TEIN CLOTHING

TEIN, standing for The End Is Near, is a clothing brand from Italy which grew its fanbase in London and expanded it all over the world.

The brand was founded by Italian designer Daniele Barletta, who started making t-shirts with overall graphics that became iconic in the Tumblr scene, and generally in the wider internet.

TEIN is closely connected to the music scene and initiated its growth thanks to a historic event hosted by DJ Lerry Tee, in which the brand was featured.

After that event, Daniele and his partner Lorenzo moved to London to develop their venture more intensely and seriously.

In the coming years, TEIN became iconic, revolving around manually crafted 1-of-1 pieces. More often than not, the aesthetic of the products is characterised by reworking traditional streetwear apparel, incorporating knitting and patchwork to them. This approach is inherently supposed to lace the concept of rarity and uniqueness to every single piece produced. That artisanal method which is entailed by the process of knitting and patching confers originality to the most usual of streetwear templates: The hoodie, the ski mask, shorts.

That one crucial aspect of originality is complimented by visual references that are much clearer, grounded in our popular sensibilities. 
Smiley faces, radioactive symbols, straightforwardly draw inspiration from the underground scenes that TEIN affiliates with, namely underground hip-hop and punk. The generally grungy symbols in their catalogue marry themselves perfectly with the coarse and rugged texture (literally) provided by the aforementioned methods of production (patchwork, especially).

 
It’s no wonder then, given the brand’s unique yet evocative aesthetic, that many A-list celebrities have taken notice of the project. No less than Billie Eilish, Madonna and Kesha have sported TEIN attire, showcasing their valuing of it by wearing rocking it on important occasions such as Jimmy Kimmel Live appearances, as well as magazine cover shoots.
This widespread exposure has ultimately led them to collaborating with many other creatives, spanning from the native Italy to New York. This broadening of their collaborative efforts can only lead one to hope that more uniqueness and rarity will be spawned by TEIN.