You may recognize the name Marc Ecko from his other  successful labels Ecko and Ecko RED. While these labels have experienced monetary success they have always left a little be desired in the design department.  The other Ecko labels like so many other street wear labels have relied heavily on the use of  the brand logo as a way to adorn virtually everything . We shall see if the Marc Ecko Collection really does surpass the level of design displayed at the other Ecko labels. Shouldn’t be hard to do right?

I’m starting to notice a Hawaiian trend in men’s street wear. This Marc Ecko Collection “Tiki dancer” t-shirt has an apparent Hawaiian motif. The shirt even says tiki dance but I don’t even see anything tiki about this graphic. I see no tiki heads and the nautical stars really don’t make sense as far as representing tiki is concerned. This shirt is just okay. I have seen better but then again I have seen worse especially at Ecko.

Here we are again with another island motif. Who wouldn’t want to relax in the sun with a busty tattooed mermaid? I’m still not entirely impressed but Marc Ecko’s new logo, his signature is only featured once so I can’t complain. I think Marc was trying to maybe pay homage to Sailor Jerry but clearly emulating his style of mermaid. That’s kind of cool considering the tattoo inspiration runs through the whole Marc Ecko Collection. There are tattoos on the Hawaiian girls from the previous shirt, on this mermaid. In fact tattoos are the central idea around the shirt pictured below.

Are these Marc Ecko’s tattoos? I’m just asking because I’m wondering how these designs made it on to this aqua toned plaid button up. Without all the clutter this could be a really nice shirt. You don’t normally see such bright plaids in street wear. Unfortunately a version without the tattoos doesn’t exist. It’s not that these aren’t “hard” looking tattoos. It’s just they’re so, for lack of a better word, “hard” that they look cheesy. Nice idea but the tattoo choice totally missed the mark.

Well I don’t hate this shirt….  I can appreciate the use of a Victorian composition in a modern way. This shirt features a gas mask blooming with blazing spray paint cans all the while it is surrounded by delicate hyacinth, leaves, primrose and grenades. The  It looks like Marco Ecko is trying at least. And the biggest surprise of all is that his signature does not appear anywhere! That’s a huge step.

I can’t say I am in love with the Marc Ecko Collection. I will say that his progress as designer  is evident. There is a consistency in the pieces of the Marc Ecko Collection that never appeared in the other labels. It’s nice to know that his clothing will no longer scream ECKO frantically and so brightly you can see it from across the street, now they will say Marc Ecko but calmer and with confidence.