solemates...chicago

Chicago's burgeoning Hip Hop scene has a partner in crime, that partner being a fresh crop of clothing designers and brands reshaping popular fashion and doing it in their own ways.  You'll find many of them on the pages of RubyHornet and other various websites, as well as on the backs, heads, legs, and feet of some of your favorite artists.  While brands such as Leaders 1354, PHLI, and St. Alfred may come to mind first when thinking of Chicago's leading street wear brands, there are many more below the surface.  Once such brand is Ends/Wealth, which caught my eye a couple months ago when I made a stop into Solemates.  I asked our girl Autumn for some info and she put me in contact with Brandon Breaux, and Juan Sanchez the duo behind the brand aimed at "safeguarding integrity."   

That motto, and the deeper meaning behind it caught my attention just as much as the clothing styles and designs caught my eye. It also serves as the backbone of the company, as Juan said,

"Safeguarding our integrity in the sense of protecting everything you as a person stand for, where you came from, and what you love to do. Ends/Wealth stands for making ends meet while doing what you love and progressing towards wealth. No one can define your wealth but you, so it’s up to you to really push on doing things that fit you and make you better."

Getting better and more intricate in their work is what's on tap for Brandon and Juan as 2008 turns into 2009.  They expound the past, future, and present of the brand, as well as how Chicago's fashion and music scenes are intertwined and have grown together.  Check the rest here...