Within the first few minutes of meeting Gerrit Jacob in his work studio in West Berlin — a re-purposed bottom-floor apartment where bemused neighbors often enter unannounced to check out what’s happening — he’d already admitted he probably wouldn’t read this article I’ve written about him. And from that moment on, practically no topic was off the cards.
With walls covered in research pictures and old collections alongside hand-written messages (one reads “is it hot?” while another says “fuck ya’ll” beside a photo of a wad of cash), we’re perched on top of a windowsill-turned-sitting spot in the main room of his studio.
The designer’s refreshingly comfortable speaking on subjects that many wouldn’t dare to on the record, calling out pockets of the industry for not really caring for his sustainability measures and giving the full lowdown on his financial worries — something that comes up regularly in conversation.
“The biggest challenge is cash flow. It’s like my daily struggle to make sure there’s enough money in the bank to pay the bills,” the brand founder says at one point, rounding off our conversation with: “Everybody’s purses are closed right now and it’s really hard to break through that. Prices are rising… it’s important to mention this because it’s one of the defining dynamics of my day-to-day life.”
He founded his eponymous brand last year, with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Central Saint Martins under his belt as well as stints at Martine Rose, Balenciaga, and Gucci, and is feeling the full pinch of what it’s like to be a fledgling independent designer.
But despite the brand’s infancy, it has managed to build up a long list of high-profile admirers. To mention a few: A$AP Rocky recently commissioned a custom two-piece with a photo of him and the family airbrushed on, Rosalía has posted a picture on Instagram wearing a matching jacket and trousers, and Burna Boy took to the stage at the NBA All-Star Halftime Show wearing full leather by…
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