There's no outfit quite like a Salehe Bembury outfit. If you scroll through Bembury's Instagram, among teased footwear collaborations, flicks with famous friends and, of course, glorious hikes, you'll surely notice the designer's personal style: brightly colored, artfully layered, never lacking for prints, patterns and head-turning pieces. It's unabashedly maximalist, but not in a flashy manner, instead a fun-loving and free-spirited one.
And, if you look more closely, you might notice a particular hat popping up more than a few times. It's either purple or navy blue and has a large skull embroidered over its crown, plus denticulations on the brim. That hat is produced by Mutsu, a Los Angeles-based brand that specializes in bespoke Japanese boro stitching — each piece of the skull on the hat Salehe is often seen in is stitched on by hand — and is run by a collective of brothers with a deep background in fashion: besides Mutsu, they run fellow LA label Prospective Flow.
Bembury is an avid Mutsu fan, noting that their one-off pieces make him feel like he's "wearing a piece of art rather than an apparel item." "I've always been a sucker for a 'story,' and the items that Mutsu creates both tell a story and evoke a curiosity that makes you want to hear it," he says.
Now, through his Spunge label, Bembury is collaborating with Mutsu for a collection dubbed "Absorb Til Death" that's inspired by Spunge's founding ethos of always absorbing and Mutsu's skeletal embellishments. "We thought there was a strong connection between the two brand identities," Bembury notes. "This spawned the idea that one must absorb till death."
The collection combines both Spunge and Mutsu iconography with hero pieces like a puffer jacket coated in Spunge's familiar all-over fingerprint graphic and a chest that cleverly makes use of Mutsu's skull embellishment on its lower half and both of the skull-covered hats that Bembury himself is so fond of. Other offerings include a cardigan, hooded sweatshirt, T-shirt, tote bag and socks. And yes, that's Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park fame in the lookbook.
Ahead of the collection's launch, Bembury and the Mutsu team discussed everything from their collaborative design process, remaining authentic while creating and their shared love of basketball.
What are your respective histories with one another, and how did this collaboration come together?
Mutsu: It was a random day, and we were kicking back with the artist David Choe. Out of nowhere, he says, "You guys have to meet Salehe Bembury." Before we know it, we’re sitting across from Salehe, and it feels like we’ve known him for a long time. There’s an instant familiarity in his presence. Everything about how he carried himself, talked about his work and shared his perspective just clicked into place. Within minutes, it was clear: this connection was always meant to happen. Since that day, we’ve been putting our heads together and working on the collaboration project.
Salehe, what speaks to you about Mutsu’s goods? You’ve been seen in them quite frequently over the last few years.
Salehe Bembury: A$AP Rocky once said "We don't wear clothes, we wear pieces," and that's a statement I've related to more and more over the years. I appreciate quality, perspective, execution, and shape. These are all things that Mutsu prioritizes, and, as a longtime consumer of visvim and Kapital, Mutsu fills a void for me. It also creates one-off pieces that make me feel I'm, wearing a piece of art rather than an apparel item. I've always been a sucker for a "story," and the items that Mutsu creates both tell a story and evoke a curiosity that makes you want to hear it.
As you wear Mutsu so much, was this collaboration “easy” for you, so to speak? It seems like you designed the type of clothes you want to wear.
SB: To be honest, I want to wear everything I design. With this collaboration, I wouldn't describe it as easy, moreso a privilege to work with ingredients I don't usually get to cook with. From creating the collaborative logo to working with the Mutsu development team, every step seemed to have substance and presence. Since both parties have such a strong aesthetic perspective, witnessing how we creatively blurred the lines was inspiring. I also respected the extreme level of meticulousness that Mutsu displayed. Brand identity and signature details are valuable assets that aren't to be mishandled.
"That's why I want to wear everything that I make, because I know it's coming from a place of authenticity."
How important is being “authentic” like that in a collaboration, wanting to wear the things that you make?
SB: It's the only way. Too often, I see products where it's clear that the creator was chasing a wave, trend, or something that already exists. I think that's why I want to wear everything that I make, because I know it's coming from a place of authenticity. That's is also the bridge that makes it very easy for Mutsu and myself to collaborate. We have very similar taste and perspective on brand so joining forces felt like nothing but authenticity.
