C2H4

Founded by Shanghai-born Yixi Chen, C2H4 is a Los Angeles brand built around retro-futurism. Grounded in a rebellious spirit and a philosophy of science, it makes clothing from novel, experimental high-tech materials that recall an underground culture set in space. Because the founder's name, Yixi, sounds like the Chinese word for ethylene, the brand took the molecular formula of ethylene as its name. An innovative, unconventional approach to creating new textiles gives its menswear a distinctive aesthetic. Chen left China at 17 and studied film and theater at the University of California, but left university to pursue fashion and launched C2H4 in 2014. His fascination with film and science-fiction subculture led him to clothing and textiles, and to telling stories through fashion. C2H4 menswear draws on concepts ranging from imaginary space scientists to binary code and the nucleobases of DNA. Designs rooted in sportswear and streetwear are finished with functional, striking hardware, while lounge pants, shorts and jackets feature contrast piping and reflective 3M material. Using his studio as a laboratory, Chen upgrades wardrobe staples into casualwear charged with near-future elements, and his solid T-shirts and drawstring hoodies carry graphics and logos inspired by nostalgic technology and science fiction while remaining distinctly modern.