Matt McCormick’s Austin Post Collection Embodies the Mythology of the Cowboy

 Post Malone’s eponymous brand, Austin Post, and Los Angeles-based artist Matt McCormick have co-designed a capsule centered around their shared exploration of Western iconography. In an exclusive interview with Hypebeast, McCormick expands on the works that inspired their limited-edition collection, placing a particular focus on the quintessentially American mythology of the cowboy.Marking Austin Post’s inaugural installment of the Studio Series, the artist’s limited-edition capsule is part of an ongoing initiative powered by artists and cultural figures whose work aligns with the brand’s vision.Indeed, the musician-turned-designer’s aesthetic and McCormick’s practice approach similar themes. McCormick’s mixture of various mediums and styles, exploring American archetypes with a Western sensibility, runs parallel to both Post Malone’s music and his recently launched label.For instance, take McCormick’s Ceremony Of Certainty: Featuring a discolored inkjet desert landscape superimposed with a hand-drawn charcoal cowboy illustration, the artist shared that he aimed to “create a push and pull between the more modern technique of inkjet printing and the classic charcoal drawing style.””When I started making that work, I was really interested in using failing printers to make images with an almost roll of the dice mentality. There was something that would happen with the colors and textures of the backgrounds when run continuously through the old printers that would create a really interesting moment visually,” McCormick shared.The tensions between the modern and classic, as well as the digital and human-made, are palpable not only in Post Malone’s sonic fusion of 808-powered hip-hop with Americana folk rock, but also in his brand’s juxtaposition of minimalist streetwear with Western classics like check shirting and suede trucker jackets.For the new release, the partners have revealed five silhouettes in varied colorways, including tees, a hoodie, and a crewneck sweater, each featuring graphics based on the artist’s work. At the front of each garment, a discreet “At First Light — Season One” typographic print nods to the brand’s FW25 debut, while the back is emblazoned with McCormick’s artwork.”It was really about getting the pieces to embody the same process that I used when making the original works.”This isn’t McCormick’s first rodeo in fashion. Ten years ago, the artist launched his own brand, One of These Days, translating his visual language directly into ready-to-wear garments. “I’m no stranger to the process, but what was so great about working with Austin Post is that they really wanted to treat the art as art and not as a graphic, which was highly refreshing,” he said. “It was really about getting the pieces to embody the same process that I used when making the original works.”Furthermore, Post Malone isn’t the first musician McCormick has collaborated with. His artwork has been used for album covers by a diverse range of artists —