Hip Hop Meets Goth in Gods of the City's 'The Dissolution' Collection

Taking on a true goth sensibility and merging it with streetwear we’ve come to associate with hip-hop, ‘The Dissolution’ - a new ready-to-wear collection by local label ‘Gods of the City’ - is a step into uncharted territory.

“The Dissolution is about losing the ego, and coalescing with the energy of the universe, letting go of all the labels we burden ourselves with,” Basem Ismail - the 26-year-old designer and creative director who launched the label with his business partner and filmmaker Bumbi - tells SceneStyled. Their campaign images intentionally contrast darkness with the fluidity of the clothing itself to translate a very particular emotional state.

“Letting go is actually a struggle and an internal conflict,” Ismail adds. “It’s a dilemma. Sometimes it flows, sometimes you feel helpless, sometimes angry.” The visuals are aggressive, a little hazy and unclear, a sentiment Ismail knows is synonymous with life as a creator. The chains and rocks used in the shots all represent the emotional baggage we limit ourselves with - the things we need to lose in order to find ourselves again in a better way.

In the spirit of removing labels, Ismail kept the collection completely unbranded. To him, dissolution means dissolving into nothingness, and surrendering the idea of who you should be, something that he believes only serves to limit oneself. “We’re trying to communicate the idea that human beings have the power to change and do whatever they want, they hold the whole universe within them,” he says. “We want to empower creatives to explore themselves and their potential and to find the power to create, inspire, and change what they want to in the world.”

The collection is currently available through godsofthecity.com