In founder Daniel Lippman’s own words, Class Trip is: Gonzo Glam, Escapist, and Irreverent. Although these three words provide a remarkably apt snapshot of the brand’s identity, Class Trip is so much more complex. The many layers that have shaped and informed the commentary of the Hong Kong imprint’s collections are forged by Dan’s unique perspective on subculture and growing up in a pre-Internet age. “Growing up in an era that was almost entirely offline, I think certain experiences just felt universally understood,” Dan reflects. “You know, the first time you smoked a cigarette, or your first kiss, things like that, that were totally undocumented.”
As an ode to a time that was able to capture a sense of mystery that is near impossible to replicate in the current age of social media and perpetual “online-ness,” Class Trip is an exercise in presence. It is not so much about recreation, but more about harking back to a time when things were experienced in the moment. The original “you had to be there.” Before our lives were split between our physical realities and our online realities. “What we want to do is just capture that sense of wonder. It's more about a feeling than anything,” Dan explains.
Born and raised in New York, Dan would spend time in Hong Kong as a child, visiting the factories there that were owned and operated by his family. Because of his unique upbringing, he has a profound appreciation of materials and textiles that have invariably been ingrained into the ethos of Class Trip. Bringing together a distinctive commentary on culture at large and merging it with a profound reverence for craftsmanship and tradition, Dan provides a point of view that is sharp-witted and quietly perceptive.
Class Trip is not simply a brand of nostalgia, but rather a dialogue on our relationships with our online selves. The Internet irrevocably changed the way that we consume — whether it be information, products, entertainment or beyond — and Class Trip is here to bring us back to a sense of purity, back to when things were enjoyed simply for the sake of it. Doing things because you want to, not because you want to document it. And yet, it is not a movement against the Internet, but rather a warm embrace that compounds a simpler past with a digital present. Class Trip is a celebration of both our online and offline selves, using it as a reminder that if you want to do something, just go and do it. It doesn’t matter who’s watching.
Watch our Designer Edit video editorial with Class Trip above. You can shop Class Trip at LANG online and in-store.
Videography: Mart Sarmiento / @martsarmiento