New Wave Heritage

Welcome to Final_Final_Final, an on-going series focused on the documentation of inspiration, references and digital ephemera.

Every week, Raeland or a close friend of the newsletter shares a moodboard of 10 images along with a brief commentary.

Logging On is a weekly sprint through the timeline — Raeland Mendoza filters the noise into his takes on fashion, media, music, and whatever is moving the needle.

Read this weeks’ dispatch here.

This week feels like a milestone for me. I’m no stranger to releasing new work, but it feels like everything I’ve worked on in the past year post ICYT has been locked up in a vault and won’t see the light of day till SS26 at the earliest. So Held in Form’s soft launch yesterday feels like I’m finally exhaling.

Ahead of us releasing more content and our inaugural capsule collection later this fall, this weeks Final_Final_Final is dedicated to reflecting on the design process in approaching the brand / project.

Rooted in design and textile practices across cultures and time, I’ve been approaching Held in Form as equal parts homage and interpretation. “New wave heritage” is the shorthand that’s been running laps in my head for the last few months.

Chore coats, work trousers, shirting and tees. None of this is revolutionary by any means, it’s not supposed to be. Layer in Japanese sashiko, garment dyeing, triple stitching. We’re playing squarely in the realms of heritage and workwear. But breaking the rules with some contemporary ideas: a barrel leg here, a pleat there, an extra wash for a unique hand feel. There’s the magic, that’s where the tension lies.

Some questions I’ve been asking myself while working on Held in Form:

Workwear is serious / steeped in history - Can we play within the rules of tradition?

Workwear is a uniform - Can it feel elevated?

Workwear is tough and hard - Can it feel soft? Dare I say even tender?

Held in Form is a forthcoming menswear label and platform focused on design education, research and development.