“Between our upbringing and where we come from, we felt that our cultures were not represented the right way and that with our brand, we could make a difference.”
Daily Paper founded in 2012 by Hussein Suleiman, Jefferson Osei and Abderrahmane Trabsin of Somalian, Ghanaian and Moroccan descent, is an Amsterdam-based menswear label.
Each Daily Paper item is made to illuminate the customers “passion for individuality and personal style”. The label is committed to authenticity and quality, inspired by the founder’s African heritage and the rich culture of the continent. The brand combines the unique aesthetics of African cultures with contemporary designs possessing a “rugged” quality. With a strong focus on individualism, Daily Paper place major importance on details; from in depth research on various aspects of African history as inspiration for their collections to interpreting this information into original designs and prints in their pieces.
The brand had begun as a lifestyle/fashion blog in 2008, where they sold T-shirts and became popular for their printed T-shirt logos rather than the blog in Amsterdam. The three founders, then friends decided upon a concept to differentiate themselves from other brands and launched their first spring/summer collection in 2012.
This company founded by friends who consider each other family, want to represent the DIY generation. A global movement of underrepresented individuals that is making efforts to break stereotypes, especially those that are assigned to Black and African people. The mission is to be a vehicle where they get to learn more about themselves and the history and at the same time speak to third culture kids that grew up in metropolitan cities in the west.
The brand has grown drastically since its inception, selling in 29 countries in over 200 multi-brand stores. The brand has evolved from making five basic T-shirts for their first collection to a 50-piece collection consisting of wide variety of designs and silhouettes ranging from socks to jackets.
The inspiration:
Abderrahmane believes that "If Daily Paper doesn’t represent Africa anymore, it has no meaning anymore“. They are inspired by the people around: friends, colleagues, global community who live in major cities across the globe. All the people within youth culture platforms act as inspiration.
The brand remains authentic by translating African heritage instead of copying African heritage. The patterns used in their collections are reflection of their interpretation of it. It is less “folklore” and more contemporary. Mix of modern silhouette with African inspired prints and colour palettes. The inspiration ranges form Moroccan tiles, to engravings on traditional alien cutlery and African architecture to patterns and colours used on the houses of the Ndebele tribe in South Africa.
With the ability to cross borders and unite global communities, Daily Paper serves more than just a fashion and lifestyle brand but rather the voice of the youth. Through creativity and fashion, with the aim to inspire young adults through education and setting an example of giving back.
By cultivating the next generation of leaders, Daily Paper has attracted a tribe of multidisciplinary of creatives from all walks of life, a community of like minded individuals who celebrate their roots and champion differences through inclusion.
Head over to Daily Paper’s website to shop the looks now.
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