Founded in 2009 King Noir are a UK based streetwear brand, the brainchild of two highly creative friends from London, Lawrence Gumm and Thomas Gilmour, expect some very funky and original designs!. Set up shortly after Gilmour (not the voice and guitar of Pink Floyd in case you were wondering) lost his job in a London based art shop, he teamed up with pal Gumm. Lawrence Gumm harks from a film industry background and is a connoisseur of tattoo art. Having been tattooed by some of the most widely respected artists on the scene such as Frith Street’s Xam, Deno and Valerie Vargas it was obvious where their passion and inspiration for outstanding design would spawn. After a few successful brainstorming sessions in an East End boozer the concept of King Noir was born.
There following is small but highly devoted, and with a little exposure I can see King Noir emerging as part of the staple diet of underground streetwear scene of London and beyond. Here’s a few of my faves from their current collection…
The Balloon Vs. Storm tee is available in B/W and red in sizes S-XL, this rather hypnotic little number features a beautiful composition and perhaps a lesson or two for life. A gloriously illustrated vintage hot air balloon that would make Phileas Fogg green with envy sails through a shower of arrows, beyond them lies an abstract sun featuring another of their motifs at its centre, an equally surreal crown with a third eye. At only £15 this and all of their t-shirts are what I would class as a bargain. I can imagine their prices much entice a lot of new custom, which is the whole point after all!
Another slice of utterly British surrealism, I can see King Noir gathering quite a following for their delightfully weird take on fashion. Ninety Nine Anchors features just that, except for some reason they’re dropping from a giant Victorian umbrella. I am starting to wonder if Gumm and Gilmour’s local boozer is spiking their drinks with hallucinogens. No matter what they’re drinking, it’s definitely the right poison. Perhaps the strangest nautical theme tee I’ve seen in a long long while, it’s available in white for £15 in all sizes.
Loving the combo of a Russian doll and Day of The Dead art, this tee is again available in B/W and red there’s as with other shirts in the collection a ‘third eye’ peeking out of the design, and a very subtle use of the logo. A love the woodcut effect in this illustration, a great confluence between folk art and post modern grit give this t-shirt a real edge. Both colours are available for £15 each in all sizes.
The Crown tees are available in black, red and grey and feature their superbly simple yet downright strange logo. If you’re looking for bold design with no messing around then look no further. I get the notion there’s more to it though, living in Britain we’re not citizens but subjects of the Crown. We’re spied on by more cameras than any other country in the world. Two popular subjects for a lot of artists in the UK contemporary scene, this nifty combination of two major problems blend into one gloriously tribal motif. Get this tee for £15 in all sizes.
Check out all their work including tees, badges, stickers, hats and limited edition posters at www.KingNoir.com and make sure to follow all their graphic exploits at Twitter.
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