THE JOURNAL

Wearable art inspired by the works of Mr J.G.Ballard.
And the award for best mood board of the year goes to… the artist brothers Messrs Nick and Phil Goss, who, in their new collaborative capsule with cult British brand Folk, have trained their creative faculties upon The Drowned World, a 1962 novel by the late and great science-fiction writer Mr JG Ballard. The book, set in London in 2145, depicts a world in which temperatures have risen and the polar ice caps have melted and transformed our great cities into semi-submerged lagoons that are overgrown with tropical vegetation. It’s an excellent starting point for a set of print designs by the artists, in which bold, watery drawings of various post-crisis flora and fauna cascade across a range of shirts, jackets, jerseys and sweats.
Why the drowned world in particular? “When Nick and I first met up we discussed fabrics, colours and influences,” says Mr Cathal McAteer, the founder of Folk and a longtime admirer of Mr Goss’s work. “From there Phil came into the picture. Nick and Phil introduced J.G. Ballard – Phil studied English Literature at university and it all stemmed from there. We all liked the idea of looking at something you know but seeing in a new light, like London in the novel.”
As for the collection itself, Mr McAteer described it as “wearable art” – and it’s pretty hard to argue with that definition. Scroll down to discover some of our favourite pieces.
HERE BE ALLIGATORS
One feature of Mr Ballard’s future London is that the city is overrun with reptiles, not just swimming through the water but sprawling in the boardrooms of half-submerged office blocks. Accordingly, the Goss brothers have created a particularly eye-catching print of a giant alligator, which is splashed across this jacket and matching shorts. If you’re trying to keep the whole thing a little more subtle, you might want to wear the former with a pair of navy chinos or shorts. But then again, why not dive in and go for both at once?
PELICAN CROSSING
A more nuanced take on The Drowned World’s wildlife theme is offered up with this camp-collar shirt, which features an impressionistic rendering of a pelican on the left breast. Emphasise the understated streaks of blue in this motif by wearing it with a pair of navy shorts, which themselves come embellished with blue watercolour splashes.
HELLO SUNSHINE
People these days spend a lot of time looking at sunsets on Instagram. How’s that for dystopian? Now, thanks to the Goss brothers, you can put down your phone and enjoy a much better kind of sunset – an image of the overheated star casting reflections on water, rendered in blazing orange and purple – by wearing this shirt. The Folk X Goss Brothers collection features a range of garments embellished with variations upon this eye-catching scene, from print sweatshirts and tees to a pair of sweatpants with a sun motif on the back pocket.