Richard Pryor rolling up his sleeves to reveal would-be tract marks. Keith Richards stumbling around with a glossy-eyed model in one hand and a cocktail in the other. Princess Diana kneeling down in her underwear on an unmade bed.
These aren’t misplaced Polariods pulled from the collection of some peeping-tom paparazzi, nor are they the haphazard hallucinations of some hippie head trip. These are in fact just a few of the twisted images associated with Moloko Plus, an up-and-coming clothing company and artistic endeavor that has been secretly germinating on the streets of New York and Los Angeles for the better part of the last decade.
Named after the narcotic-laced milk mixture from the Anthony Burgess novel A Clockwork Orange, Moloko Plus was conceived and created six years ago in a Brooklyn apartment by Southern California native Ian Argumosa. Much like the crazed fictional characters who drink the aforementioned beverage, Argumosa also carries with him an adamant obsession with sex and violence. Whether it’s a sullied-up sketch of a woman with her lips wrapped around the barrel of a loaded gun, or a mock movie poster depicting a man and woman choking each other in the throes of passion, there is an illicit air of intrigue that is infused into each of his illustrations.
Argumosa may have been raised on the 90’s skateboard/graffiti culture and influenced by the album artwork of the 60’s psychedelic scene, but an even greater inspiration seems to come from popular cinema, and the powerful pull that comes with a still shot of a recognizable figure.
His latest line of Moloko Plus apparel leans heavily on this approach. One shirt shows a caricature of a childhood Drew Barrymore from the 1984 science fiction thriller Firestarter, except in this version she is wearing a pin on her jacket that reads: Kids Are Cruel. Another design displays the Moloko Plus lettering beneath an obscured likeness of Keyser Soze, the mysterious mob boss at the center 1995’s The Usual Suspects. Both typify the line’s overall aesthetic, one that mixes elements of street art and high fashion with its own personal blend of retro-futuristic pop pastiche.
The allure of Moloko Plus has extended itself into the realm of underground music as well. The brand has sponsored a series of rooftop parties in Brooklyn, featuring performances by the likes of Nice Daughter, Lord Finesse, and the Budos Band. Argumosa was also the mastermind behind the promotional shirts and fliers for Live4Ever’s Two-Fingered Salute showcase at South By Southwest 2011, highlighted by Pint Shot Riot, the Jim Jones Revue, and the Boxer Rebellion. The company blog itself is littered with references to rock n’ roll history.
As with any creative force, what came before is nothing compared to what lies ahead. So after relocating to Los Angeles last year, it’s become apparent that the Moloko Plus bubble is about to burst. The online store is up. The word is out. The natives are way beyond restless. Go to www.molokoplusapparel.com and see for yourself. You won’t regret it. Or better yet, maybe you will.
