Sekrit Saints: secret codes from Los Angeles chopper culture
Some labels announce themselves with a logo the size of a chest. Sekrit Saints works the other way round. The Los Angeles brand hides its ideas in plain sight: coded messaging, faded graphics and clothes that look as if they have already lived a few lives before they reach you. Its first pieces have just landed at ANSH46, so here is a short introduction to the label and what we picked.
Los Angeles, chopper culture and car clubs
Sekrit Saints, sometimes styled The Sekrit Saints or simply Sekrit, is based in Los Angeles and led by Daniel Covarrubias. The references are unmistakably American: chopper culture, rock and roll, car clubs and the biker imagery that runs through all three. These are subcultures built on customisation, on taking something mass-produced and making it your own, and that attitude carries straight into the clothes.
The label is more than a clothing line. Its world takes in a tattoo studio, a design agency, a gallery and a production studio. It is a creative circle as much as a fashion brand, and you can see that in how much weight the artwork and the finishes carry in every piece.
Symbolism over slogans
What sets Sekrit Saints apart from a lot of biker-inspired streetwear is restraint in the messaging. Instead of shouting, the label leans on symbolism, tonal compositions and understated graphic treatments that only reveal themselves up close. The recurring theme is the space between being seen and staying anonymous, the idea that identity is layered and personal rather than something you broadcast. It is a fitting philosophy for a brand with "secret" in its name.
That does not mean the clothes are quiet in feel. The look is heavy and deliberately worn: thick fabrics, bold distressing, boxy silhouettes and, on the trousers, subtle flares. Vintage washes and distressed finishes do much of the work, so a new T-shirt can arrive with the softness and fade of something you have owned for years. The brand selects its materials carefully and manufactures in the USA.
The ANSH46 edit
For our first Sekrit Saints delivery we focused on the label's core: graphic T-shirts and hoodies, the pieces where its washes and artwork come through most clearly.
Hoodies. The Chopper Girl Hoodie comes in washed black, a faded, lived-in black that sits somewhere between charcoal and ink. The Compliments Hoodie takes the same washed treatment in baby blue, a softer colour that still keeps the vintage character. Both work as the centre of an outfit with straight or wide denim and a pair of boots.
T-shirts. Three tees come in the label's dirty vintage white: The Mystery Tee, the Cranium Tee and the Good Girl Tee. "Dirty vintage" is exactly what it sounds like, an off-white with the patina of an old shirt rather than the brightness of a fresh one. The Chopper Girl Tee rounds out the selection in arctic black, the counterpart to the hoodie of the same name. Wear the tees on their own, under an open overshirt, or layered beneath one of the hoodies.
How to wear it
Sekrit Saints is built for the kind of wardrobe where nothing looks too new. The washed hoodies and tees pair naturally with faded denim, leather and work trousers, and they sit comfortably next to other labels at ANSH46 that share an interest in American subculture and worn-in finishes. If you like the graphic energy of 123 Rivington or the rock and roll thread in our RRR123 Story, this is a label to look at next.
Expect the boxy proportions the label is known for. If you are between sizes, think about whether you want the shirt to drape or to sit closer to the body, and do not hesitate to ask us in store for advice.
Shop Sekrit Saints at ANSH46
Browse the full Sekrit Saints collection online, or visit the store in Rotterdam to see the washes in person, since faded colours always read best in real light. This is a first delivery with limited sizes per style, so if a piece speaks to you, it is worth moving quickly.