5preview
Saturday, 11 August 2012 by Lydia Parafianowicz
It’s fashion-forward, courageous, provocative and taking simple t-shirts to the next level. Hot newcomer to the indie fashion world 5preview was founded just four years ago in Italy and is now based in Sweden ... though it has quickly become a favourite of fans across the globe. Known for their graphic t-shirts that imitate and parody high fashion company labels, 5preview was first created to honour French philosophies of fashion.
She says to fund the collection, she decided to design and sell t-shirts because they have the potential to be both simple and effective.
"Then I realized that the buyers from the shops wanted a lot more pieces, so now the collection is a lot bigger," says Mårtensson. "You live you learn."
The line has grown to now include 20 pieces, though keeps its’ original name, 5preview.
Mårtensson had her start in fashion working as a print designer in both Rome and New York, and printed t-shirts in her spare time. She then made a D-I-Y shirt for a teenage fashion magazine, which ended up on myspace.com and its’ popularity exploded. Celebrities started wearing her design, which inspired her to independently create a brand.
While the brand’s popularity has taken off in Europe, Mårtensson says their next project is tapping into the US market. She says she finds inspiration for her designs from her daily life – visiting exhibitions, listening to music, or seeing graffiti, posters and art.
“A t-shirt is like a place where you show who you are to people you don't know,” Mårtensson says. “A lot of people like to identify themselves with the 5preview image – it’s quite aware and rock‘n’roll, but still sophisticated and chic at the same time.”
For more information on 5preview or to shop online, see their website: http://5preview.blogspot.com/.
