Urban Sophistication, created by the Israeli-based siblings behind the celeb loved and community-based street wear label are heavily influenced by their fans and the idea of fifteen minutes of fame culture. Each product is a reflection of the age we live in, altogether creating a Portrait of US. 

The brand tapped their fans to select and help design the collab as well as featured them in the campaign imagery.

I’M YOUR BIGGEST FAN I’LL FOLLOW YOU UNTIL I LOVE ME.

This time last year, as COVID-19 was starting to spread and the world went into lockdown, the brand started to run a private instagram account (@urbansophistication_core) where hardcore users could give their opinions and advice on future designs. 

The collection is a result of the dialogue with their followers. What connects these products is not necessarily the topics they touch on but the way they were created.

COVID has challenged the balance between IRL and virtual existence, with the latter becoming the primary. This campaign explores the emotional adjustments to this new reality. It reflects the conflicts between the idea of the online space and the individual experience of it. The internet is limitless yet many feel trapped in the screen’s four walls; alone in a feed full of people. We worry about our privacy while live-streaming every moment of our lives.

Do we turn on the screens to connect with our family and friends or are we avoiding staying alone with ourselves? With this question in mind Urban Sophistication painted this Portrait of Us. 

This is the largest apparel collection the brand has ever launched. The fits look amazing on both men and women with flattering fits that are comfy and have volume. 

The focus is always on the storytelling and the ideas behind every piece, the selection of words, are what makes the pieces stand out.

On top of that, the pieces represent a journey of different aspects of fandom, that ends with loving and embracing yourself. The whole collection is imagined as a dialogue between you and your idol that ends with an inner conversation between you and yourself. 

In that story line, the “opening” piece is the “Urban Sophistication I love you” knit. From there it continues to explore what that love means. That takes us to a series of ironic pieces that reflect both tangible classic ways to feel your idol like the eBay “celebrity chewed gum pieces;” and pieces that represent fame in a more abstract form as we know it today especially on social media, the facade, the people who look famous to us but we don’t know why they are famous – the people whose claim to fame is that they wear sunglasses at night as we call them in the black hoodie.

The focus shifts from the object of fame to the fan with the inside-out grey crew neck that says “insecurity” and “place logo here” printed above it – even the biggest logo can’t help hide your insecurity. and the “growing up” piece that calls to create by yourself rather than staying only a fan of the work of others. The brown hoodie is our wish for the USers – “make a wish and then make it happen.” 

Over the weekend, DUA LIPA flashed her Urban Sophistication case and Hari Nef snapped a puffer case by the brand.The puffer case along with their tongue in cheek phone cases which include slogans like "SOCIAL MEDIA SERIOUSLY HARMS YOUR MENTAL HEALTH" have put this brand on the map.

We had a pleasure speaking with the designers Neta & Elad about the new collection.

What does fashion and visual expression mean to you?

A personal form of communication. A Conversation.

Tell our readers who you are in your own words. 

We are Neta and Elad Yam, siblings and co-founders of Urban Sophistication. The brand exists as a storyboard of pop culture, archiving moments in time with physical manifestations. The pieces reflect the age we live in, altogether creating a portrait of Us aka Urban Sophistication. 

Among all the designs you have made so far, which one embodies your personality the most?

Probably the puffer phone case – mostly because of the way it was made. We photoshopped a Balenciaga puffer on a phone. When we saw our followers' enthusiastic reaction, we found a way to bring it to life.

Who is the one voice that has inspired you the most in your personal life and your career?

Our parents. They raised us to be ourselves and have always pushed us to follow our passions and dreams. They are both independent hard workers who have built their own businesses and that definitely inspired us to start ours.

What are your upcoming projects this year and new collections? 

We are excited to expand our ready to wear collection; our new Portrait of Us Collection is the biggest apparel drop yet. We’re also looking forward to being able to showcase the idea of US in new categories like jewelry; and have several exciting collaborations coming in the next couple months.