SECOND/LAYER was founded by A. Franco and Joshua and Jacob Willis in 2012. The philosophy of the brand sticks to minimal garments with a "non-gender aesthetic," as the designers call it, inspired entirely by their roots in California and Venice and the similarity they felt existed between the boyish look for women of the mid-'80s and the Pachuco movement of the '40s and '50s in the Mexican American 'hoods of Los Angeles and El Paso.
"We are interested in elegant simplicity," the designers told Vogue Italia in August 2013. "Our selection is based on the comfort, freedom and flexibility of daily wear, while maintaining a gender-neutral tailored uniformity."
The current collection is as minimal as minimal gets, and is "elegant simplicity" incarnate. Basic tees, trucker jackets, button downs, parkas, a bomber shirt jacket, and more are available in mostly black, with some pieces available in white. There aren't any graphics, text, or loud details. Just good, clean garments you can wear now and beyond. There's even a jumpsuit and Judogi in the mix designed with the same aesthetic if you're up for trying something new. Purchase it all here.
