ART COMES FIRST: A Collective bringing back the art of craft

Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh founded the ACF in order to circulate sartorial nourishment, oxygenating time-based projects through dynamic collaborations with DIE-RENT creatives in their network. The ACF's network continues to both dene and redene the real ACF with Lambert and Maidoh dedicated to pumping the day-to-day lifeblood through its ever expanding creative corpo partly by provoking their peers with specic creative concepts.

Art Comes First (ACF), a collective with on aim to bring style and tailoring back into the masculine wardrobe. Founders Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh are the pioneers of the group, and together their style channels of the gentlemen from yesteryear but with a decidedly current vibe.

Their recent project under ACF coined COAL is the epitome of this. The COAL project involved a network of artists from different fields, joining forces to create the Artistic Craftmans Freedom (ACF, again). Together they negotiated craftsmanship, function and elegance – all in one tastefully packed suitcase.

The concept of the packed suitcase embodied the romantic notion of the sartorial traveller. The essentials needed for a man living the life of perpetual wanderlust and never-ending nomadic research.  Each of the respective designers; Aroun Ducrox from Lotho Eyewear, Kalaf Angelo a poet/writer, Matteo Gioli from Superduper Hats, Sebastian Dollinger from Eton Shirts, and T-Michael a leather-goods maker, produced the ACF travel staples. 

Each item in the suitcase, including the travel bag, were created with the concepts of utility, function and style – the requirements for travel AND impeccable grooming (a cause Lambert and Maidoh are totally devoted to).

The ‘essentials’; eyewear, a hat, a shirt, a tie, a pair of shoes, socks and a scrapbook are all uniformed black, a simple colour which glossed the  ‘ travel pack ‘ with artistic attitude.  Attitude that saw the pack exhibited at Pitti Uomo, earlier this year, cementing the ACF with fashion kudos and proving the ethos of Lambert and Maidoh –that style isn’t just about fashion but rather about elegance and simplicity.

The Coal project is the work of 7 innovators that have come together to create ‘Pack Essential’ the ultimate basics for any creative that finds themselves living out of a suitcase across different parts of the world for their work. The main element of this project was to choose essential items that are needed for the sartorial traveler that don’t weigh a huge amount and can come in handy no matter what scenario you find yourself in

The Pack consists of a Handmade Leather Bag, The Ultimate Black Shirt, An Italian Handmade Hat, Hand Crafted Glasses from Japan, Fine Cotton Socks, Leather Soled English Made Shoes and a curated photographic poetry book. All the items come together to fit into the leather bag for anyone to pick up and go. Having began conceptual ideas at Pitti Uomo in June and 6 months of development, ACF, whose values are ‘Sartour, Alchemy & Progression’ will present their project in January within the Alternative Exhibition area over the 4 day period. On location at the exhibition are ACF founders and business partners Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh who have worked to curate the installation with artisans from across the world. The collaboration partners include Super Duper Hats, Lotho Eyewear, Eton Shirts, T-Michael and Kalaf Angelo who’s work will be displayed at the installation.

For further information, Imagery or interview requests please contact ACF by e-mail in the first instance at info@artcomesfirst.com

Visit ACF online at www.artcomesfirst.com or follow on tumblr at artcomesfirst.tumblr.com