From subculture to surplus culture

The Archive Collection between past and present

Subverting military wear is the original subcultural statement. With the amount of military surplus in America post Korean and Vietnamese wars, the garments were taken from their original context and given new meaning by protesters, peace marchers and countercultures. The Archive Collection seamlessly integrates the functionality of military clothing to cater to today’s crowd of vintage enthusiasts, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone in need of rugged, durable, and stylish garments.

In the 1960s/70s, military wear underwent a transformation in the USA, symbolizing a diverse range of countercultural movements—ranging from political protests and peace marches to creative subcultures like mods, rockers, punks, and artists. Central to this reappropriation was customization: the addition of patches, pins, and paintings to broadcast beliefs, shared knowledge, and tastes, manifesting in a unique personal style. This is what we asked artist Daniel David Freeman to do with some of our Archive Collection pieces: to infuse them with distinctive subcultural symbolism through his creative touch.