Long before the streetwear game had even been established, 555 Soul was leading the way. Back in the '90s, when the world was a very different place, this brand showed people how to dress cool and casual, combining New York's hip-hop style with the West Coast's surfer vibe. Its founder, Camella Ehlke, crushed souls when she stepped away from the brand in the early 2000s, leaving it in the hands of her partner Troy Morehouse. In its years under Morehouse, the brand was taken in a different direction from Ehlke's vision, ultimately collapsing under the pressure of the industry. Now, 2 decades since her departure, Camella is giving her beloved brand a new lease on life at a time when streetwear has never been more popular...
"I am thrilled to announce the rebirth of 555 Soul. We opened shop in the Lower East Side in 1989 with a sewing machine in the front and a clubhouse in the back. The store was a hub for artists, musicians, and designers," Ehlke wrote in a statement on the brand's new Instagram page. "It was an era of creative energy, full of indie magazines and record labels, mix-tape DJs, and hand-made fashions. It was a lifestyle without the internet, cell phones, or Amazon," she wrote. "It was New York City in the 90s—electric, unpolished, and bubbling with potential. The culture at 555 was vibrant, fresh, and collaborative. We now call this culture Streetwear."
Camella informed her followers on Friday that she'd been working on the brand throughout 2022, joining forces with "a small team of creatives to design goods we feel passionate about." She emphasized that the goal of the brand is "not only to reveal our legacy but also to tell stories of this generation."
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The highly-anticipated first collection will be available in the Spring/Summer of 2023. As she explained, "the collection will be a nod to 'the brand's] humble beginnings at 151 Ludlow St." and will include mostly bespoke, one-off pieces made by Camella herself on her sewing machine in Brooklyn. "I look forward to connecting with everyone," she concluded her statement. Stay tuned as we countdown till the brand's revival...
