The streetwear brand celebrating the mystical
- Text by Huck
With their latest capsule, SCRT are blurring the lines between truth and fiction. Centred on fictional accounts of a meteor shower that took place over an abandoned Scottish town, the Clune Park collection shines a light on sensationalism, the mystical and that very human urge to seek meaning from the unexplainable.
The story dictates that the shower began at 9pm on 1 June, 1986. A total of 12 meteors survived the trip to earth, with reports of locals experiencing strange phenomena following suit. “It was an exercise in creativity, really,” explains SCRT co-founder Adam Kirk. “When you anchor yourself in truth, but give yourself the freedom of narrative to expand reality into fiction, creatively it becomes very interesting.”
“Stretching the truth is a similar exercise to that of the creative expansion that you have to do when developing ideas,” he continues. “We had this opportunity to create a whole universe around an idea.”
The collection itself focuses on the 12 meteorite samples as well as eyewitness testimonies, with designs reminiscent of National Park merchandise. An accompanying zine, Praise Be The Meteor, dives deeper into the mythology they’ve constructed, with accounts from the “fanatics” who have since dedicated their lives to the shower.
“The zine is dated 1989, and we printed it using the risograph printing method, echoing the DIY zine ethic that this community would have made,” says Kirk. “So it feels like a living artefact, an old punk magazine you might find stuffed in a drawer somewhere. The zine was an exercise in pushing absurdity, taking inspiration from old Viz mags.”
While Clune Park toys with the idea of the post-truth era, Kirk insists they never set out to make an “sensational political statement”. That said, arriving at a place where they were able to question who gets to tell stories, and why, felt natural. “There are a few media sources that do control what is said in the broader media landscape, and plenty of parallels can be drawn between what we’re saying through Clune Park and what you can observe in the media at large.”
Fundamentally, though, Clune Park is a celebration of the strange and absurd. In a world of routine, cycles and digital saturation, SCRT are instead choosing to find magic in the unexplainable.
“The fanatics in the zine, they could be astrology fanatics now, wanting their fate prescribed for them. Yet they’re all us in a way, hoping we’ve found an answer that explains everything, and wanting others to believe what you believe – that’s just natural.”
Join us as we celebrate Clune Park with a Huck x SCRT event in London on 27 May, 2022. You can also shop collection now.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Vintage photos of London street life at the turn of the millennium
London 1995-2005 — In her new photobook, Joan Piekny reflects on a decade shooting the styles and subcultures of the UK capital’s streets, just before technology .
Written by: Miss Rosen
Princess Julia: “I always state my age as I can’t believe I’m still around”
First lady — As the latest Artist-In-Residence of Huck 83, the London nightlife legend speaks to Josh Jones and provides a few recommendations and words of wisdom.
Written by: Josh Jones
A luminous portrait of Black life over six decades
Shared Memories — As staff photographer for The New York Times, Chester Higgins captured Black culture and spiritual connection like no other. A new exhibition celebrates his life and impact.
Written by: Miss Rosen
A tender portrait of life and ritual from Mexico City’s streets
Órale — For the last six years of his life, photographer, collector and designer Michel Hurst documented death rituals, street life and religious pageantry in contemporary Mexico. A new monograph showcases his work.
Written by: Roxana Diba
In photos: Washington DC’s Black communities facing up to gentrification
A Language We Share — A new exhibition featuring the work of Beverly Price and Gordon Parks preserves historically Black neighbourhoods in the USA, before development and economic forces made them disappear.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The London passport picture studio that became an unexpected repository of 20th century stars
Passport Photo Service — From Mick and Bianca Jagger to Muhammad Ali and Poly Styrene, the unassuming Oxford Street store was frequented by hundreds of musicians, actors, artists and more over its 70 years of operation.
Written by: Miss Rosen
