It’s A Matter of Must
How a 13-year-old Brooklynite created a fashion brand…
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s artwork is characterized by his spontaneous style of painting and typography. During the 1980s, he rose to fame, eventually becoming one of the most renowned artists of the Neo-Expressionist movement. Despite his early death at the age of twenty eight, Basquiat’s fame did not die out, and his art, over 600 paintings and 1,500 drawings in his collection, continues to be displayed in countless museums and incorporated into fashion collaborations. The influence the young artist had upon many minds, old and new, even to this day is incredible.
In April 2022, when thirteen year old Leif Santi Moen visited the Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure exhibit in the Starrett Lehigh Building in NYC, he experienced a feeling of incredible awe. He was “really inspired by Basquiat’s chaotic and original style,” since before this, art was never a subject that Moen felt passionate about. According to the young artist, “I never did much visual art. I’m not very good at drawing or any traditional art skill, but after going to the Basquiat exhibit, I learned that the most impactful art is something that is different and does not fit in.”
The day after his visit to the exhibit, Moen began making his first shirt — marking the start of his new found passion. He wanted to create something that was reflective and original to himself, and he did exactly that. Moen’s journey began by splattering shirts with various colors of paint. He then decorated the painted shirts with self-designed patches which are inspired by his life as a teenager growing up in Fort Greene in Brooklyn, New York. Some examples of Moen’s patches are drawings of the Fort Greene Park Monument, the Empire State Building, and flags that he or his buyers are connected to. He dubbed his brand “It’s A Matter Of Must,” and created a patch with his logo and brand name IAMOM, which is incorporated on every shirt. “The name represents the start of my brand. I felt passionate about making a new kind of shirt; it was kind of a matter of must that I started to express myself right away,” the young designer states. The phrase was actually coined from a family friend, who uses it very frequently.
Once the summer came and the flowers along with it, Moen spent his time in Shelter Island, where he collected various wildflowers with which he began to dye his shirts. Since then, every shirt has been naturally dyed, adding another component of originality to IAMOM’s designs, more deeply connecting them to the creator’s life. Not only is the dying process all natural, but the entire collection is 100% sustainable. Moen’s premier collection successfully combines fashion and art, embodying one of New York City’s primary characteristics of creativity and originality.
“It’s A Matter of Must” can be found on instagram @itsamatterofmust and purchased through direct messaging. This upcoming spring, Leif Moen’s startup will partake in the street sales of Fort Greene for its debut. Despite the designer’s very young beginnings, Moen’s creativity and bravery can allow for him to become perhaps an addition into the list of up and coming NYC fashion designers.
