FASHION FOLLIES

 THE HISTORY OF THE FOLLY WHAT
AND THE MAN BEHIND IT

It comes as no suprise that the world of fashion is a huge competive industry, that doesnt mean that there cant be room for fun. Designer Hasan Foster has built a brand to remind us that it can be fun as well. 

Born in Coatesville (a small steel town in Pennsylvania), an area that he refers to as Amish country, consists of a population of less than 20,000 residents. Hasan knew at a fairly young age that he wanted to live in a larger more pulsating city.

Fashion Forward Men also learns that The Amish community wasn't the only religion Hasan was heavily surounded by. His mother is Jehovah Witness, and his father was Muslim. That is until he converted to his wife's faith. 

"My parents were very solid and very protective of my brother and I so we weren’t allowed to be out in the streets like most other kids," he explains. 

As a child, practicing a religion that doesn't allow you to celebrate birthdays, not being able to date, not being able to have friends who didn't share the same faith (the list goes on), can leave one feeling oostracized, especially having to attend school with others who have privy to these experiences. 

                (Hasan Foster in one of his designs)

The young Hasan may have had some conflicts with his families relegious beliefs, but one thing he did inherit from his mother was a love of clothing. During his junior high school years, he came across a booklet from Parsons School of Design. Having no knowledge of the school, he did a little research, coming to the conclusion that this would be his ideal place to continue his education. 

His dreams came into fruition. Hasan moved to New York in 2000 to study Fashion Design. In 2005, he would receive his BFA from that same college he gained knowledge about in his earlier years. 

Now out of school and onto the corporate side of the industry. Hasan's work experience primarily involved working with men’s sportswear or collection type brands. A few of these  include Robert Graham, Joe Fresh, Lands’ End, and Ralph Lauren. It would be at these companies where he would develop his craft and bond with others with like minded individuals. 

New York exposed him to many things that 
Coatesville couldn't. The Big Apple created opportunities for him which allowed him to see other parts of the world, leading to his tastes expanding. A common question that we also asks our subjects pertain to their influnces.  Hasan was no exception. 

"Early icons are easy. I loved Reí Kawkubo for Comme des Garçons. I thought she was brilliant and weird and I wanted to be weird. I also loved Robert Mapplethorpe. It was something about the overt sexuality that awakened something in me. Even though he’s a photographer, his influence made me a designer. I don’t think I was a good designer until I came across his work," he says humbly 

                                      Reí Kawkubo                          Robert Mapplethorpe                           

Taking his destiny into his own hands, the designer launched his line Folly What in 2018. The brand is lighthearted and comical. An array of merchandise is available for purchase: tees, crewnecks, sweatpants, backpacks and more.  

"When I came up with the name Folly What i was planning on launching an entirely different brand. I had just left my last full time job and wanted to create something that was fun with an opposite message of what I had been working on. Folly in short means nonsense. So we the name Folly What is a play on the phrase “say what?”  I created this name to remind me while I’m creating to have fun because the brand is meant to be all about fun."

For his Spring/Summer 20 Collection, Hasan has decided to name it Moon Static. Motivated by television and social media and their effects on the mind. Infused in the collection is also inspirations from 70's cartoons, the emergency broadcast system, the moon landing, along with a hint of smut. 
Reoccurring inspirations for the line include; pop art, 90’s nostalgia, and a nod to mens fetish. It’s all about color and bold pattern. 

Now living in Miami, we here at Fashion Forward Men look forward to seeing how his new surroundings will inspire his collections. In the meantime, be sure to check out his merchandise at: follywhat.com and his IG at follywhat.