The Birth of a Movement: How Who Decides War Emerged From the Streets
The Birth of a Movement: How Who Decides War Emerged From the Streets
Blog Article
Who Decides War (WDW) didn’t begin as just another streetwear brand—it was born from struggle, shaped by spirituality, and crafted with rebellion. Founded by Ev Bravado and co-directed by Tela , https://whodecideswars.com/ WDW grew from Bravado’s early label Murder Bravado, which gained underground traction in New York. As Bravado matured, so did his creative vision, which evolved into WDW—a name that reflects a bold question about power, justice, and survival.
Emerging in the mid-to-late 2010s, WDW captured attention with its handmade denim, raw edge treatments, and iconography drawn from faith and resistance. The name itself—Who Decides War—isn’t just rhetorical. It challenges both the fashion world and broader society to examine the systems of violence and authority that dominate our lives.
New York’s legacy as a cultural melting pot strongly influenced Bravado’s work. From uptown streetwear to downtown art scenes, WDW quickly became known for its narrative-rich approach to fashion. The brand’s pieces often feel autobiographical—loaded with emotional texture and socio-political commentary. This deeper intention distinguished WDW from its trend-focused contemporaries and established it as a fashion label rooted in storytelling, not just style.
Symbolism and Scripture: The Meaning Behind the Brand
WDW uses fashion not just to style the body but to awaken the spirit. The name “Who Decides War” is meant to provoke: who controls power, who dictates violence, and who is tasked with survival? These questions are at the core of every collection, sewn into denim, painted on jackets, and symbolized in every cut, cross, and color.
Religious imagery plays a central role in the brand’s aesthetic. Crosses, stained-glass motifs, angel wings, and references to martyrdom appear frequently in their work. Who Decides War are not just visual flourishes but deeply held references to the themes of resurrection, redemption, and judgment. Bravado and D’Amore treat clothing as sacred text—each garment tells a story about trauma and transcendence.
The cross, for instance, appears repeatedly in their designs—not as a commercial symbol but as a metaphor for both burden and belief. Other recurring motifs, such as barbed wire, burning edges, and heavenly silhouettes, echo the tension between suffering and salvation. WDW garments are designed not only to be worn but to be witnessed.
By merging spirituality and streetwear, WDW invites its wearers to become walking testimonies. In a world obsessed with surface-level appearance, this brand challenges its audience to think deeper, feel more, and speak their truth through fashion.
Denim as Canvas: Reimagining Workwear With Emotional Texture
Denim—historically tied to blue-collar labor and counterculture movements—becomes a sacred medium in the hands of Who Decides War. For WDW, denim isn’t just practical or trendy; it’s symbolic of resilience. Their signature patchwork jeans, often distressed and stitched with crosses or flames, feel more like modern relics than clothing.
WDW’s denim is characterized by hand-treated effects: frayed hems, laser-etched patterns, and hand-dyed finishes. But these aren’t done for purely aesthetic appeal. Each intentional tear represents violence endured. Each patch represents healing. The fabric becomes autobiographical, resembling skin that has endured hardship yet still holds beauty.
The brand’s signature “stained-glass” jeans are perhaps the clearest example of denim elevated to art. Intricately patched with multicolored fabrics and finished with religious iconography, they recall church windows telling stories of saints and sinners. Here, fashion becomes a spiritual archive—one that records Black pain, joy, and legacy.
Unlike mass-market denim brands, WDW’s approach is deeply personal and time-consuming. Pieces are often handmade or produced in very limited quantities. The process reflects an ethos of craftsmanship, intentionality, and respect for the labor that clothing represents. In a fast fashion industry, WDW’s denim is a slow, deliberate act of storytelling
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