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FEATURE
THE PATCH GAME
By Will Morley, 6 April 2017
You may well have found the perfect leather bomber, denim jacket or backpack, but there’s something missing – that certain element to really make you stand out from the rest of the rabble. An easy way to show your individualism and your allegiance to all things awesome is with patches. Padraig Simpson's @patchgame curates the best available so we reached out for a quick chat and to find out the five designers he thinks are winning the patch game right now.
Instagram: @death_hell_grave
Designer 1: Death, Hell & The Grave (shop)
Padraig, where did the interest in patches first come from?
From skateboarding, which, in the late 80s, was connected to the thrash metal/punk rock scene (where I grew up anyway). I loved looking at the older guys who had patches all over their jackets.
Instagram: @daggersforteeth
Designer 2: Daggers For Teeth (shop)
How long have you been collecting patches?
I bought my first patch in 1989 at age eight. It was a Powell Peralta Crossbones patch, which I still have. Apart from that, I got an Ireland patch in 1991 from a family trip and a Napalm Death patch given to me by an older cousin. Growing up in the 80s in a town in New Zealand, with no internet and a very small local music scene, it was hard to get them!
Instagram: @bags43
Is there a ‘white whale’ patch you’ve been after?
I’d love to find an original Bones Brigade back-patch from the 80s. But, due to their rarity, I’d say chances of that are quite slim. And it would cost an arm and a leg!
Instagram: @nightwatchstudios
Designer 4: Night Watch Studios (shop)
How do you source your patches?
I find Instagram to be a great place to find patches. eBay has thousands of them but I generally only get music and military patches from there. I prefer to get patches from artists who might only make small runs, like 25-100 pieces.
Instagram: @patrickmathews
Designer 5: Patrick Mathews (shop)
Do you actually attach any of your patches or just collect them?
I have a bag that I put a lot of them on. Also a jacket, which mainly has music patches, and most of my hats and beanies have a patch on them. The rest are in boxes for now. I just need to get a nice denim jacket or gilet so I can put all my favourites onto that!
