Bloomfield.Works, a Conversation with Warren Cochrane
From the mind of Warren Cochrane, Bloomfield.Works is a modern expression of the Black experience. Combining the influence brought by significant cultural moments and the legacy left behind by prominent musical figures, Bloomfield.Works continues to be a brand of heritage. They continue to transform that heritage into classic pieces with a modern twist.
Bloomfield.Works uses vintage-style designs to continue showing their appreciation. Designs that emphasize Black pride and the African-American experience. With button-down shirts that highlight iconic black figures such as Marcus Garvey, or shorts that symbolize peace in the motherland Africa, Bloomfield.Works strives to represent their community in a proud, respectable fashion.
Do you take influence from the New Jersey environment and translate it into your work?
Yeah, for sure but it’s really half, or even a third of the influence. The brand re-examines and reinterprets references points from my time all around the Tri-State and Jamaica. Those experiences make the texture of Bloomfield easily accessible to those who come across it.
What does the Black Impact mean to Bloomfield?
It’s everything. So much of what the world covets and enjoys is rooted in Black people's influence and the core tenet of the brand is to just celebrate that. Especially in a time when so many people of color feel attacked.
How has keeping in tune with your Caribbean roots impacted you as an artist and Bloomfield as a brand?
It allows to the brand to be superfluid and leaves opportunities and storytelling to really shape itself. Often times I’ll be concepting for several rounds without realizing that I’m reference-mining from personal experiences. Small vignettes from my childhood re-materialize to help create these pieces.
Who are the people that inspire you? (if you have any)
It sometimes feels like inspiration spans farther than just people but more from moments. The birth of my kids was a huge moment of inspiration for me. Bloomfield most likely wouldn’t have existed without them. When it comes to public figures, I’m more inspired by a person’s ideals via their art than the art siloed off by themselves though. So, I’m drawn to people like Gil Scott Heron, Amiri Baraka, Gordon Parks, Nina Simone, Virgil, Octavia Butler, Lee Scratch Perry, Yasiin Bey & Sun Ra. There’s an unrefined but inimitable honesty to their work that I’m always drawn to.
Why do you brand your drops as “concepts”?
It really allows for breath in the work. As much as the brand has been able to cultivate this identity over the last 7-8 concepts I love being able to take a step back and really conceptualize how I want to re-introduce Bloomfield.Works® to my audience. They’ve been really receptive to the concepts whether it's rooted in nature, jazz, basketball, Afrofuturism or the diaspora. Not having to adhere to traditional seasonal campaign schedules just reaffirms that I wanted to operate on my own terms when it came to the brand.
Before you have shown great appreciation for artists like Sade and Baju Banton, how does music impact your creative process?
It’s the seed. Literally the springboard for everything we do here. Concept 007 stemmed from a specific moment in time when I was deep diving into old Alice Coltrane & Pharaoh Sanders catalogs. Weirdly though, the record “Altogether Alone” by Hirth Martinez was when it clicked; I need to go to space with this one haha. Truly, I could be doing the most mundane thing; cleaning the crib, making dinner, riding the train and come across a record that flourishes into a collection.
Do you have any advice for the next generation of creators?
Continue to remain authentic. I feel like the generation behind me has that down though. If nothing else, they understand the importance of truth via storytelling. Sometimes the truth is ugly but the authenticity is more valuable than gloss.
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