BonneGueule x Maharishi: our olive “Custom pant”

The BonneGueule x Maharishi pants are now available here .

This collaboration represents something very special at BonneGueule because we worked with a brand that we love, but which we have almost never talked about on the site, something rather unusual. So let me first tell you a little story... Exceptionally, this article will include two videos, as Maharishi's background is so rich and dense.

A big thank you to Long who went above and beyond to bring you this video shot in the Maharishi store in London!

From primitive peoples until today, there has been war.

And very early on, we realized that it was necessary to dress these warriors differently from the others. Well yes, it was necessary to distinguish civilians and soldiers (and identify each unit), to protect them and equip them properly, while impressing the enemy.

As states gained power, it was necessary to assert the power of their units all the more.

Soldiers occupied high social positions in other eras and, to mark the occasion (and their prestige), clothing with rare and expensive dyes was needed, and therefore more status. This is why we could see very colorful military outfits (with a peak during the Renaissance).

Given that in certain countries, people chose to enlist, it was necessary to inspire fresh recruits with bright and flashy outfits , a far cry from their condition of country people working in the fields.

Except… all this heritage of several centuries - outfits with panache and flamboyance - was swept away in just a few years. It took just ONE battle to call into question the color of a military uniform.

The Boers, the first soldiers in khaki

We are in 1880, in the middle of the period of colonization. The British, through their desire for expansion, found themselves facing well-established Boers, white settlers who had come to try their luck in Africa .

Problem: the British underestimated the resistance of the Boers. We could indeed take them for simple peasants, with khaki-colored farm clothes (they only had natural dyes available), but they are in fact accustomed to a harsh life in Africa. They are therefore excellent horsemen, have a perfect knowledge of the terrain and, as good hunters, had great mastery of long-distance shooting, while knowing how to be discreet and patient, real Rambos before their time .

Opposite there was a confident, disciplined British army, but terribly visible in the African wilderness with its blue and red clothing.

At the Battle of Bronkhorstspruit , which lasted only 15 minutes, the British Army quickly realized the problem when most of its important officers and men were cut down within moments by Boer snipers. There were 156 British wounded or killed, compared to 2 dead and 5 wounded on the Boer side. That's what we call a major defeat!

The establishment of a new model

This has led to a huge rethinking of the role of the military uniform. No more colorful and visible clothing to tell the story, make way for clothing that should save the lives of soldiers. Long-range weapons had sounded the death knell for flashy uniforms, battles fought in well-defined terrain and hand-to-hand combat.

In a disaster, the British began to dye their uniforms with what they had on hand: tea, dust... Military khaki was born!

The rest is well known: armies will become increasingly aware of the importance of blending into nature as long-range weapons and war aviation develop, then will go further by working on particular reasons.

The famous camouflage pattern appeared and its history is very different. Initially, it was the heavy artillery which was camouflaged, because these machines were very expensive and absolutely had to be preserved from enemy bombardment . For the record, during the First World War, the French army commissioned several artists to create hand-painted camouflage!

It was not until 1929 that the Italians invented a process for randomly printing patterns on large areas of fabric.

This is where camouflage took off and became a military, political, practical and functional pattern , which says a lot about armies.

Except... not everyone is of this opinion. There is a man who considers that camouflage is not a military invention. This man is Hardy Blechman.

Hardy Blechman, the man behind Maharishi

Theft of the camo pattern

He considers that the camouflage was stolen by the army from artists and scientists, that it is in fact an ode to nature , a study of it.

As proof, he holds up the first book published on camouflage in 1909 by a naturalist, Abott Thayer, assuming that the colors of animals are intended to camouflage them.  

Hardy Blechman believes that Abbott was the first to understand abstract, repetitive patterns in nature and that the military plundered this work for use in war .

And Hardy doesn't like that, and he has decided to devote all his work to “demilitarizing” “camo”.

But what work are we talking about, and why am I talking to you about peacocks camouflaged in nature?

Let's go back to Hardy Blechman's childhood.

The origins of a passion

His father was an antiques dealer and very quickly passed on to him a passion for vintage, and more particularly for military clothing which he likes to customize with various embroideries. In these pieces, he will find a purity, a sense of functionality and colors that will obsess him forever.

Except that Hardy is deeply pacifist and nature lover .

When he founded his brand Maharishi in 1994 in England, the slogan was obvious: pacifist military design .

The goal of the brand? Offering a streetwear line with strong military influences, but totally pacified (we'll see how he does it).

Why is Maharishi considered one of the most innovative streetwear brands of its time , and Hardy Blechman as "one of streetwear's greatest visionaries" by WAD magazine?

Note: To see with your own eyes all these elements in the current Maharishi collection, go to the excellent Elevation Store boutique at 135 rue Vieille du Temple in Paris, it is the only French point of sale that distributes Maharishi to my knowledge .

An absolutely unique use of camo

It is through his mastery and his enormous work on the camo pattern that he became known. He created some camo patterns which are now signatures for the brand, such as the famous DPM Bonsaï which he has available in several versions or the “Tibetan Elemental Tigerstripes” which contains some Korean signs.

