Fresh outta Wakefield
Streetwear designer Gabriel Boote wants to conquer the rap fashion market. Photo: Jo Kent.
What started as a hobby has developed into a streetwear business for Wakefield’s Gabriel Boote.
The 17-year-old is currently in his last year at Waimea College and his Archangel clothing brand has recently taken off with the official launch last month.
“I’m all over socials right now and I sold out of my initial batch of hoodies after Nino Andretti, a New Jersey-based music producer, name-checked me.
“So, off the back of that, I’ve just dropped my first phase called ‘AA Basics’ which is a line of hoodies intended to be worn by anyone, at any time.”
He says every single detail of his range has been meticulously selected by him.
“What people don’t realise is that a hoodie isn’t just a hoodie. Mine don’t have drawstrings on the hood, and I’ve selected everything from the cut of the cuffs to the weight of the fabric. People want a hoodie that’s comfortable but not too casual, and warm without being too hot to wear year-round. It’s unique to Archangel.”
He came up with his brand name after several days of brainstorming.
“I wanted something which reflected me but also what I wanted from my brand. Then it just came to me – I was named after Archangel Gabriel, the herald of visions, so it was perfect.”
Juggling college work and designing keeps him busy, and he does everything from his bedroom at home, outsourcing the production overseas.
“I did everything in New Zealand initially, but the costs were so high it was impossible to maintain, so now I outsource the manufacturing elsewhere which allows me to make some money from it and reinvest into the brand.”
The second phase of his launch is t-shirts, which will follow later this year.
“I love it when people tag me wearing my clothes or take a photo of someone wearing my brand and then send it to me.
“My friend saw someone in Christchurch wearing one of my hoodies recently and it’s so great to see that people are buying into my idea – and not just locally.”
He got into fashion when he was just 13 and realised his dream of being a rapper just wasn’t viable.
“Being from New Zealand, it took me until about the age of 13 to realise that I probably wasn’t going to make it as a rapper. But I was so invested in that culture and the fashion that I focused my passion there and by 16, I was ready to launch this brand.”
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He made his own money by buying and selling vintage clothes online, but since launching Archangel he doesn’t have as much time for that anymore.
“It really helped me to raise enough capital to be able to get where I am today and things are starting to move forward quickly which is exactly what you want, to have a sell-out brand.”
To find out more, visit @gabrielboote on Instagram.