The 4Sdesigns Haul
A sudden opportunity to become a collector of one of my favorite brands.
I have always been a fan of Angelo Urrutia’s 4Sdesigns. It was a young brand, backed by people who had a lot of experience in the menswear industry. An American menswear designer producing in Italy with a focus on fits & crazy fabrics? Sign me up. During my time as a buyer for OALLERY we actually carried the brand, and I also got to meet the team, visit the showrooms and attend the shows. They were experiences I will never forget and I am really grateful for them. Unfortunately, just like at OALLERY, there was trouble behind the scenes. I felt bad for the brand and the people who worked there. They were a very passionate team and the brand had beautiful products, so I genuinely wished for them to have a successful place in menswear.
Fast forward to a little over a month ago, when I got a text in the groupchat from a friend. A lot of 4Sdesigns pieces had suddenly been posted on Vinted, some items for about 1/10th of the retail price. We were quick to act and started contacting the people behind it. There turned out to be a lot more and the prices, which were already low, were up for negotiation as well. I grabbed linesheets from previous seasons and we started eyeballing a couple of items. Quickly I drafted up a wishlist to ask for specific items, like the reversible velvet bomber jacket that I really liked. Unfortunately, they did not have it.
While the first items were from relatively old seasons, like SS21 and FW22, my heart dropped when I suddenly saw samples pop up from FW24; the season that never went into production.
I did not hesitate for a moment when I saw the most eye-catching tweed overshirt and a silk shirt made with a vintage tie-making machine (!!!). I feel incredibly lucky to own these two pieces, as later on I’ve been told that there are probably only 2 of each in existence.
Me and my friend gate-kept the secret until we were satisfied with our acquired collection. Then I told my roommate about it and he was quick to act, buying over 5 items within a couple of days. I myself ended up with 7 pieces and even some of my friends who are not into fashion now walk around with a cashmere flannel shirt from the brand. One of the items I have not yet worn though, but bought really impulsively, is a silk trucker jacket in this strange rainbow pattern that also has the colours of the German flag in it. There was probably some story behind why they chose these colours, but it's somewhat intense.
One of the best items of my haul were the corduroy deerskin pants, which retail for about 1500 euros. I managed to get them for 120, which is an insane deal for any leather pants. It felt a little bit dissociative to purchase high end items for prices that low. Because of this event, the brand has become very dominant within my social circles, even among my friends who are not as much into fashion. Suddenly everyone had a few pieces of what was one of the most exciting brands in menswear a season ago. I guess I can only say that I’m happy to see my friends dripped out in rare garments, but it does make everything feel a little bit less special knowing that we all got it for the low.
