FRED PERRY REXKL – a brand-new pop-up concept store modelled like a gallery against a modern industrial backdrop – is showcasing an array of exclusive capsule collections, including collaborations with Raf Simons, Akane Utsonomiya, Nicholas Daley, Amy Winehouse and others.
The store, the first of its kind in Fred Perry’s history in Malaysia, is located in the once-dilapidated building near Petaling Street that housed one of Kuala Lumpur’s oldest cinemas. The building has now been repurposed into a progressive creative and retail hub.
Fred Perry has given life to its distinctive subculture-inspired classical wear, as interpreted by some of the world’s most renowned designers, artists and great minds alike.
Each capsule collection is seen as an encounter between a designer and Fred Perry’s creative identity, a transcultural interpretation, mixing and reimagining their different design philosophies.
Fred Perry REXKL opens from Tuesday to Sunday, 11am-9pm, from now until end April 2020.
Raf Simons
The Belgian designer’s long-standing partnership with Fred Perry continues with a new and subversive interpretation of ebullient youth on a subculture level.
In the collection, he utilises the work of two British photographers, Gavin Watson and George Plemper, to celebrate generations of British youth culture history.
On closer look, Simons has incorporated bold iterations on Fred Perry’s classic pieces – dropped shoulders on sweatshirts, digitally-printed photographs and logo appliques.
Most notably, each piece is adorned with a silver Laurel Wreath as well as signature Raf Simons embroidery.
Akane Utsonomiya
After graduating from Central Saint Martins, Japanese designer Akane Hasui later founded her contemporary womenswear label in Tokyo, focusing on streamlined silhouettes while exploring various fabric textures and prints.
In her first collaboration with Fred Perry, she combines and mixes bold patterns and prints on exaggerated proportions, reimagining classic sportswear into unexpected streetwear without being cliche.
The collection features python print on T-shirts, track pants and jackets, sweatshirts and polo-tees colour-blocked in green and orange.
Nicholas Daley
A celebration of the intertwining of contemporary culture and traditional craftsmanship, Daley’s debut collaboration with Fred Perry portrays archetypal associations with his namesake label.
Being of Jamaican and Scottish descent, he continues to explore his dual-ethnic heritage while questioning and reflecting on the notion of multiculturalism within the quintessential British identity.
The collection is an homage to his family’s role in the emergence of reggae sound system culture in Britain: 70s fashion filled with wide collars, bomber jackets and corduroy fabrics.
Amy Winehouse
The year was 2010, one year before the death of the legendary music icon. Winehouse revealed her first collaboration with Fred Perry to launch a collection that encapsulates her retro spirit, complete with distinctive rock’n’roll influences.
Ever since then, the collaborative endeavour hasn’t stopped, each one better than before.
The collection, inspired by Winehouse’s signature style, channels the British music icon at its core: classic sports silhouettes adorned with hearts.
A portion of the sales will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation in support of its vital work.
