FOR CREATING TRULY UNIQUE CLOTHING THAT IS AS MUCH A WORK OF ART AS IT IS FASHION. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A T-SHIRT WITH A UNIQUE DISTRESSED OR TIE DYE WASH AND EXTREMELY DETAILED ART? YES? WELL, AFFLICTION IS TO THANK FOR THAT. THEY CREATED A HUGE TREND AND THEY AREN’T PLANNING ON STOPPING ANY TIME SOON. THEY SPEND COUNTLESS HOURS PERFECTING THEIR ILLUSTRATIONS WITH THE INTENT OF PRINTING THIS FINE ART ON PREMIUM COTTON. THEY TOIL OVER GARMENT WASHES, INKS, AND INTERESTING TECHNIQUES WHILE OTHERS JUST CONTINUE TO GET MORE AND MORE WATERED DOWN AND SIMILAR.