Ukrainian brand m0d44 and Hong Kong-based brand A SOCIETY have unveiled a collaborative drop titled ‘Modded Society’. The collection’s highlight is sunglasses inspired by ‘the transformative effects of artificial intelligence’. The capsule also includes pendants, T-shirts, panamas, and bags. DTF Magazine spoke with the m0d44 team and shares more details about the brands’ drop
About the collaboration between m0d44 and A SOCIETY
In a comment for DTF Magazine, m0d44 shared that A SOCIETY are their long-time friends from Hong Kong, with whom they have previously collaborated on other projects.
Initially the brands planned to create only sunglasses. However, during the process, they decided to expand the number of items. The development of the capsule took about a year and a half — from concept to release.
‘It was interesting to combine two approaches to design: ours — more graphic and conceptual, and theirs — focused on form, materials, and technology’.
m0d44 states that they are united with A SOCIETY by ‘a love for detail, pure form, and visual meaning’: ‘Both projects operate at the intersection of function and aesthetics, with references to culture, urbanism, and technology’.
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About the items from the collaboration
The main item in the capsule collection is sunglasses. They feature a translucent acetate base, complemented by titanium inserts engraved with the ‘Modded Society’ symbol on the temples — a design element created by the brands specifically for the collaboration.
‘We worked with a familiar shape but wanted to give it a sense of something modified — like after a transformation, an upgrade, or a system glitch, — m0d44 explains their concept. — It’s not futurism in the classic sense, but rather an attempt to imagine an accessory that emerged from a digitally restructured reality. Hence the fragmented elements and artifact-like details, such as the titanium symbols’.
Answering the question about why the theme of new technologies and artificial intelligence was chosen for the collection’s conceptual component, m0d44 explain that they are interested ‘not only in utopian or apocalyptic scenarios’ tied to the rapid development of technology, but rather in ‘the feeling of constant transformation, the blurring of functions, and the impact of AI on the human being’.
The custom ‘Modded Society’ symbol was not only integrated into the sunglasses’ temples, but also released separately as a pendant and used as a print on the collaboration’s T-shirts. Here’s how m0d44 describes the symbol:
‘It’s a fake tool — an object with no specific function, but with a hint of one. It’s a symbol of a society where everything is being modified, and even functionality becomes a simulation. We decided to highlight this element separately — in the form of a pendant. The result is something between an artifact and a talisman from the future’.
Items from the m0d44 and A SOCIETY collection can be purchased on their website. The sunglasses come in three colors: black, purple, and khaki, while the T-shirts and panamas come in brown.
Про інші колаборації m0d44
In December, DTF Magazine and m0d44 released a limited drop of unisex jackets made from fire-resistant fabric. One of only five jackets could be obtained by participating in a giveaway.
The jacket, designed in m0d44’s signature workwear aesthetic, was an attempt to reinterpret an archival silhouette using a completely different material — certified fire-resistant fabric. It also boasts cold resistance down to –20°C.
Throughout 2024, m0d44 also released a jewelry collection with the brand Broq, a collaborative collection with Ukrainian brand Tserkovnij, and a collaboration with the running community chumaky.
About the brand A SOCIETY
A SOCIETY is an independent eyewear, apparel, and accessories brand based in Hong Kong. Its designs are inspired by Asian culture and underground art, with a focus on materials, diverse forms, and accessible pricing.
A SOCIETY has collaborated with QUEST, TSUBO, Topologie, and GROCERY.
