In tough luxury times, being the cool kid isn’t enough to stay afloat. Today, the rising streetwear brand Hood by Air announced it will be taking a hiatus, effective immediately. The news comes as a surprise to the industry, as the brand seemed to finally be getting its footing, garnering a cult following and having its men’s and women’s collections stocked in many top retailers.
The announcement was made in a release from the public relations firm PR Consulting, which represents the brand.
“Co-founders Shayne Oliver and Leilah Weinraub will be focusing on their current projects,” the press release read. “Weinraub is currently developing her film and directorial career with her upcoming project ‘SHAKEDOWN,’ included in the Whitney Biennial in May. Oliver will be devoting himself in the immediate future to his responsibilities at Helmut Lang.”
The brand, which was launched in 2006, defied gender stereotypes with its bold collections. This was a message that rang particularly true in the footwear department, too. For spring ’16, Oliver showed lace-up heels for men. Flash forward to spring ’17 and he showed double-faced Western boots that were the talk of New York Fashion Week.
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“Hood By Air was launched because there was something missing — this is the driving force behind the brand,” Oliver told Footwear News in 2015. “If you look at each collection, it will tell you what I didn’t see at the particular time.”
Though the news came as a surprise, the signs were there. This past fall ’17 season, for instance, Oliver cancelled his runway show during Paris Fashion Week at the last minute, just a few weeks before the presentation.
No timeline was given as to when Hood by Air will return, however the release said the label “will continue to fulfill its creative vision in the near future.” It is currently carried in retailers like Barneys New York and Ssense.
