Everyone's Tuned into Peak Television: East London's Pioneering Streetwear Imprint
Exploring how the elusive streetwear brand channels the spirit of the times.
Promotional Peak Television photo from 2021. Image property of Peak Television.
It's never been easier to start a clothing brand. Access to global manufacturers and the ability to cultivate an audience on social media, alongside other factors, have significantly lowered the barriers to entry for a traditionally difficult field.
Ironically, these developments have also meant that it's more complicated than ever to build a clothing brand that can stand out from the rapidly growing crowd. Despite this potential saturation, there have been notable success stories in British streetwear over the past few years.
Notable mentions include North West London's Corteiz, who have collaborated with Nike twice, and Manchester's Clints, who teamed up with Dover Street Market last year and are known for their iconic footwear silhouettes and staple wardrobe pieces.
The success of these imprints has presented a blueprint that is sometimes replicated—strategically and aesthetically—at the expense of originality, but there are those who have the audacity and creativity to flip the script and write their own, original narratives. East London's Peak Television has channelled this spirit and, in doing so, has got a generation tuned into their story.
Founded by the triumvirate of Musti, JJ and Ari in 2021, Peak Television was born to reflect and influence the times, just like traditional television did at the peak of its powers as the reigning and ruling idiot box. With this foundational ethos, they have found a way to communicate the sentiments of a generation through the medium of fabric while simultaneously setting the agenda for what is in vogue. A significant way in which they have achieved this is through compelling storytelling, as each product is accompanied by a narrative fitting with the motif of television.
You can see this with the 2022 campaign for the 'Skeenie'—a scarf and beanie combination brought to life with a barbershop style poster featuring different ways to style the combination depending on the archetype you aligned with back when it first dropped. One notable aspect of their world-building is the recurring presence of the android character 'Steve' in their logo, fostering a sense of familiarity across stickers and merchandise. Similarly, the Musti-led character and grime emcee 'Bussdown Barry' further reinforces this cohesive identity within the Peak Universe.
Shot by Kendra Filmz.It would be remiss to discuss Peak Television without discussing Da 2005 Skepta Dog Ear fitted cap. Initially launched in late 2022, it pays homage to grime heritage, particularly the aforementioned rapper's 2005 headwear featuring unmistakable flapping ears. The Dog Ear and its successive iterations have grabbed the attention of the masses, whether or not they were familiar with the brand.
One only needs to glance at TikTok comments or Depop listings—where Dog Ear hats are marked up by 700%—to see the frenzy and demand for their arsenal. But why the hype? In a time when nostalgia has been abused, PTV has found a way to take an iconic reference and reinvent it for a modern context, as seen with iterations such as the Denim Dog Ear with fur.
Being able to tastefully refer to motifs in UK culture through the medium of fashion while tapping into a growing appreciation for grime heritage—exemplified by the wave of edits of old-school freestyles by the likes of WIZE, Wilfred and BexBlu—has made this product resonate significantly, frequently donned by rising artists in and out the grime sphere like namesbliss and Jim Legxacy.
The latest No Fear Dog Ear cap iteration exemplifies this perfectly. Drawing inspiration from the menacing eyes of the Minor League Baseball team Lake Esnoire Storm, as well as the iconic No Fear and Streetz Is Watchin logos popularised by grime emcees in the early 2000s, it leans into heritage while bringing something fresh to a modern-day context. In this way, Peak Television effectively captures the zeitgeist while simultaneously influencing it, as evidenced by a slew of similar caps being brought out by other brands.
Peak's storytelling is distinctly immersive and cinematic. With Musti's credentials as a director wielded to explore their collective creative vision, the group has built visual narratives around their products, indicating the world they live in.
Take a video released alongside the drop of their shorts, which feels like a trippy East London response to Rocky while astutely questioning the role of the ever-divisive financial hub of Canary Wharf. The intentionally curated lo-fi quality to their feels reminiscent of a simpler time in a way that feels far more tasteful than the gimmick many Y2K references have fallen victim to.
Legacy PTV campaigns from 2021 onwards.Whether it's the comical "it's not actually fur" video for the Denim Dog Ear (based on a scene from the 2000s British hidden camera comedy show Trigger Happy TV) or following a wild goose chase for a pair of their joggers, the group's voice shines through all their videos and images unapologetically with a spirit that extends beyond the fabric of the clothing.
While the clothes have certainly made an impact, PTV has managed to transcend the digital community they've cultivated through clothing and storytelling by bringing people together physically. The Summer 2023 block party held in Stratford brought a broad brush stroke of people together into one space to enjoy good music and company, where we see dwindling provision of spaces for young people to convene.
The event was crowned with a cypher that included the likes of Novelist and Kibo, bringing back an energy that many had proclaimed dead. The context of hosting such a gathering in post-gentrification Stratford is particularly significant given the founders' East Side heritage.
“In light of this, the [Peak Television] block party was a defiant reclamation of space. Just as their clothes and campaigns seek to tell a story and influence, this gathering achieved the same in an even more tangible way.”
Of course, there have been popular culture moments for the brand, from Rema donning the original Dog Ear cap at a performance to YT rocking the Denim one on the "Prada or Celine" cover to viral TikToks and absurd listings on Depop. But these moments are merely the tip of the iceberg for a movement of depth and significance.
The considered way in which PTV has crafted every detail of its universe—from the digital realm to physical spaces—makes it clear that its ethos transcends clothing, evidenced in the compelling and often playful stories accompanying its drops. Based on the scenes we've enjoyed thus far, we're tuned in expectantly to what Peak Television has next for us. Don't change the channel.