Off-White™ C/O A®T DAD LLC: Tremaine Emory Tells Us How It Came to Fruition

“A celebration of the trajectory from T-shirts to shearling coats,” said Tremaine Emory, one half of A®T DAD LLC and No Vacancy Inn with his counterpart Acyde, when asked what the capsule collection epitomized. Having spent the past year straddling their time between hosting parties and radio shows at Art Basel and Coachella, and releasing T-shirts with Dover Street Market, in addition to dropping collaborative merch with VLONE and Some Ware, the latest undertaking is another venture which brings both creatives’ idiosyncratic ideas into reality.

Making its debut during Paris Fashion Week as part of OFF-WHITE’s 2017 fall/winter showing, the A®T DAD LLC capsule featured winterized pieces paired with T-shirts boasting words ”Late Nights, Early Mornings” and “Cigars and Tequila,” mottos synonymous with Tremaine and Acyde’s friendship and No Vacancy Inn’s transient lifestyle. Styled with Virgil’s ‘80s-inspired nostalgic range, leopard-print boiler suit, oversized corduroy jackets and flannels were amongst the items that channeled the duo’s influences which include Italian painter Fortunato Depero — whose vibrant graphics were recontextualized into lurex socks — along with Kurt Cobain, Cali Thornhill Dewitt and Andre 3000, all of who can be called Art Dads.

Essentially, the moniker is a social statement but as Acyde mentioned, “It’s not elitist.” It’s youthful and characterized by a bohemian outlook to life. Above all, Tremaine pointed out, “You don’t have to be a dad to be an Art Dad.” As highlighted by the shearling coat, the non gender specific concept was clad by both male and female models, and similar to Virgil’s read-to-wear line, catered to both the men’s and women’s wear audience. Following the show, we caught up with Tremaine who shared a few words on how the collection came to fruition and what it takes to become an Art Dad.

What separates Art Dads from No Vacancy Inn?
No Vacancy Inn is presenting Art Dad LLC so it’s just another room inside the No Vacancy Inn.

How would you sum up the Art Dad philosophy?
Yoko Ono.

While the Art Dad idea has been around for a minute, when was it that you decided to bring the concept to the runway?
Pretty soon after the first Instagram post (6 months ago), Virgil Abloh hit us up to collaborate and we collectively got the ball rolling.

Which pieces from the OFF-WHITE show were distinctively Art Dad?
The first look was Art Dad, the Shearling Trench Coat, and the rest of the items were shown in a presentation at the OFF-WHITE showroom.

What are the key elements to an Art Dad Look?
It’s got to be honest and it’s got to come from within, from a genuine place.

How does one become an Art Dad?
Hold on to your ideals regardless of how much the world tries to destroy them.

Can you tell us a about the design process with Virgil on the pieces seen in the show?
It was a conversation between iMessage, moodboards and fabric swatches. It was all done with ease, it was a fun process. Virgil believes in people, gives his resources without thought of receiving. He’s a great person to work with and so is his whole OFF-WHITE team. Shout Out to Wanye!

What’s your favorite piece from the show?
The Shearling Fur Trench Coat.