For over two decades, Staple has stood at the intersection of streetwear, culture, and art — an enduring emblem of New York’s creative heartbeat. Founded by Jeff Staple in 1997, the brand has consistently blurred the boundaries between fashion, urban identity, and social commentary. From its humble beginnings as a T-shirt line silkscreened in a small NYC apartment to becoming a globally recognized symbol of creative authenticity, Staple’s journey mirrors the evolution of street culture itself.

Now, in 2025, Staple turns its gaze inward and forward with a project that captures both its roots and its relevance: the “21” Series — an ongoing artistic exploration where global creatives reinterpret the number “21,” the symbolic address of the brand’s 21 Mercer Street flagship in New York City.

the concept of “21”: where place becomes Symbol

“21” isn’t just a number for Staple — it’s a metaphor. The address 21 Mercer represents not only the physical home of the brand but the creative pulse of its existence. It’s a space that has hosted collaborations, exhibitions, and conversations that define the DNA of streetwear and contemporary art.

With the “21” Series, Staple transforms this number into a living, evolving canvas. Each installment invites a different artist — from painters and typographers to designers and illustrators — to reinterpret “21” through their own creative lens. The series is envisioned as a celebration of artistic individuality, the power of connection, and the cultural weight of community spaces in shaping creative identity.

 

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the staple x Futura laboratories  capsule

To celebrate the launch of the “21” Series, Staple and Futura unveiled a limited-edition capsule collection with Futura Laboratories, the artist’s multidisciplinary creative platform.

The capsule encapsulates the dialogue between the two icons — merging Staple’s streetwear sensibilities with Futura’s visual codes. Expect a mix of graphic tees, outerwear, hoodies, and accessories adorned with the reinterpretation of “21” rendered in Futura’s iconic gestural abstraction.

Each piece feels like wearable art — dynamic brushstrokes, hand-drawn motifs, and layered graphics converge into a minimalist palette of greys, blacks, and bursts of neon color that nod to Futura’s signature style.

The collection’s tactile richness — from heavyweight cottons to technical nylon blends — reinforces Staple’s focus on craftsmanship, ensuring that every piece transcends merchandise to become artifact.

merging art and purpose

More than a converge between two creative giants, this release carries a philanthropic heart. A portion of the proceeds from the STAPLE x FUTURA LABORATORIES capsule will be donated to Free Arts NYC, a non-profit organization that empowers youth from underserved communities through access to visual arts and mentoring programs.

This initiative aligns with both Jeff Staple’s and Futura’s lifelong belief in the transformative power of creativity. Art, in this context, becomes not only a mode of expression but a tool for equity — a bridge for young people to find their voice and imagination in a world that often silences them.

By embedding this social mission into the “21” Series, Staple transforms a commercial release into a cultural movement, one that redefines what collaboration in streetwear can mean when it merges artistic reverence with community impact.

staple’s flow

For Staple, collaboration has always been more than co-branding — it’s storytelling. Whether working with Nike, Puma, Crooks & Castles, or atmos, Jeff Staple’s partnerships have continually embodied a philosophy of exchange: art meets audience, culture meets commerce.

The “21” Series follows in this tradition, but with a more introspective tone. It’s not about products — it’s about conversations. The collaboration with FUTURA 2000 is the first chapter in what promises to be a long-running anthology of creativity, with future contributors spanning disciplines and generations.

In an age where the term “collab” often feels diluted, Staple’s initiative brings back the authenticity of collaboration as cultural dialogue — an interaction that leaves behind not just limited drops, but lasting ideas.

visual identity: A study in restraint and resonance

The “21” Series is defined by its visual precision. FUTURA’s design isn’t about loud branding — it’s about subtle power. The collection’s aesthetic centers around balance: the controlled chaos of abstract expression against the clarity of Staple’s type-driven design language.

The campaign imagery captures this duality. Shot in Staple’s 21 Mercer flagship, it evokes a gallery-like stillness. The “21” appears as both artwork and icon — a symbol that can live on a wall as much as on a hoodie.

In an era dominated by maximalism, Staple’s approach to the series feels quietly revolutionary — reminding us that modern streetwear’s soul lies not in spectacle but in sincerity.

the role of the 21 mercer flagship

The Staple @21Mercer flagship is more than a retail space — it’s the brand’s cultural nucleus. Since opening, the store has served as an incubator for exhibitions, product launches, and creative collaborations.

With the “21” Series, 21 Mercer evolves into something closer to an art institution — a living gallery where fashion and fine art intersect. Visitors can now engage with Staple’s heritage not just through clothing racks, but through installations and artworks that redefine the brand’s relationship with its audience.

This synthesis of art, retail, and community echoes New York’s own evolution — where commerce and culture coexist in a single breath.

futura 2000: an architect of visual freedom

To understand the gravity of this collaboration, one must revisit Futura’s influence. Emerging from the graffiti underground of 1970s New York, he redefined the medium with abstraction — moving beyond tags and characters into something more painterly, gestural, and cosmic.

His collaborations with The Clash, UNIQLO, Supreme, and BMW have made him a global cultural force, but it’s his unwavering independence that resonates most. Like Staple, Futura embodies the artist as citizen — rooted in the street yet fluent in the language of high art.

In his reinterpretation of “21,” one can see decades of creative evolution — the same instinctual energy that turned subway tunnels into galleries now reimagined on cotton and canvas.

a new model for streetwear storytelling

The “21” Series signals an evolution in how fashion brands narrate their stories. Instead of relying on seasonal cycles or hype drops, Staple is cultivating a living archive of artistic reinterpretation. Each chapter will serve as a timestamp in the brand’s ongoing cultural conversation — a reflection of the artists who shape our visual world today.

By tying the series to a specific place, 21 Mercer becomes both muse and message — proof that physical spaces still hold emotional and cultural weight in an increasingly digital world. It’s a reminder that while trends fade, community endures.

availability and launch details

The STAPLE x FUTURA LABORATORIES capsule collection is now available online at
staplepigeon.com and in-store at the brand’s @staple21mercer flagship in New York.

Each piece from the capsule is a limited edition, designed to be collectible — a wearable artifact marking the genesis of a new era in Staple’s creative journey.

impression

The “21” Series is not merely a collaboration or a branding exercise — it’s an ongoing narrative about place, people, and purpose. By choosing FUTURA 2000 to open the series, Staple anchors its future in respect for the past while extending an open invitation to artists worldwide: to reimagine, reinterpret, and renew.

In celebrating the address 21 Mercer, Staple is, in truth, celebrating the address of creativity itself — that metaphysical space where art, culture, and community intersect.

In a world saturated with logos and fleeting trends, the “21” Series reminds us that true identity lies not in repetition, but in reinvention.

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