Transforming artwork into clothing is far from new. Jean-Charles Castelbajac is probably one of the pioneers, using Keith Haring’s doodles and Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup re-imagined into dresses, putting the prints in the spotlight and letting the clothes take the back seat. Nevertheless, there’s something most certainly  fresh about seeing Richard Hambleton’s street-art visuals cut into fashion.

Photography by Morgan Tedd

Together with Warhol, Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hambleton was at the crucible of the Downtown New York art scene back in the 1980s, creating art that was beautiful and revolutionary in equal parts. One of his most recognisable projects has to be the 600 individual Mass Murder installations around 15 cities, mimicking the blood-splattered chalk-body outlines on the streets. Hambelton’s prerogative was creating public art, yet he was never the one to be in the spotlight –  the well-known unknown, remembered today as the “Godfather of Street Art”.

Photography by Morgan Tedd

In the DARKCIRCLE remake of Hambleton’s most iconic work, his graphics are reimagined on 25 one-of-a-kind mac coats, printed on a thick canvas fabric reminiscent of the materials that he originally used for his paintings and prints. Housed in the London Woodbury House gallery, the coats give living a new twist to the idea of wearable art, and featuring his most iconic visuals including the Horse and Rider series, the seminal Stop Sign, as well as the shadowman figures. Together with the coat collection, DARKCIRCLE is launching a collection of t-shirts, hoodies, caps and other merchandise covered in Hambleton’s prints and slogans.

It doesn’t really matter if you’re an art collector or a streetwear fanatic, the DARKCIRCLE x Richard Hambleton coats are definitely a perfect excuse to wear your art on your sleeve.

Shop the DARKCIRCLE x Richard Hambleton one-of-a-kind coats at woodburyhouseart.com. Find the DARKCIRCLE Shadowman collection at darkcircleclothing.com.