'Skrap That'

Only in New York can a fashion show with a collection of ripped and sharpie-scribbled tees draw a crowd of hipster followers to the heart of Soho.

The invitation to the Skrapper fashion show arrived on my desk about a week ago, printed on a piece of denim fabric in the same kind of chicken scratch writing iconic of the new line. Prone to be a bit skeptic (and a bit snobbish), I reminded myself that I shouldn’t pass up the opportunity to meet an up-and-coming label.

With my coworker girlfriend in tow, we headed to the Red Bull Space – a venue found wedged between shuttered store fronts and roadwork.

The gathering outside was a mixture of newbie models, wanabe stylists and fashionistas, starving artists and buyers.

Needless to say, this was one event where the designer didn’t hide backstage before the start of the show – we saw him several times exiting and entering the space (well past the fashion show start time, of course).

Already sticky from the unexpected humidity and peeved from the wait, the offering of Skrapper’s own bottled wine did much to ease my mounting frustration (that and the free gift bags once I got to my seat).

The trumpet and electric guitar duet and the video projected “Bulls***, Bulls***, Name drop,Bulls***” on the wall did raise an eyebrow. I mean, what would a brand with only a limited collection of T-shirts online have to bring to the fashion roundtable?

The answer is: Nothing really. Unless we count the attitude.

Models swaggered past in nothing more than tees and black undergarments, appearing angry, sleep-deprived and possibly on drugs. To make for the lack of originality in the collection, one model decided to light a cigarette onstage; another, albino model Shaun Ross, bent over and spanked himself.

In what could be considered the second half of the show, models donned boxing gloves.

Why exactly?

To prove that T-shirts bearing the graffiti words “Republican, Democratic, Skrapper” stood a fighting chance against other fledgling fashion labels? Or was it to distract audience members enough to stay until the end of show?

Turns out that Skrapper is the work of artist and former Warhol exhibition alum William Quigley and designer Katie Theofilos. The portraiture-heavy tees include such well-known icons as Audrey Hepburn and Muhammad Ali

(LIGHT BULB GOES OFF) Maybe that’s where the boxing gloves come from?

Whatever the inspiration, the text on the gift bag couldn’t have summed up tonight more perfectly (yes, I skipped the afterparty):

“Skrapper, Skrapper, Skrap on, Skrapper, Skrapper, Why... Skrapper Who?”