At the tender age of 15, you were probably struggling through school assignments and wondering what your crush was up to on the weekend, but Hayden Cox had other things on his mind. Instead of the typical teen turmoil, Cox was laying the foundations for his now cult-followed surfboard Haydenshapes, which just dropped its first ready-to-wear clothing collection called Acetone.
If you’ve not come across Haydenshapes before, the award-winning surfboard brand is made right here in Australia, at Cox’s custom manufacturing studio in Mona Vale, Sydney. Cox noticed that surfboard design hadn’t seen much innovation since the 1970s, so he wanted to push the industry forward and currently sells his boards to more than 70 different countries, which are well-loved for their patented parabolic carbon fibre frame surfboard construction “FutureFlex.”
Ever enthusiastic to explore new ideas and projects, Cox has expanded the offering of Haydenshapes beyond surfboards and has designed a 35-piece clothing capsule collection, which feels as familiar as it does contemporary. Using comfortable structured Japanese cotton twill, peached nylon and french terry, the collection has an androgynous edge to it thanks to its boxy silhouettes and surf-inspired design cues.
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“It’s been a long-term goal of mine to introduce ready-to-wear to the Haydenshapes brand,” explained Cox.
“Over the past 5 years, I’ve really focused on laying down the foundations to launch this category in a way that felt true to our vision for this space and bringing our surf DNA to an elevated contemporary apparel offering.”
The collection features classic styles such as the universally wearable volume tee, resin crew jumper and handshape everyday shorts, as well as a number of more progressive and utilitarian designs. These include the litreage utility vest, template coach jacket and volume track pants, which all offer a look at what could become Cox’s signature style.
It’s a refreshing collection from Cox, which pays homage to elements of surf culture, while simultaneously thrusting the overall aesthetic into the present moment. The Acetone capsule collection from Haydenshapes is currently available exclusively at Mr Porter and the Haydenshapes site.
