‘Something in the Air You Breathe’: Punk brand hopes message about toxic negativity isn’t lost in COVID-19 fog

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One of Kansas City’s newest apparel brands is set to launch its latest collection — with a name that’s likely to turn heads in the midst of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, admitted Nick DeBrodie. 

“We’ve been sitting on this concept for quite a while and we’ve had the actual pieces printed for quite awhile,” DeBrodie, creative director at Lifewar Outfitters, said of the “Something in the Air You Breathe” collection which plays heavily on imagery of gas masks and a post apocalyptic world. 

“I really don’t view this in any way like [we are] trying to capitalize on this particular pandemic,” he added. “Rather it’s this kind of intrinsic message of being able to keep pushing forward and continuing to grow and not stifling ourselves in the face of adversity.”

Click here to shop the collection from the alternative-punk brand which was originally set to for release in March. 

Developed months ago, with no connection to COVID-19, DeBrodie said, the collection taps into a deeper creative message he’s hopeful won’t be lost on customers amid the health crisis. 

“It has to do with personal experience and observation. There were a lot of times in my life where I was afraid to put something out into the world because I was afraid of skepticism or what, ‘Normal,’ people would think,” he said, detailing his inspiration for the collection. 

“In the age of social media and YouTube — where everybody’s a critic — it makes it that much harder to put yourself out there. So, I wanted to kind of create this metaphor for the toxicity that comes with that.”

And for DeBrodie, a gas mask is the best representation of such feelings, he said. 

“The gas mask is used as a metaphor for those creatives to shield themselves from that toxicity. And to just keep striving to be themselves and do what they feel is right.”

In an era where many businesses are crumbling, negativity in the creative space could be enough for an artist to bury their head in the sand, he added, noting it’s more important than ever before for creatives to stay active. 

“What’s important to keep in the back of your head, especially for creatives during the Coronavirus, is that even though things are slowed down, it doesn’t mean you can stop creating,” DeBrodie said, urging Kansas City creatives to stay active and pointing out time spent alone in quarantine could ultimately spark a creative renaissance. 

“There’s no telling what we’re in for when this is all over, so there’s no point in keeping this under wraps much longer,” he said of the company’s stance on pushing through the crisis. 

Though Lifewar has kept its plans above water during the pandemic, the collection hasn’t been released the way it was intended, DeBrodie said, noting the cancelation of a full lookbook shoot. 

Even still, there’s something strong to be said about brands willing to risk it all to share their vision for the world, he added. 

“I think it really says a lot about the character of the people behind whatever project or whatever product it is that they have the confidence and they keep putting out their art no matter what’s going on in the world,” DeBrodie said. 

“If not as many people buy it, that’s fine. Because at the end of the day, you still executed your vision as best as you could, given the situations around you. [Sometimes] it has to get worse before it gets better.”