Deception is the clothing brand that has taken Toronto streetwear to the next level with it’s cool and trendy UK/European inspo. Deception creates menswear that includes, tops, sweaters, jackets, trousers, joggers and denim. HOLR chatted with founder Matia Marcantuoni,  and had a creative shoot with him.

Photography: Isabella Pugiotto, @izzydigital

Videography by: Caroline Hicks & Isabella Pugiotto, @carohix | @izzydigital

What was your inspiration for the brand?

For me when I started Deception, the initial inspiration was a lot of UK/European streetwear brands. I remember purchasing a lot of clothing from overseas and being completely in love with the style. One thing that was killing me was the taxes and duties for when the stuff would come in, so from there I had thoughts about starting my own clothing brand with a bit of a UK/European twist to it.

 

How did you come up with the name?

If I’m being honest, there really isn’t much meaning behind the name. I remember when I first decided to start the brand, I was thinking of names that would sound like a cool streetwear line and had a bunch of different options —  but for some reason Deception stuck with me. 

 

Who is your style inspiration?

I follow a lot of influencers and guys with amazing style, but I think my biggest inspiration (in terms of celebrity style) would have to be David Beckham. I think as a complete total package, his style is just insane. I can only hope to have style like that, at that age.

 

What are the next steps for your brand?

Now that we are completely sold out in our recent SS19 capsule, the next step is to attend our first Tradeshow in Las Vegas this August (12-14) @ Liberty fairs. We have a completely new range of drops that we eager showcase and look forward to gaining exposure with the show and hopefully getting our brand into more stores.

 

Who would you like to see wearing your clothes?

Off the top of my head, no one specifically, but currently we have Austin McBroom and Jake Paul, two massive youtubers wearing our brand and absolutely love it. We also have a bunch of athletes wearing our brand. As for demographics, our brand mainly caters to a younger consumer.

 

How would you style your pieces?

We have a bunch of really cool stretch plaid pants coming out with chains. The nice thing about these are that they’re extremely versatile. You can rock them with runners and a baggy long tee, or you can dress them up with dress shoes, a tucked in t-shirt and a blazer. Both options look really great. The high stretch fabrics also allow them to be extremely comfortable.

 

When did you decide you wanted to pursue a career as a designer?

After my hockey career, I knew I wanted to do something different and that I was very passionate about. Being able to design a collection and have people buy the products feels extremely rewarding. It feels especially good when you’re walking down the street and seeing a stranger walk by wearing your pants. This only motivates and keeps me moving forward and coming out with new styles.

 

How did you decide to transition from sports to fashion?

I remember when my hockey career was over, there was a good year where I felt lost and didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. My fear was getting into a career that I genuinely didn’t enjoy, so after sitting myself down, I quickly realized the only true passions I had were fitness and fashion, and knew I wanted to start/do something in either industry. 

 

How did your previous career as an athlete help your new career?

I think I learnt a lot with hockey. One mindset that I carried over into my business is that I told myself if I can make it to the top level of hockey in the world, then I can achieve anything I set my mind to. Of course it hasn’t been easy and there are many ups and downs but it’s something that I will forever stick by.

 

What sparked your interest in fashion?

My dad works in fashion as a wholesale distributor and as a kid I used to always go to his showrooms and help out. From there I just developed an interest in fashion and started to take pride in how I dress. 

 

Would you consider adding womenswear to your line in the future?

Right now I’m more focused on establishing the men’s side first since we’re only a year and a half in, but I do think down the line I would like to branch out to women as well.

 

 

You can shop deception on their website www.deceptiontoronto.com and follow their instagram @deception.toronto. 

 

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