Essentials: Shane Gonzales of MIDNIGHT STUDIOS

After gaining an early foothold in printing T-shirts and embroidering hats, Shane Gonzales quickly went from SSUR intern to the founder and designer of his own brand, MIDNIGHT STUDIOS. At just 21 years of age, Gonzales has come to embody a new frontier of youth-driven fashion ventures. Although committed to delivering clothing “by the youth, for the youth,” Gonzales has conceded that the phrase itself is “watered down.” Working within this tension, Gonzales continues to strive towards authentic branding while looking to times before his own for inspiration. Representative of a generation that approached punk through Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater soundtracks, Gonzales has quickly found validation in projects with original Sex Pistols photographer Steve Emberton and collaborative releases with OFF-WHITE, monkey time and G-Shock.

Keeping true to punk stylistics, Gonzales carries both a coin case and a lighter holder/knuckleduster from Japanese underground imprint Black Means. Gonzales’s professed admiration for designer Jun Takahashi manifests in an UNDERCOVER backpack and waist pouch. The young designer holds it down for himself with a slew of MIDNIGHT STUDIOS gear, ranging from his Custom Riders Jacket to the MIDNIGHT STUDIOS Mudmaster GG-1000 G-Shock. Having played a significant part in the design and creative direction for A$AP Rocky’s At.Long.Last.ASAP album, Gonzales makes sure to keep both a Sony Mini DV Camcorder and Leica D-Lux Camera handy.