Youssef Metwali, one half of the streetwear label Grind London, is pretty influenced by his home city – if a name is anything to go by. The British capital has informed the label since its inception in 2011 but looking at Grind’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection, it’s clear that South Asian aesthetics have become just as inspiring as South London attitudes. Chatting with i-D, Youssef unpacked the cross-cultural dialogs that have shaped his label’s recent drop. “There’s a two way exchange between the East and West in streetwear. We love them and they love us.” he explained, “I draw inspiration from all around me, and then pass it through an internal ‘London’ filter to give our take on it.”
The label’s latest lookbook was shot in the south of Thailand and features actor Joke Akarin, Thailand’s answer to Johnny Depp. Joke is also a good pal of Youssef’s, which is how he came to front the new Grind campaign, Youssef says, “Joke’s got the dark with the light, which is endearing, our models are people with personalities and lifestyles we support.”
You can dive into our highlights from the lookbook and the ‘In Season’ film starring Joke and shot on Ko Chang island below.
Credits
Text Isabelle Hellyer
Photography John Todd