Outskirtts: a Designer's Diary
- Justinian Mason
- Aug 8
- 5 min read
The city of Long Island is best known for its beaches and family friendly atmosphere. Like any city there's a collection of creatives that break through the cracks of its perception. Creatives in Long Island face the added challenge of being overshadowed by New York City—the mecca of fashion, music, and all things creative. This disposition has ignited a clothing brand and mentality that takes lived experience and projects it into artistry. It's an ongoing story about life from the Outskirtts.
Founded in 2020 by friends Jeremy and Jordan, Outskirtts serves as an ode to Long Island. As long time friends and virtual neighbors, the roots of the brand are born out of Long Island culture, a passion for creating, and most importantly their artistic synergy. If any given brand is an extension of it's owners, I think the best way to describe Outskirtts is as a designer's diary. Their chemistry in friendship and creativity makes for a think tank that resembles a stylistic journal entry. In our interview there was a reoccurring theme of each collection reflecting their growth and influences from origin. The first collection was inspired by a shared memory of visiting Six Flags. While recalling the inspiration for the collection, the focus landed on the memories of driving to Six Flags in New Jersey—the camaraderie, the music, the journey shared among friends. Those emotions became the spark for the collection, and the starting point for a budding brand.
The creative process behind the brand is fueled by lived experiences and constant exposure to new ideas. But every brand needs a canvas to bring those visions to life. When it comes to design, Outskirtts stands out as one of the most adaptable brands I’ve encountered at this scale—consistently willing to embrace change and push creative boundaries. Earlier inspirations for the brand were centered around the skater aesthtic. Brands like Stussy and Palace stood as primary inspos in the beginning. Those are solid brands to pull inspirartion from. Everyone has to start somewhere—Lord knows my old clothing brand, Ponti, began with the shakiest training wheels imaginable. As they grew up and experienced more the brand grew with them. What I admire most about creating is the cycle itself: learning through the process, and then feeding that growth right back into the brand.
Outskirtts design growth was partly influenced by co-owner Jeremy's enrollment at FIT. His time at the world renowned institution opened doors for fashion centered education and internships that would change the trajectory of the brand. Perhaps the most impactful internship was with the brand Advisry. Owned by Keith Heron, Advisry is a brand that blurs the lines between streetwear and traditional menswear. During his internship Jeremy worked intimately with Keith; self describing himself as a sponge. In that time he found new influences and strategies to expand the brand in all areas. Quickly sidelining the skater aesthetic in favor of fresher influences from brands like Aime Leon Dore and This Is Never That.
Jeremy's time at Advisry reminds me of A$AP Rocky's story behind making his first mixtape Live Love A$AP. Born and raised in Harlem, Rocky visited family in the south where his cousins put him onto rappers like Project Pat and DJ Screw (RIP). He took that sound and created a new fusion of chopped and screwed production with New York boom bap. A sound that would later become a staple for himself and the A$AP Mob. Exposure forces you to change whether you want to or not. Simply by knowing more, you process things differently. Jeremy and Jordan’s internal growth has been essential to the development of the brand, but it’s their external growth that has most visibly shaped Outskirtts’ identity. In turn, it’s positioned the brand for a new era of design and culture-building with every release.
Outskirtts' bottom line is for their clothes and message to resonate with people. They have a strong interest in growing in all mediums. In today’s fashion climate, there isn’t always a demand for interdisciplinary artistic output—yet it’s precisely that kind of cross-medium creativity that sets truly innovative brands apart. For Outskirtts that shift is centered around creating third spaces. DJ led parties and pop-ups are the chosen avenues of expansion at the moment. I don't mean to be a nerd about marketing but thoughtful brand engagement is awesome to see. I've preached at nauseam that dabbling in varying disciplines is something all creatives should do. When a brand ventures out of what they're known for, it strengthens consumer trust and elevates its perception. It brandishes the creative range of the team. In turn, keeping the consumer guessing and anticipating the brands' next venture. While this pivot might seem like a rebrand to some; they view it as a material strategy to strengthen Outskirtt's established presence.
From jump, Outskirtts had a loyal community. Made up of both Long Islanders and New Yorkers, the brand quickly cultivated a dedicated base of supporters. Besides gifting clothes to various fashion influencers around the city, their work ethic and reputation outside of the brand certainly played a role in the forming of their cult following. I can't help but feel like Covid played a role in their perception. At a time when most people were disengaged, these guys were creating a brand from the ground up. Their reputation for hardwork and innovation became synonymous with the brand. Thus, creating a culture where creative curveballs were expected and encouraged by their audience.
That’s why I hesitate to call any shift a rebrand—the brand is more like a designer’s diary, constantly evolving as long as life keeps moving.
The question I ask every designer is "do you dress the way you create?" I always ask because often times I see designers dress down compared to what they put out on the runway. It felt like before I could even finish the thought Jeremy and Jordan were showing me the Outskirtts pieces they were wearing during the interview. Pride might as well be an added identity to the brand. Even co-owner Jeremy was donned the nickname "Mr. Outskirtts" due to his love for the brand. In today's age of fashion consumerism, people want to see owners ride for their brands, not just run them.
The meteoric rise of Outskirtts is an ongoing phenomenon and I think we should sit back and watch them ascend. They’ve now earned the honor of graduating from simple screen printing to fully realizing their designs through garment manufacturing. They understand that there's always a way to improve if you allow yourself. Watch for their upcoming Fall/Winter collection—Dozer will be one of the first to break the news when they host an event. Outskirtts is a designer's diary and I don't know when they'll turn the page next, but I'm certain it will build upon a captivating story.
Some photos from the shoot:
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