Varyer + Small Talk
Gallery
People buy artworks for all sorts of reasons, one of which is to display great acts of creative expression they find moving or inspiring. But what about apparel? Why can’t the things we wear out in the world have the same connotation and meaning as a painting or photograph?
Take it a step further: If artworks are creative acts by others that feel like manifestations of a part of our souls, what if you could have custom-made apparel that’s both an artist’s work and an extension of who you are?
![Two masculine people work from a table full of art supplies.](https://varyer.imgix.net/Mask-group-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1449&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=1200&s=11323d0572f11df10f88ab0142c3bbae 1200w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Mask-group-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2899&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=2400&s=9d7364aa2cf0f7c63ea7b5a2e0472acc 2400w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Mask-group-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1198&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=992&s=adb283f3c020651f1cb40b94fa069b5d 992w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Mask-group-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2396&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1984&s=607971ed2596b200031ddf211ea66c5c 1984w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Mask-group-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=927&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=25ce5496aaf3ef9ba9488f412d3c155a 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Mask-group-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1855&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=d204bd97f5a63f9ff6ef6317c10ff372 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Mask-group-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=695&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=a1f99ab71a7629440626fd70d16af0a6 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Mask-group-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1391&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=d2e00a2412a8a8d01a1d83b4fd2eadc7 1152w)
Nick Williams’s Small Talk Studio poses and answers these questions directly. For his custom pieces, you send a list or scrapbook of things you’re interested in, which includes, according to Small Talk, “nostalgic references, significant personal objects, words, art pieces, food items, music, etc. Let it be a stream of consciousness- the more the better.” Williams then applies a combination of screen printing, illustration, and for an added fee, embroidery to create vivid, muralistic pieces that manifest cross-psyche artistry. To put it simply, you are rocking sick artwork on your clothing, and the artwork represents, literally, the things that interest you.
Unfortunately, Small Talk’s IG’s current bio reads, “custom orders CLOSED,” which speaks to its demand right now.
“I think I made the transition to starting to draw on clothes at the right moment,” Williams says.
He’s being coy: In the past few years Williams has taken commissions for some major fashion and streetwear figures — including Matty Matheson, Mordechai Rubinstein, and the late Virgil Abloh — and appeared in GQ, Hypebeast, Complex, and Blackbird Spyplane., In the words of De La Soul, he’s blown up, but he hasn’t gone pop.
In January 2021, Williams brought in longtime friend Phil Ayers to help expand Small Talk from clothing design and illustration into design work for diverse brands.
“We're definitely still focused mainly on clothes, but I think the illustration, that's the thing we're known for,” Williams says. “We try to let it be more multidisciplinary. If I am in the middle of a drawing, Phil and I will discuss what things we need more of. We both have sort of the same instincts when it comes to going on public domain archives and knowing what to look for. We fill each other's blind spots in that practice pretty well and find fun.”
Small Talk’s pieces go against the grain of an era plagued by fast fashion and industrial waste, opting for a process that’s labor-intensive and crafting apparel that’s sui generis and thought-provoking. If you’re looking for clothing that’s meaningful and indispensable, this is your destination.
![An illustrated hoodie reads "ST/V+" with an angel over the text.](https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=960&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=960&s=e4e2f62b348394fa0fb48731065ef944 960w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1921&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1920&s=396a0864bc265af61c780f8f5d2c72c5 1920w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=dc67f967a5b6367bb5f8846564ab1c56 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1537&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=57e4509aeb04b42dace1382e512d5339 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=1f0c752b31a9776da3bda500b940650b 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1153&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=e145dc278f52c657ff91b1f31e14a926 1152w)
![An illustrated and embroidered hoodie hangs in front of a window.](https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1440&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=960&s=ec604aa90be7d4b466303612cfd49731 960w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2880&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1920&s=70cf8445af782d169343345b3230f3ed 1920w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1152&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=87b717569944befee875a1f999ff0946 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2304&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=ec38a20357d48ef6c2cc622b2a239ef7 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=864&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=70b6d10df415f2caf9ef65ac8c6f63fa 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-L-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1728&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=0e3d2c0e4ca0e22876206c9988ae9ce9 1152w)
![A masculine person wearing sunglasses wears an embroidered hoodie with the hood up.](https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1439&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=960&s=d5fe9484ed9b4be7e62e1bd8200e9a90 960w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2879&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1920&s=734e4f47bcf6e75223c9ecd3fab61303 1920w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1151&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=42fd794a2343de4908a94252df881d61 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=2303&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=18eb5642ec9dd2cad0043c5d8dc6d659 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=863&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=12f99dfe20f42e46b5c610fa173efd50 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-1.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1727&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=ff412f52e0c212025278df23e9c225e0 1152w)
![A close-up photo of a denim jacket shows a pin with a red hand giving the peace sign on the pocket.](https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=960&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=82&usm=20&w=960&s=dacd1bea5ac290f1f2f95d4c6f0b1e57 960w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1920&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=61&usm=20&w=1920&s=695852857f8a34901ba9e4d38783c282 1920w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=768&s=341859b949c247a3245b532b91f2e7da 768w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1536&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1536&s=2109d4024e8de51790ea3aa5a7b26d2b 1536w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=60&usm=20&w=576&s=2d629e3a8b4441ad086f939feb341811 576w, https://varyer.imgix.net/Collage-R-2.jpg?auto=format&crop=focalpoint&domain=varyer.imgix.net&fit=crop&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1152&ixlib=php-3.3.1&q=45&usm=20&w=1152&s=2e7c8989c1271e4fa5d7572aefae49b4 1152w)
Photography by Christian Michael Filardo; enamel pin and shop photos by Jackie Krejnik.
About the collaboration
Varyer and Small Talk first linked up when our cofounder Chris Kaskie commissioned an illustration for one of his jackets, which in turn opened up a we-should-do-something-together dialogue. The result is a chimerical hoodie, sporting an assortment of embroidered images that defy the conventional single-graphic sweatshirt. The fleece is made entirely from cotton manufacturing waste – no dye, just raw, unbleached cotton. The Small Talk x Varyer hoodie is in a limited run, a “scaled-up” version of Small Talk’s one-of-a-kind creations.
Our friends at Strike Gently Co. in Los Angeles created two unique custom pins to accent the hoodie, one for Small Talk and one for Varyer. The pins are made with gold, silver, or black electroplated metals and hand-filled with enamel.