Taking a classic cotton t-shirt—perhaps the most rudimentary piece of clothing—and raising it to artistic heights has become de rigueur in streetwear. No longer just staples and undershirts, t-shirts are canvases for creative art, vehicles of expression. And perhaps no one has fully realized that more than New Zealand's James Dobson, a.k.a. Jimmy D, whose Spring/Summer 2008 collection features an assortment of knits that've been stretched, sliced, twisted, buttoned and printed on, in some of the coolest ways we've seen in years.

After studying fashion photography but realizing he was more drawn to the clothes in the photos, Dobson chased his true passion: design. Since launching in 2004, Jimmy D has since garnered massive appeal among streetheads and high-fashion cognoscenti alike: his debut collection won the New Zealand division of Mercedes Benz Start Up competition, landing him a place in Australian Fashion Week and the New Generation Group Show. "Lowest Common Denominator", his most recent effort, features oversized tees, dresses, tanks and leggings in threadbare cotton decked out with gritty all-over prints like claws, smog and tar.

For the truly daring girl, nothing says fierce like the Annette leggings in black, ridden with an all-over neon green scratch print. Or maybe the wondrously oversized Yori, a cotton lace—yes, you read it right, cotton lace—t-shirt, which would be divine with skinnies or worn over a spandex onesie. Dobson has said he's an avid fan of Swedish band, The Knife; an interesting tidbit to know, because if The Knife could be worn as fashion, it might look like Jimmy D: a little darker, a little more sinister, a little less boisterous than other streetwear brands on the market—but no less intriguing!

For more information, including stockists, visit www.jimmyd.co.nz.

- Kristi Garced

Similar Topics:fashion, New Zealand, shopping, spring 2008

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