Guest List: North Hill x Adekunle Gold Capsule Collection on StockX

From Paris to Lagos, the connection between North Hill, Adekunle Gold and StockX came naturally. Indeed, the Parisian fashion brand has developed a capsule collection with the man known as Tio Tequila, inspired by his latest album Catch Me If You Can, which will soon be available online on StockX and at the StockX LDN Drop-Off.

Passport cover from the North Hill x Adekunle Gold capsule collection – Photo credit: @stevehappi_ on Instagram

For this exclusive drop, I was able to speak with AG Baby and the 3 founders of North Hill, who shared with us their vision of fashion and music, their connection to the “Ville Lumière” and their collaborative project.

Zihad, Michael and Christophe, Founders of North Hill, live from their studio – Photo credit: @stevehappi_ on Instagram

Herbby: What made you fall in love with music?

Adekunle Gold: I fell in love with music from being in a choir as a teenager. We had rehearsals every Wednesday and performed in front of the whole church every Sunday. I enjoyed doing that and I feel like that routine got me really interested in music.

North Hill x Adekunle Gold capsule collection worn by Tio Tequila via @adekunlegold on Instagram

H: Same questions for you North Hill, regarding Paris Nord?

North Hill: We all arrived in Paris at the age of 18 and we settled in the north of Paris, primarily around Stalingrad. Our first memory of the north of the capital is its dynamism. It’s alive everywhere and there’s great cultural diversity on all levels. This is what really attracted us and what we liked from the moment we arrived. Coming from Martinique and Spain. we also really appreciated the fact that there were always exhibitions, parties, and concerts all over Paris.

On set with the North Hill Founders, live from their studio – Photo credit: @stevehappi_ on Instagram

H: In addition to your music, your fashion sense speaks for itself. Gives us some insights into your secret formula for a 5-Star style.

AG: My style is first and foremost, comfortable. Then I always say “dress your best so that you can feel your best.” Any outfit that you feel your best in is a 5-star look.

H: North Hill, in addition to being inspired by Paris Nord, your pieces are also made in Paris Nord. Why is it important for you to ensure local production?

NH: There are several reasons. First of all, it’s important for us to be as ethical as possible and producing locally allows us to have short circuits and to be more respectful of the environment.

Secondly, local production allows us to be more respectful of the people we work with. We know each employee who works in our workshop personally, which creates a real social bond within our team.

Another positive point is the creative freedom. We can really create and produce what we want, unlike brands that relocate their production and have to adapt to the conditions imposed by local structures.

H: AG, what’s your connection with Paris in terms of fashion and style?

AG: Paris for me feels like a city with no boundaries in terms of how people dress. People are free to express themselves and tell a story about who they are with their style. I love that.

North Hill x Adekunle Gold capsule collection worn by Tio Tequila via @adekunlegold on Instagram

H: How is the North Hill brand connected to the world of music?

NH: North Hill was born out of our love of music. The adventure started with a music blog which then expanded into releasing t-shirts. The operation was a hit so we decided to continue with the clothing!

On set with the North Hill Founders, live from their studio – Photo credit: @stevehappi_ on Instagram

H: You are about to drop your North Hill x Adekunle Gold capsule collection on StockX. How did the connection initially come about?

AG: I actually came across North Hill on Instagram, I’m always on the lookout for interesting pages and brands. So I reached out just to say I thought they were dope and we met up with Michael in Paris and we got on really well. That’s how it started.

NH: It’s again linked to our love for music. We decided to post sounds we liked on our Instagram stories every Monday as a “Monday Tracks” series. We shared Adekunle’s music a few times, tagging him, and we started to interact with him like that. He liked the brand, we sent him some pieces and since then we’ve created a real relationship with him. We catch up with him every time he comes to Paris and that’s how the collaboration was born.

A glimpse of a piece from the North Hill x Adekunle Gold capsule collection – Photo credit: @stevehappi_ on Instagram

H: What is the main theme of the collection? Tell us about the creative process.

AG: The collection is themed around the album that I dropped earlier this year, Catch Me If You Can. I was inspired to make this album whilst I was touring, so it’s themed around airlines and planes. You can see AG baby airlines on the pieces and tiny planes in the print of the fabric. When I made this project I thought I was touring a lot but 2022 has been even more insane for me. I performed 20 shows on the North American leg of my tour and now I’m touring Europe for the first time. So I really did manifest ‘Catch Me If You Can’ .

North Hill x Adekunle Gold capsule collection worn by Tio Tequila via @adekunlegold on Instagram

The creative process was between me, my manager, and North Hill. We had a shared Pinterest board and a lot of back and forth over the phone as we were never together physically. The outfit I wore in my album artwork inspired the colours we selected and then I just made sure they were comfortable pieces. Comfortable enough for any occasion, but especially for flying!

NH: The theme of the collection revolves around AG’s latest album Catch Me If You Can, which refers to travelling, especially by plane. So we developed a custom-printed fabric that depicts a dark sunset, with planes in the sky and clouds around them. This fabric is used as a base for all the pieces in the collection, which are a mix of our flagship pieces and exclusive silhouettes inspired by Adekunle’s own universe: a jacket, a pair of trousers, a tech vest, tees, and a bob. We also created patches and other details in line with the theme. We really played on the journey between Paris and Lagos, to highlight our respective origins.

We take advantage of each of our collaborations to immerse ourselves in the artist’s universe. For us, it’s refreshing, it allows us to tackle different topics.

On set with the North Hill Founders, live from their studio – Photo credit: @stevehappi_ on Instagram

H: Why did you choose to release this collaborative project on StockX?

NH: It’s again a connection that was made organically thanks to David Bellion from Super Vision Office! He put us in touch with the StockX team, they were immediately interested in the collab and we were already planning to release it in London on the date of Adekunle’s concert, October 9th. So we suggested the idea to StockX and they were very enthusiastic. We appreciate their dynamic of pushing young brands through their platform. The exclusive, limited edition aspect of the collab was another element that spoke to them, so we were really aligned with this project.

North Hill x Adekunle Gold capsule collection worn by Tio Tequila via @adekunlegold on Instagram

H: AG, how does this collaborative project reflect your music?

A glimpse of a piece from the North Hill x Adekunle Gold capsule collection – Photo credit: @stevehappi_ on Instagram

H: How do we get the North Hill x Adekunle Gold capsule collection?

NH: The collection will be available on the 8th and 9th of October at StockX LDN Drop-Off (52 Brewer Street, London, W1F9TQ). After that, it will go online at a date we are about to announce so stay tuned!