Who Decides War, an honest manifestation of love

The role of a creative director, besides artistic production, is to build a loyal and cohesive community. The work of Everard "Ev" Bravado and Téla D'Amore for Who Decides War, a brand born on the basis of an intimate as well as a professional partnership, has achieved this by sticking to its New York foundations, immortalising the soul of the city with each collection. Through the use of clear references to the metropolitan and Hip-Hop context in which it came to life, Who Decides War finds pleasure in the study of denim: the designers have ripped it, dyed it and made it patchwork. And even though anchoring the brand's imagery to its birthplace is a traditionalist choice, it has allowed them enough space to look elsewhere and experiment without having to sacrifice the artistic heritage of their work.

With its roots firmly planted in New York, for the new collection Who Decides War has intertwined its path with that of Add, the Italian brand expert in cutting-edge textile technology and luxury outerwear. Together, the two brands have created a line of voluminous and soft parkas, puffer jackets and waistcoats, outlined by white linings and thin cords marrying the world of outdoor sports with that of urban living. «We have combined the fashion vision of Bravado and D'Amore with our product expertise and technicality,» explains Add CEO Marco Corbellini, «In this genderless capsule, our DNA has been retained in its entirety, with characteristics of the technical and luxury outerwear that you recognise in Add.» The collaboration, an integral part of Who Decides War's Fall Winter 2023 collection, was exhibited in New York last month, and was celebrated during Milan Fashion Week inside the Dazio di Ponente of Arco della Pace, a building of neoclassical spirit illuminated for the event by soft lighting and digital reproductions of the garments designed by Ev Bravado and Téla D'Amore, projected with artistic, high-tech installations. A few hours before the launch, Bravado and D'Amore sit on the sofas of the Dazio to discuss "Politics As Usual."

«We wanted to develop outerwear, and we wanted to do it the right way,» explains D'Amore, «The collaboration with Add was so seamless, they really understood what we wanted to do. We had never worked with any kind of technical brand before.» From the very first meeting, Add and Who Decides War were able to bring their different and perfectly complementary production methods together. «When you look at the jackets, it's all so correct,» says D'Amore about Add's sartorial technicality, «That's Italian right there: the prestige of clothing construction.» Recalling with great admiration the work that Add has accomplished, Téla D'Amore traces the linear movement of a sewing machine with her fingers, mimicking the patterns and cut of the jackets currently on display in the center of the room, while Bravado, seated at her side, nods.

During the interview D'Amore is always the first to speak, as his companion listens to her composedly, never intruding and only offering his point of view to the conversation once he is certain that D'Amore has finished speaking. When the unusual aspect of this collection, namely the introduction of office-wear shirts, is mentioned, Bravado almost starts laughing. «Our style is changing a lot, mine particularly,» he explains, «Téla has always been more refined, I have always been more...» He pauses in search of the right term, but D'Amore intercedes. «Loud.»

«I’m a maximalist at heart, but as I’m growing older I’m seeing the beauty in subtleness»

Although there is still a loud component, typical of New York’s chaotic environment and of Bravado's personal style, this Who Decides War collection offers a new take on the city through the introduction of more geometric cuts, combining timeless garments with modern ones, and pairing streetwear with the classic office suit. «I wanted to be more subtle and pay more attention to the subtleness of luxury,» says Bravado about the change of direction for their Fall Winter 2023 collection. The garments still manage to reflect the brand's codes, in the richness of the embroideries, the chromatic experimentalism, the layered silhouettes, and, of course, the presence of denim, less imposing than usual but still remarkable. In this collection, Bravado and D'Amore added leather components in distinctly feminine outfits, wrapping the models' legs down to the tips of their toes in essentially dark skirts and dresses. Taking inspiration from the Wall Street district and its inhabitants, the brokers, the shirts include pinstripe patterns and peep out from underneath Add's signature puffer jackets. «It's the unsung heroes of fashion in New York City, a lot of people who are icons but don't really get noticed,» says D'Amore, «The pinstripes played into that, but you also had the puffer from Downtown.»

