PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST: Trevor Andrew, known for his Gucci Ghost collaboration with Gucci, can now add streetwear line Real Buy to his resume.
Andrew was on hand at ComplexCon this past weekend to debut the Real Buy, which was initially teased online on Nov. 1 with a long-sleeve T-shirt. For ComplexCon, the artist brought hand-painted jackets, which lined the walls of his space. There were also short- and long-sleeve T-shirts retailing for $65 and $90, respectively, bearing seven different designs.
“I’ve always been making stuff so it’s nice when I find somebody that believes in what I’m doing and they give the free reins to do what I do. That’s always a good scenario,” Andrew said of the Real Buy while sitting on a couch in the brand’s booth Saturday.
Andrew’s ComplexCon buildout re-created his Koreatown studio, which he moved into last year after working out of Brooklyn for 17 years. The booth came complete with painted floors mirroring his actual work space and free tattoos done on site.
Andrew’s art has been seen in places such as Dover Street Market in Tokyo and Milk Gallery in New York. The artist, who is a former pro snowboarder, has also worked with the aforementioned Gucci in a partnership that was struck in 2016, in addition to Reebok.
“Obviously, it [streetwear] really got crazy over the last couple years, but I think in any business, whether it’s high fashion or not, people are always going to look in new directions for things,” Andrew said of the category’s current popularity. “It may apply in that moment but then it might fade out or go in a different direction. I don’t know where streetwear’s going to go. I’m just working on myself and my own creative spirit.”