“Peakaboo” is the latest collection to emerge from British designer Joshua Samuels’ East London cutting table, once again putting his recognisable approach to vintage clothing and reconstruction front and centre.
For years, Samuels and his team have been stitching, printing and appliquéing the brand’s instantly recognisable “Whimsical Little Buggers” motif across vintage garments. The playful characters have gradually become one of the label’s defining signatures, appearing across reworked pieces while giving each garment its own individual identity.
For “Peakaboo”, however, Samuels decided to turn the process inside out.
Turning the Whimsical Little Bugger Inside Out
The collection started with a simple question: what happens if you reverse the process?
Instead of applying “Whimsical Little Bugger” onto the surface of garments, Samuels cuts the character directly out of the original vintage textile. A second vintage fabric is then positioned behind the opening, filling the void and allowing the character to emerge through the garment itself.
The technique creates an almost hidden quality. Instead of sitting proudly on thr surface, the familiar Bugger motif becomes part of the construction, revealing itself through carefully considered cut-outs and contrasting vintage textiles. This might seem like a small change, but it completely alters the meaning of the motif on the garment.
Vintage Reconstruction With a New Perspective
Reworking vintage clothing has always been central to Samuels’ approach. For years, the designer and his team have taken one vintage garment and stitched it onto another, combining existing materials, textures and histories to create something completely new.
“Peakaboo” continues that philosophy while deliberately flipping the formula. The process remains rooted in reconstruction, but the result is noticeably quiteter and way more restrained.
The playful personality is still here, but the Bugger no longer needs to dominate the garment. Instead, it becomes something to discover, rewarding a closer look and allowing the construction itself to become part of the design.
Meet the Whimsical Little Bugger
With the “Whimsical Little Bugger” having developed into the brand’s unofficial mascot over the past few years, it was a fitting starting point for introducing the new technique.
The character has become synonymous with Samuels’ irreverent approach to clothing, helping give his vintage reconstructions a recognisable visual language. For “Peakaboo”, that identity remains intact, but its execution becomes more considered.
The Peakaboo Collection
The new collection brings the technique across a selectionof silhouhettes, including the Peakaboo FO Baggies, Peakboo Shirts, Peakaboo Crews, Peakaboo Tees and Peakboo Hat.
