Unisex Clothing, Accessories and Outerwear from thesalting
Made-in-America pieces from a new brand designing out of NYC
When holding a garment from thesalting—not just carrying it but really analyzing it; running one’s fingers along the lines, feeling the fabric—you begin to understand their commitment to old-world craftsmanship. From afar, this brand’s debut is a collection of future-forward, unisex items. It’s a cohesive collection, and the brand’s identity is tangible. Every silhouette is simple and nautical components act as highlights—bit of rope here, a dash of salt there (more on this later). But for all of these traditionally luxuriant elements—quality Italian and Irish fabrics included—there is a sense that thesalting is wholly future-forward. It could be the colors or the loose, flowing nature of many articles, but the past and future don’t collide here. There’s no clash or loud statement. Rather, everything blends beautifully.
Two New York fashion industry veterans (both named Michael) founded the brand. Michael Ward and Michael Smaldone had a vision for products that could be considered both raw and refined. No product embodies this more than one of their T-shirts. “This is based off of a vintage 1979 Nike T-shirt I still have from high school,” Smaldone explains to CH. This translates to a shirt of exceptional softness, crafted from a fine-gage cotton. Other shirts feature equally delicate materials, including luxe cotton silk and other silky textures. One of their T-shirts was also made in collaboration with the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Further, their range of caftans comes across as something more than just an oversized shirt, something commonly the case. “It made sense to us as a unisex category,” Smaldone adds.
Their roster of coats also emphasizes comfort, with oversized and flowing cuts. Once again, there’s a superb use of fabric and color. And their line of hats was done in collaboration with one of the oldest hat manufacturers in America, out of Pennsylvania. This collaboration was actually serendipitous: “We never told them our name [during product development], but they said, ‘We do this very cool vintage-y effect with salt.’ We said, ‘You’re kidding me,’ and explained our name to them.” The salting refers to a parcel of seaside land that gets flooded with water, and is left covered in salt after the liquid recedes. The salting feature used on their gray hat is a ring of sparkling salt crystals.
Collaboration extends elsewhere, with the goal being a full-fledged lifestyle brand. They’re currently creating a scent, working on ceramics and planning to release salts—including black salt from Hawaii, made with Victoria Gourmet. Explore thesalting’s debut collection online now. Everything will be available through their online store in August.
Images courtesy of thesalting
