Having first incarnated in the world of fashion by creating skateboard culture related shirt designs, Yasar Ceviker founded A Kind of Guise in Munich thirteen years ago with his partner Susi Streich and what started out as a student project, has evolved to become a brand that unlike few others has become synonymous with a unique take on crafting high-quality garments and accessories by both paying homage to traditional as well as carving out their idiosyncratic own lane.
Informed by their DIY approach of the early days and despite growing exponentially, what I have grown to appreciate about A Kind Of Guise is the fact that they have retained their DNA, i.e. refraining from becoming declamatory and letting their work speak for itself, ensuring that their fabrics are manufactured as close to their home base in Germany as possible to ensure a seamless exchange and confidently pushing the envelope merging timeless designs with authentic cultural influences.
Needless to say, what makes AKOG unique is that more often than not, their inspirations come from much further afield than what other ingenious labels of a similar size would delve into, without ever running risk of entering novelty territory.
Having established long-lasting partnerships with highly skilled German and Italian manufacturers with each having been carefully curated for their expertise in their given fields, AKOG turns its vision into reality while precisely paying attention to smallest details and incorporating those as design elements into each collection.
Two examples from their most current collection would be a hand-twisted button detail they created for their Gusto Shirt; or the Hombrecito Shirt, the Embroidery Patches of which AKOG developed themselves with a lot of effort.
Producing in limited quantities, AKOG can efficiently react to higher demand with selected product restocks throughout the season and allocate product categories accordingly, thereby avoiding overproduction and stretching the manufacturer's workload between seasons.
Informed by their travels around the globe, the narrative behind AKOG’s current collection continues with the tradition to build strong, destination-centric collections that respectfully interpret and build around a country’s heritage.
Having developed a spectrum of in-house print designs, embroideries, patches and even their own fabrics, 2022 sees AKOG pay homage to Colombian arts and crafts, as well as choosing colour palettes that reflect the vibrancy and cheerfulness of Colombia.
Starting off by setting the right vibes with lots of rhythm and music for their spring-summer collection Radio Medellin, AKOG’s team went out of their way to meet every constituent of the team of Radio Medellin. From the main radio host to the DJs, weather forecaster, facility manager and head of security, no member of the team was left out and introduced individually.
Given the aforementioned focus on what is going on behind-the-scenes as well as their meticulous attention to detail while never letting the big picture out of sight, it should not come as a surprise that AKOG is currently branching out into a consultancy arm in a bid to produce products for hospitality and travel industries.
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T - 20 January 2023
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