Microsoft is rebooting with a debut collection of clothing. Aptly named Hardwear, the capsule takes inspiration from “normcore,” an aesthetic that puts focus on individuals and not the clothing they wear, for a Bill Gates-esque feel. Minimal graphics and Microsoft graphics decorate tees, jackets, pants, pullovers, and hats to appease nostalgia for the company’s familiar startup sound and grassy hill desktop background.
The nine-piece Hardwear collection takes on a simple demeanor because “expression should be effortless,” according to a press release. Built in partnership with designer Gavin Mathieu, who worked alongside Jerry Lorenzo and Nipsey Hussle before founding his streetwear brand Supervsn, the capsule is meant to reduce any distraction to people’s creativity. “Humans are at their highest level of self when they create,” said Mathieu in a release, noting that Microsoft and its MS Paint software inspired him to be a designer.
