Though he now resides in Los Angeles, California, Memphis-born musician and designer Reno Warmath says his hometown was an influence on his creative life. Like many of the Bluff City’s creative types, he is not content to confine himself to only one art form. He is a designer, a musician, and an entrepreneur, and his newest work — Renaissance art-inspired fashion — is available at unaestheticlosangeles.com.
I spoke with Warmath to find out about his fashion company Unaesthetic’s inaugural release, the “Fake Friends” collection.
Memphis Flyer: Tell me a little bit about yourself. Are you from Memphis?
Reno Warmath: Yes, born and raised! My name is Reno Warmath and I’m a graduate of Christian Brothers High School and the University of Memphis Music Business program. I left Memphis after graduating college and ended up in Los Angeles pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. Since coming to L.A., I’ve had the opportunity to work on shows like For All Mankind (season 1, Apple TV) and Raised by Wolves (seasons 1 and 2, HBO Max) as well as starting a few projects of my own, one of which being Unaesthetic.
We’ll get to Unaesthetic in a bit, but first, have you always been interested in fashion?
The idea of being involved in the fashion world didn’t really come on my radar until my 20s. I was always interested in graphic design and creating visual media, but I never thought these skills would translate over to fashion. It was really when I started becoming aware of what Virgil Abloh was doing with OFF WHITE and seeing what other brands like Born and Raised or Palace were creating that I realized this space was for me. In my eyes, it’s more about creating compelling media to accompany the clothing. Designing clothes is just the first step — how can I use my brand to tell a story, maybe through photos, cinematically, or even live events? We live in a time where anyone can get into the fashion game. It just takes the courage to put your ideas on the table and see what you can create.
I know you’re also a drummer. Has making music influenced your art-making and fashion ethos?
Believe it or not, I’ve been playing drums since the age of 1. Drumming has just become a part of who I am and it definitely has an effect on everything I do creatively. I think the main thing I’ve learned from playing drums all those years is that you only get out what you put in, and I’ve applied that mindset to my brand and all of my creative ventures. Drumming also gives me an outlet to free my mind and just reset my thinking. I’m definitely the most creative designer after a few hours of playing the drums.
Can you talk a little bit about what beauty and aestheticism means to you?
Fashion and beauty have been, for such a long time, synonymous with one another, but I think traditional beauty is not what it was a decade ago. Beauty today is not a standard, it is more about individualism and the idea that every person has their own unique beauty or style. This concept has given birth to so many new streetwear brands that all have their own identity and are being taken seriously in the fashion world. Streetwear brands have runway shows now, it’s wild.
How did you get linked up with Unaesthetic?
The idea to create Unaesthetic came to me when reading a book called Philosophies of Art & Beauty: Selected Readings in Aesthetics from Pluto to Heidegger. The word “unaesthetic” got stuck in my head. I knew immediately I wanted to create a brand around this concept. I had already been toying around with repurposing Renaissance art works into modern designs but I had no real outlet for the creations. It took about a year and a half of research into the manufacturing side of creating a clothing brand and actually developing a visual identity for the brand before I decided to launch.
Can you tell me a little bit about the “Fake Friends” collection?
The “Fake Friends” collection is Unaesthetic’s inaugural release with the main goal of establishing the brand’s concept. Modernized Renaissance street wear. I had a hard drive full of design ideas to choose from, but I felt the Kiss of Judas design really conveyed everything the brand was about. It was a play on the Renaissance period, religion being a major undertone, and presented the brand’s visual style being the very cryptic, Greek/Roman re-revival feel, so to speak. The rest of the collection consists of staple pieces featuring the brand’s Angel Logo. While the staple pieces will be revisited in future collections, the design-centric pieces will not be reproduced.
Why did you gravitate toward the Kiss of Judas?
My design workflow usually starts with me sifting through tons of Renaissance artwork and setting aside the ones that visually stand out to me. I try to look for pieces that I know I can extract a lot of various elements from. I then try to find some ironic meaning behind the moral of the work. For the Kiss of Judas, the concept of “Fake Friends” really jumped out and I thought that would be an interesting take. The painting by Giotto [di Bondone] alone tells such an interesting story. The subjects, Jesus and Judas, feel almost isolated while the chaos is circling around them. Giotto uses simulated motion and the bunching up of characters to make this scene feel very claustrophobic and chaotic. I loved the idea of isolating the central characters and placing them in a more serene environment as if they are floating in time and space. It’s a juxtaposition that you would only get by connecting my design to the original artwork.
What made you want to utilize Renaissance art in the collection?
I’ve always been drawn to the artwork of the Renaissance era. The work that came out of that specific area at that specific time is really just culturally fascinating. Every time I approach a painting to begin work I always dive deep into the historical context of that work and look for ways to tie it into my redesign. There is so much backstory to every piece of art from this era and I’m constantly learning new things when working on these designs. I really encourage people to take a look at artsandculture.google.com — it’s amazing the amount of data that has been digitally immortalized from this period.
Where would you like to see your fashion go in the future?
Fashion is just the beginning. Unaesthetic is a cluster of ideas all centered around a theme. It’s not just a clothing brand, but a vessel for creativity that happens to start with clothing. The end goal, who knows. I’m currently working on narrative-driven cinematics for the brand as well making a push in the live event space. At the end of the day, I want to see how far I can push this thing. The more boundaries I can break, the better.
Is there anything else you would like to mention?
I would love to give a big shout out to Bad Timing (549 S. Highland Street, Memphis). Those guys are really cultivating the streetwear scene in Memphis and it’s awesome to see. If you’re in Memphis that shop is a must stop. I’m also working with another L.A.-based brand, 1-off Amore, founded by a fellow Memphian, AD. We are planning a one-of-a-kind runway show this summer here in Los Angeles. More information will be released via Instagram @unaestheticlosangeles.
