Gauntlett Cheng T-SHIRTS

Defying fashion's dogmatic nature, Gauntlett Cheng’s off-beat aesthetic is a genuine exploration of gender-fluidity and body-positivity through artfully hand-crafted garments. Co-founders and designers Jenny Cheng and Esther Gauntlett met while interning at Eckhaus Latta’s Williamsburg Warehouse studio, sparking an entry into New York City’s underground DIY scene that would eventually result in their label’s 2015 debut. Cheng, a freelance knit instructor for brands like Calvin Klein, and Gauntlett, a freelance accountant by day, dedicate every spare second to designing, pattern-making, and textile manipulation. Delicate semi-sheer stretch knits are beautifully adorned with textured patterns and minutiae, elevating halter tops, tiny triangle bras, and dresses into affirming pieces intended for wearers across the age and size spectrums. Intricate jacquard techniques illustrate a signature eclecticism that mirrors the realities of Cheng and Gauntlett’s daily existence, touching on concepts like hot and sexy summers, cheeky nighttime attire, and corporate life gone wrong. Their decision to downsize to one single collection per year–both a method of self-preservation and an act of irreverence–bought them the time they require to continue with their experiments in tactility and silhouette, and to continue creating clothing for those informed individuals living in the world today.