Hidden beneath the structured denim of Who Decides War there’s a sense of intimacy, and not because the brand was founded by a couple, but more so because each garment tells the story of the designer with rare honesty: Bravado launched his first brand Lease on Life Society right as he graduated high school, producing entire collections that met with imminent success, consequently steering him towards an unruly life, marked by self-destructive habits such as drug abuse. In 2016 he turned his life over to founding the Ev Bravado brand to rewrite the fortunes of his career, attracting the attention of creatives such as Virgil Abloh, who invited him at Off-White™ to create total denim looks, and Heron Preston, for whom he designed hoodies with the Anti 666 graphic, the print work symbolic of Bravado's authentic Catholic devotion that’s still echoed in the Who Decides War logo today. «At first we were very literal, there were a lot of images of the crucifix and the Madonna,» says Bravado, explaining that he downplayed references to Christianity after discussing it with friends who belonged to other religions. «They would say, “I really want to wear it, but there's a crucifix on it,” so we steered towards the oath of the stained glass.»

In “Politics As Usual” Catholicism is veiledly expressed in the application of lace panels on denim, the use of pearl necklaces, and even in the bag handles, which emulate Jesus' crown of thorns. The only direct reference to religion is found in the stained glass patch, sewn symmetrically on tops and jackets, or taken up in cut-out motifs on dresses and skirts. «The shape of the stained glass, at the end of the day, is used everywhere, from mosques to cathedrals, anyone can relate to it. As we are getting older and smarter with our brand’s communication, we are trying to be more inclusive.» On the basis of this concept, the pair have built a modern metaphor to move away from the narrative of worship and religion in its strict sense. «A secondary part of the motif of the stained glass is it’s a window, and it’s a mirror,» adds D'Amore, «It's more so a conversation of reflection, whether that’s about yourself or politics.»

«The stained glass is a window, and it’s a mirror, it’s more so a conversation of reflection, whether that’s about yourself or political»

Now studying and questioning themselves and their own structures, Who Decides War is slowly evolving. Among the main interests of Bravado and D'Amore, however, there doesn’t seem to be a need to stand out or to become famous, but rather to respond faithfully to the demand of their customers, and to offer them an increasingly high level of production from an artistic and technical point of view. Faced with the current uprising of minimalist fashion, they are not discouraged, because they are well aware of the taste of those who like Who Decides War. «People expect the most from us. When it comes to denim, we have to cater to the maximalists,» explains Bravado «I’m a maximalist at heart. If you look at our main line, there are pieces that are just about texture, it’s not distressed or embroidered, but it still has a technique that is special.»

Asked about his love for eccentric looks, Bravado defends himself. «I think I’m battling with being seen, so I’m just trying to make things that maneuver through the city, and people don’t notice me, but at the same time if they pay attention they can tell it’s me.» The personal vision of the brand's future expressed by Bravado is then put on a professional level by D'Amore: «This season we challenged ourselves with tailoring. Those are the cues we’re trying to pay attention to now, a less loud conversation. One of the biggest things to do moving forward is trying to nail the look, so you can wear anything from Who Decides War and it fits perfectly; there will be adjustable components, and that's the next conversation of luxury, inclusivity.»

By this point in the interview, it is clear how deep the mutual understanding between the two is, as they take turns in conversation at a slow and confident pace dictated by the knowledge that what the other is about to say will be the right thing. Despite this, working together is not as easy as they make it sound. «It's difficult, we were just talking about it yesterday: open lines of communication are a must,» says D'Amore, recalling the moment when they both realized there were much deeper feelings beyond their professional relationship. «We established these ground rules very early on.» This strong sense of trust and transparency is also conveyed in the brand's corporate structure, where everyone has a say. «With the people who come to work with us, it's ride or die. In the past I've worked for companies that mixed business with family, it can be confusing, but I like to think that the people in the room with me are smarter than me, the best at what they do, so we don't want the people who work for us to be tethered to us, if they have projects they are working on, we support them. It's a give and takes.»

Still, a family business, Who Decides War and its founders have been receiving numerous investment opportunities, but do not feel ready to hand over the reins to a third party yet. «In a way, neither of us had this kind of training in traditional design and growing a business, we’re very self-taught. Before we expand into a larger position, we're trying to really understand what we're doing as entrepreneurs and as people who are meant to grow.» D'Amore's speech shows great positivity with respect to the future, in which she and Bravado will experiment with other media, from art to music, to consolidate the brand's community and return to it the same support it has shown the brand so far. WDW's imagery tells a story of war, religion, and New York urban life, but deep down, it has always expressed love.