by SCOTT C

I think it was right here in this very paper that some self-appointed style authority decreed that any piece of clothing sporting graffiti-based design was considered passé in the year 2002. Having survived last year, and ready to brave 2003, Lachine-based Evidence Clothing seems relatively unaffected by the aforementioned declaration, continuing to blur the thin line between art and crime.

Label founders Justin Saunders, Claudio Marzano and Alexis Masella are three young artists/entrepreneurs who decided to couple their love for graffiti with a business opportunity they couldn’t pass up. The Evidence catalogue for 2003 boasts a wide array of fresh T-shirt designs, as well as hoodies, sweats, skullies, tuques, caps, headbands, and now jeans. Meanwhile, the Evidence name continues to creep up on the city. You might have seen their stuff at Cellblock down on Ontario, or checked out some of their wears on www.bombingscience.com, but this Montreal original is just getting started. They’ve already orchestrated an annual graffiti-jam in Lachine, where local and interested writers could bless legal walls for the day, as well as sponsoring various MTL events and artists.

Most importantly, the Evidence crew seems to have a clear vision of creativity that motivates them from one point to the next, eager to show Montreal and the world what they have to offer. Dismiss them as yet another graf-rooted clothier, but this rare species requires further study. :