Behind the release
Our newest drop ROACHI ‘Bones’, is available now in tees and hoods.
The drop features a handstyle by our friend ROACHI, a Sydney-bred, New York-based designer and graffiti writer.
I shared some information to our email newsletter about the colour direction of this drop, I thought I’d share it here too, for those that wanna know a little more.
-Luke
(Artillery)
Here goes…
About that Krylon colour rabbit hole.
I went deep down the vintage Krylon colour scheme inspiration. Here’s a bit about where I ended up, and how I got there.
When I first picked up a spray can in 1995, I used what I could get my hands on, which at the time was Australian Exports (and also White Knights from Kmart). You remember those? Their valve was a weird male valve in a unique shape, which meant that there was no such thing as changing nozzles, so I was stuck with the shitty fan jet that it came with. My first piece was at a local water tower, and I spotted some PowerPlus Touch Up cans that older writers had left behind. I got my hands on some of these, and they were so much better. Push forward nozzles, with a round dot – and since they were automotive, the colour range was far nicer than the Exports.
Once I finally got my hands on the book Subway Art, I saw the brands that they were using in America. I pulled out the phone book, and called every hardware store in my area.
“Hi, do you have Krylon, Red Devil, or Wet Look spray paint?”
Eventually, I reached a Mitre 10 – “Not yet, but we’re actually getting Krylon in next month.”
I still remember walking into the store for the first time, the rack adorned with ‘Krylon – No Runs. No Drips. No Errors.’ So dope! And the colours: Terracotta, Teal Blue, Grape, Dusty Pink, Colonial Blue, Jade Green, Banner Red, and more. Fond memories.
For this drop, since ROACHI lives in New York now, I wanted to throwback even further, and reach into the nostalgic colours used by the NY writers that we looked up to from across the Pacific Ocean. The colours on this drop aren’t just ‘vintage spray paint inspired’ – they’re pulled directly from a Borden-era Krylon dealer colour chart. The chart that sat in hardware stores in the late 70s and early 80s, the chart that NY writers were stealing cans off the racks of. Every ink in the drop is inspired by a specific can (matched digitally, as we don’t have access to the original physical charts – paint collectors don’t come at me):
Bright Yellow – Krylon 1804. The label called it ‘John Deere Yellow’ because the can colour matched a Deere tractor.
Burnt Orange – Krylon 2406. That classic, slightly faded warm orange that sits perfectly on Ecru and Butter.
Antique White – Krylon 1503. The highlight colour writers used for accents and effects, the off-white you can see in piece photos from the era.
Since we’re in Autumn and approaching Winter, I really considered the tones that would be appropriate and wearable for the season.
Beyond that, I wanted the drop to actually mean something colour-wise – not just “we picked some autumn tones.” I went deep on the research for every ink choice. Looking across vintage charts from Rust-Oleum, Wet Look, and many different Krylon eras. I even pulled out Cap Matches Color’s book at one point. Originally, I was pulling colours from across this research, but in the end I landed on this Borden-era colour chart and adjusted all my colours to ensure they were coming from a single source. The colours chosen were balanced for the season and intended to work cohesively as a collection.
ROACHI’s been writing since 1996 – Tokyo, Sydney, Brooklyn. 23 countries. The handstyle he rocked for us reminds me of the Vato Rat / Rat Bones skull, so I named it ‘Bones’, as a nod.
The lineup:
For the tees, we’ve got Bright Yellow (Krylon 1804) printed on Black, Burnt Orange (Krylon 2406) on Butter, and Antique White (Krylon 1503) on Burgundy.
For the hoods, Antique White (Krylon 1503) on Black, and Burnt Orange (Krylon 2406) on Ecru.
Made-to-order, screen-printed in Brisbane, ships in 2-3 weeks once the timer ends Friday 8 May, 10am (AEST).
We appreciate your patience and support.
Thanks for reading!
✌️
-Luke
Ps. Read our conversation with ROACHI here.
This is a timed release. Available for 72 hours, and then it’s gone for good. Do. Not. Sleep.
