BRAND TO DISCOVER: Outside, beyond any scheme

In Wait’s DNA there are always new brands to discover. And this time we want to introduce you to Outside, an emerging brand that is making headway in the world of streetwear.

Outside is an independent streetwear project founded by Maurizio Assisi, a young designer from Brescia with a passion for art, graphics and communication. The brand deals with both the creation and printing of images with a strong graphic impact that appear on a wide range of t-shirts, sweatshirts and accessories.

The study of brand graphics takes shape from the search for images. In fact, all those external stimuli that come from various areas of personal interest are fundamental, including the graphic art, music, films and visual communication that we find in everyday life.

To best present Outside’s philosophy and evolution, we interviewed for you its founder, Maurizio.

Hi Maurizio, meanwhile, thank you for being here with us. Tell us a little about how your passion for fashion is born, especially for the streetwear world.

I believe my passion for fashion and for the streetwear world comes from my other two great passions, music and subcultures. It has always fascinated me how a group of people linked by a particular musical genre, by their own vision of the world or by a particular lifestyle could break away and differentiate themselves from the dominant culture while influencing it at the same time.

What are the brands that inspired you the most and inspire you today?

The brands that have inspired me the most, both in terms of graphic images and concept are many, come to mind Carhartt and Stussy. The brands that I follow most in this period for various reasons are BrainDead, Aries Arise, Off-White and Woodwood. I am also very attracted by the collaborations between brands and various Asian brands.

Let’s talk about Outside. Why the choice of this name and this logo?

Regarding the creation of the logo, the idea was to create something clean but not trivial. I have therefore taken into consideration three simple geometric figures, the triangle, the square and the circle, both for their shape and for their meaning. The triangle expresses the concepts of strength and beauty, the square represents the space and is a symbol of receptivity while the circle represents harmony and creativity. By combining these three elements, the logo I created does not at first glance reveal its meaning but leaves it to those who observe it a bit of mystery and curiosity.
The symbol obtained could be considered as a portal towards a parallel world, and it is from here that I chose the name Outside: to go beyond, outside.

How does the transition from inspiration to realization take place?

Letting myself be inspired by what I have around me is the tool that allows me to create and work.
Thanks to each fragment obtained in the research and observation phase, I rework and personalize trying to make the image unique, recognizable while maintaining the brand’s direction strong and consistent. And it is thanks to this first phase that the various collections are instinctively outlined, which do not follow logical rules but which develop on the basis of primarily aesthetic involvement.

Once the design phase is over, the printing and production phase begins. After several researches I decided to personally take care of printing most of my creations; this allowed us to have more control over the actual success of the quality of the finished product.

In addition to graphics, you are also passionate about art and communication, how do they influence your brand?

After the initial phase of personal research work taking into consideration two fundamental aspects for me: to create an image linked to a concept that I would like to communicate to others and take care of the image from a purely aesthetic point of view.

We were very impressed by the graphics what inspired them? But above all do you draw them yourself or do you have a team that supports you?

I design the graphics myself, for now I don’t have a team that supports me but I like the idea of collaborating, creating and working with people who have the same interests as me.

Usually an emerging streetwear brand, it almost always starts with t-shirts, while your brand is already extended to sweatshirts, jackets and accessories. Will there be a further evolution?

Until a year ago I was also only involved in t-shirts and sweatshirts and in the future the goal is to introduce even more products. After various tests and research, I decided to personally take care of printing most of my creations; this allowed me both to experiment and include other products, including jackets and accessories, and to have more control over the actual success of the quality of the finished product.

If you had the opportunity to open your first single-brand store, which city would you choose in Italy and / or abroad?

If I had to open a first store in Italy, the choice would fall on Milan due to the close link between the city and fashion. As a foreign city I would instead choose a city between London, Berlin and Copenhagen.

How do you imagine your brand in the near future?

First of all, to grow and improve from a graphic point of view, not purely under the technical aspect but also above all from the point of view of intuitions, innovation and concepts.
I like the idea of being able to collaborate with other organizations both to understand more creative areas and to exchange ideas and experiences. One of the proposals I would like to work on is the creation of events to present the new collections of my brand.

I will certainly continue to participate in exhibitions and markets because I find it interesting to take care of setting up the space and to be able to compare myself with the people I meet.

Do you want to discover Outside? Then run to the Bergamo FactoryMarket on April 13th and 14th.

Outside is waiting for you!

Posted By

Francesca Montuschi

Trendsetter sin dai tempi dell'asilo (già allora decidevo i miei outfit). Giornalista di moda, sempre alla ricerca di nuove tendenze, ma nostalgica dell'eleganza del passato.