Mutsu, what about Salehe made him the right fit for this collaboration?
M: We’ve been big fans of Salehe’s work for a while now and have a ton of respect for his style. With a shared love for basketball, design, and art, teaming up feels like a no-brainer — an awesome chance to blend our passions and make something special together. It was honestly such an honor to team up with him.
Both of you grew up playing basketball — and basketball informs a lot of designs and aesthetics in our sphere. Why do you think so many people that grew up with the game become creatives and fashion designers?
SB: Finding out that a fellow creative used to hoop isn't just refreshing: it's also become an unexpected "ah-ha" moment that makes you understand them that much more. Playing basketball is fueled by passion. Succeeding in it takes a certain level of flexibility of mind. Basketball has a lot of the same qualities as art and fashion; it just yields a different result. I have always found that even if there isn't a history of creativity, many hoopers have dreams of "making."
"[I aim to balance] convention and polarization, whilst exercising a level of restraint that doesn't scare away the audience."
Do either of you see your basketball background in your designs?
SB: I'm a shooter, both in basketball and in my professional career. I've always enjoyed hoisting an impossible shot that goes in without touching the rim. There's something poetic about it. I would argue that I'm trying to achieve a similar reaction from the audience with my work. Balancing convention and polarization, whilst exercising a level of restraint that doesn't scare away the audience.
Both Spunge and Mutsu have very strong iconography. What’s the trick to bringing those two voices together?
SB: We essentially deconstructed both of our brands' ethos, and identified which tentpoles couldn't be abandoned and which had flexibility. Surprisingly, there was a lot of overlap and that made compromise very easy. Additionally, we both seemed to always been in a spectrum of disruption. The items created for this collaboration were titled "Creative Exercise," because that's exactly what the collection was. We weren't tied down by having to create a traditional collection, nor were we trying to chase a trend. We wanted to make good goods, for good sake.
"Whether it's a handmade piece or something produced in a factory, the original concept stays the same. It's kind of like how a painter values both their original artwork and their prints."
Mutsu is known for its hand-made, boro-inspired goods. How do you ensure that design language stays strong when you’re producing pieces at a larger scale?
M: When I’m making my works, I usually go with whatever pops into my head and create it as a single piece of art without worrying about time. This is especially true for things like boro works or anything that can only be done through hand-stitching. But sometimes, the ideas I get aren’t really suited for a handmade art piece. In those cases, it is better to put my creativity into designing products. So, whether it’s a handmade piece or something produced in a factory, the original concept stays the same. It’s kind of like how a painter values both their original artwork and their prints.
The co-created jacket is one of the most striking pieces in this collection. Can you talk us through how you came to the final design?
M: At the beginning of our collaboration, we had a meeting to work on the logo. We talked for hours, but it was hard to nail down a concept at first. Then, while we were in the elevator on our way out, Salehe showed me a Spunge figure and said, “How cool would it be if the bottom part of Spunge pufferfish logo was a skull?” That idea sparked the creation of the collaboration logo. Similarly, we fused our most iconic elements to create the puffer jacket.
Salehe, how do you approach working on a clothing collection as opposed to a footwear collaboration? Is the mindset similar, or is it tapping a different creative angle?
SB: It's the same. Really any design project that I tackle is. Identify the consumer lead insight. Use that as a tool to problem solve, practice restraint and balance polarization and commercial viability. I actually think that if I approached projects in different spheres with a different mindset it would all but guarantee a departure from authenticity. Footwear exists the same whether or not it has a foot inside of it, while apparel needs a body to hold shape, which was an interesting factor to consider when creating items like the jacket.
Mutsu, what’s the main difference been between collaborating with Salehe and the fine artists/musical artists you’ve worked with in the past?
M: When I collaborate with other artists, we usually work together to create a single piece of art, each contributing equally. But this time, we’re not just making one piece; we’re developing a capsule collection. This meant that the whole team needed to come together to make it happen. Salehe’s expertise and vision truly ease the challenges of the process, making everything flow more smoothly.
What’s your favorite detail from the collection?
SB: The jacket and the hat are "pieces." Not to be taken lightly.
The Spunge x Mutsu "Absorb Til Death" collection will release on November 8 at 9 AM PST via the Be A Spunge and Prospective Flow webstores.
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