What do the manga “Ghost in the Shell,” crying cartoon rats, Magic the Gathering, and Godzilla have in common? If you’re Kyle Ng, the creative mind behind Brain Dead, it’s merely a glimpse into the myriad of influences that inform his Los Angeles-based label. Established in 2015, with Australian artist Ed Davis (who has since departed in 2024), the brand has cultivated a cult following for its line of ready-to-wear and accessories. Consisting of regularly scheduled drops that sell out quickly, to say that their fans are rabid would be an understatement — you only need to look at their latest Coach collaboration, which went on sale on May 29th, as proof. Within minutes, the bags were gone, a testament to the idiosyncratic world Ng has built that somehow resonates with a diverse audience.
While Ng might be the CEO and creative director, the label likes to describe itself as a creative studio that has a collective atmosphere with an emphasis on going against the grain and diving into a wide array of topics. From artists to designers to musicians to filmmakers, Brain Dead sits in the space between people, culture, entertainment, and product. “Our aesthetic is connected to our lifestyle. We’re obsessed with art, design, gaming, music, and subculture as a whole,” said Ng. The result? Tees, button-ups, dresses, and more that speak to a youthful audience that span millennial and Gen Z men and women alike. But don’t call it streetwear — the brand was born out of a desire to create something that was neither too masculine (what Ng felt streetwear was becoming) nor too plagiaristic, a critique he lobbed at traditional ready-to-wear.
Courtesy of A.P.C. x Brain Dead
Despite all of Ng’s criticisms, the traditional brands have come calling. This week’s Coach release was just a taste of what Brain Dead had to offer. “It was very inspired by our mutual love for nostalgia and collecting things along with their rich history of New York. We also wanted to play with their amazing leather,” said Ng. Weeks prior came a collection with A.P.C., this time drawing from musical influences in conjunction with the French brand’s classic silhouettes like denim and striped shirting. And that’s simply just this past month — in the past the likes of Disney, Adidas, and Malin+Goetz have worked with the brand.
The trick to their success, regardless of the brand partner, is that Ng and Brain Dead aren’t afraid to nerd out on topics and get weird. That means everything from working with the likes of rock climber Ashima Shiraishi on a series of co-branded shoes, designed specifically for the sport to camp shirts featuring artwork by Drew Struzan from Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. Nothing is too niche. “There are 100 million topics we could do! We believe the more connection to all our interests and even curiosities, the more authentic the brand will be.[At some point] we want to focus on our love of table top gaming and the culture around that,” explained Ng. Looks like their future is only getting brighter from here.
