Fast fashion is at an all-time high. Thanks to influencers and constantly swaying clothing trends, stores like SHEIN and H&M boom in sales, with millions of other clothing articles going straight to the dumps. Certain brands try to keep up with the demand, but others like Almost Home are going at their own pace. Almost Home is a UK-based clothing brand focusing on perfecting “Basic” pieces – think blank tees and grey sweatpants. But every piece stems from a nostalgic feeling, evoking products that live as long as the hand-me-downs you’d receive as a child. “Diego came to me with this idea of being Almost Home, and I really related to it,” said Luke Murphy, co-creator of the brand alongside Diego Barrueco. “That feeling can translate from the construction of the shirts to the feeling of them, and at the end of the day, you’ll leave with a product that is wholesome.”
The concept and start of Almost Home are as wholesome as the products they serve. Luke Murphy and Diego Barrueco first met in 2015 in Ireland, where Barrueco was modeling for a brand that Murphy worked for. Between shoots, Barrueco and Murphy became friendly and began talking about starting their own brand and what they felt was missing from the industry. “Ireland is small, so it’s hard to come across like-minded people. When I was talking to Diego, everything seemed to click right away,” said Murphy. From their connection in Ireland, the two started working on bringing Almost Home to life – focusing on quantity and price point. “Working in fashion as a model, I wear a lot of brands, and you get to feel the quality of it,” says Barrueco. “The price doesn’t match up. So my question was, ‘Why isn’t anyone doing really good quality at a semi-decent price?’”
For some brands, higher quality usually leads to higher prices. But with Almost Home’s pieces – each crafted in Europe with soft cotton and precise stitching – the prices range between $60-139. The prices may seem high, but the quality of the garment guarantees you’ll get your money’s worth. “We feel like we give the customer a solid item for what they’re paying,” says Murphy. “This is also our way of being sustainable. If you buy one of our hoodies, you won’t have to buy 10 others because the quality will stand up for a long time.”
This year, StockX will be supporting Almost Home at Yorkville Murals, a week-long art event aiming to provide free and easy access to modern and abstract art in the city of Toronto. While there, Almost Home will drop a limited run of exclusive garments to the event, with each piece carrying on the brand’s emphasis on quality. The collection consists of tees, hoodies, and crewnecks featuring a special “Toronto Yorkville Murals” graphic done in Almost Home’s signature blue, yellow, red, and green colors.
When asked what they’re looking forward to at the event, Murphy and Barrueco expressed their excitement to be within the same spaces as artists and mediums they’re inspired by. “Being able to communicate and connect with the people and the art at Yorkville is what it’s all about,” says Barrueco. Murphy adds, “when we were first playing with the concept for the brand, we often used moodboards with a lot of art that we’ve come across and artists that have challenged our creativity. Being at Yorkville will bring that full circle.”
Check out Almost Home in StockX’s exclusive shipping container at the Zone 1 Yorkville Avenue road closure from August 20th – 28th. If you can’t make it to Toronto, you can still check out StockX’s catalog of Almost Home pieces, where they’re always available.
