Warm-Up Bomber - Frontera/Watercolor

Making clothes is a personal for Angelo Urrutia. Everything made under his label 4SDesigns has connection to his life as a designer, father, husband, son and friend. Within that scope though, this particular item represents a very personal story.

The deep pile fleece of this jacket is emblazoned with jacquard woven graphics from various street signs on the Mexican/US border. They warn people of the dangers associated with crossing the border. From dangerous desert, wilderness, rough waters, non potable water and traffic – these images are meant to discourage those hoping to make the journey illegally.

For Urrutia, this rings true to his experience as a child. Angelo's mother made this very journey with her son, brother and niece – fleeing to the US as refugees of the American-funded civil warn in El Salvador. To Angelo, the images on this fleece represent the sacrifice and hardships through which his mother endured in order for her family to live a better life.

Whilst this garment is no-less luxurious than anything else Urrutia designs, it's this level of connection and storytelling which makes garments like this truly incredible.