I'm fascinated by how Hardy spent 20 years exploring this motif again and again. When asked if he is tired, he replies:

It's quite the opposite, I regret not being able to exploit all the camo patterns that I draw!

Seeing camo as an ode to nature, he very frequently uses organic cottons as base fabrics for his clothing.

A (truly) pacifist brand

As we have seen, Hardy Blechman's primary objective is to dissociate military clothing - more specifically camo - and war. To this end, for 20 years, he has been teeming with ideas to convey his pacifism through his clothing :

• He's going to put 3M reflective strips on camo. It seems silly, but if you think about it, it makes a fabric that is supposed to hide us on a battlefield very visible. Thus, it removes any military function from camo. 

• It will also do the opposite: hide camo patterns in clothes, supposed to help us hide #camoinception. For example, on certain pants, the pockets have a camo pattern: this is a way of making them unusable from a military point of view. In addition, putting camo fabric directly in contact with the skin is its way of reminding us of our unconscious love of nature!

• Maharishi’s high-end line is the so-called “upcycled” line. Hardy sources inventory of authentic military clothing from around the world, then completely restructures it. Above all, all the pieces from the upcycled line will be washed in India in saffron water and blessed in incense, to “wash” the clothing from all the military actions it may have witnessed .

• And finally, he will push vice to the point of making non-violent toys, like these little soldiers doing yoga poses:

Maharishi, a brand imbued with spirituality

Religious influences

We could say that with his camo work and his pacifism expressed in his clothes, it was more than sufficient in terms of the brand's values, but that's without taking into account the spiritual dimension very present in Maharishi !

And here too, while religious symbols are rarely treated well in men's fashion, Hardy Blechman gives them a place that has never been more current...

• He uses several colors characteristic of religions: the gold and purple of Christianity are featured on bombers, with "zip pullers" reminiscent of the cords of priest's robes, and the orange of Buddhism is used for t-shirts and a cotton jersey cape inspired by the robes of Buddhist monks.

• He also attaches great importance to atheism , since we see the mention “no rel. pref. » for “no religious preferences” on clothing . Hardy Blechman wanted to highlight how religion enters a battlefield, and demonstrate the contradiction that this creates. Indeed, if it is possible to have “no rel. pref. ", the American army did not hesitate to print its own version of the Bible by replacing “Thou shalt not kill ” with “Thou shalt not commit murder” . It is important to point out that through the “no rel. pref. », Hardy Blechman wants to show that he respects and puts all religions on the same footing, and he will find a fairly original way to show it…

• … On this same summer 2016 collection, we sometimes see an embroidered Pangea on the clothes, this famous supercontinent at the origin of our current continents . It's simply a beautiful message to remind us that no matter our religious preferences, we all come from the same place, and we are all united.

A politicized creation

Asian culture is, with camo, Maharishi's other great source of inspiration, where we find recurring elements:

• The tiger, which is an omnipresent figure in “Maharishi mythology”, taken from the kung fu of Shaolin monks. It represents power,

• Obviously, all the bonsai, the pagodas, also refer to Asian culture,

• If you look closely, certain clothes are regularly inspired by kimonos.

Sometimes, Hardy Blechman uses his clothes to convey a political message, something rather rare among men's fashion designers. Free Tibet is a recurring figure in his collections. He also denounced the rise of citizen surveillance laws via a stunning ninja-inspired collection , which allows the wearer to effectively hide from surveillance cameras .

What is fascinating with Maharishi is to see such richness (concretely mixing religion, spirituality, pacifism, camo, it had to be done and few creators would be capable of it with such brilliance), which unites harmoniously with military-inspired designs.

Many brands loudly proclaim their values ​​but ultimately, when we are in front of the product, when we hold the garment in our hands, we say to ourselves “Okay… so what? How does that translate?

And precisely, if there are very strong values ​​behind the brand, Hardy Blechman demonstrates an obsession with the product itself, paying attention to the finishes, materials and details . Let's see it now!

An obsession with quality products

Above all, functional clothing

But why have so much attraction for military clothing when Hardy is deeply peaceful?

He is someone who loves functional and utilitarian clothing. However, with workwear, “military wear” is the most functional… And precisely, when it comes to giving functionality to its clothes, it doesn’t do it by halves!

Among his findings are:

• Its famous discreet and zipped double-pocket system . You had to think about it but it's terribly effective, especially so as not to lose anything precious (keys, passport, etc.). I use it all the time, I don't even know how I did it before,

• Hidden pockets inside the garment, especially at the back. It is a very secure pocket because access by an outside person is impossible ,

• Straps to carry your outdoor pieces over the shoulder or as a backpack,

• Interior pockets on the pants, to put your phone,

• And he has developed a very clever system with Riri to tighten the bottom of his pants or the waist as desired , thanks to a tiny metal ball which allows an elastic cord to pass through only when it is stretched. It’s the famous Snoball!

I'm deliberately stopping here because I would have the opportunity to talk in great detail about the pants as part of our collaboration.

High-end finishes and materials

Hardy is someone who loves the product. In addition to making the garment functional , he uses beautiful materials and he is a stickler for small details :

• Organic cotton, high-end wool from the English company Moon, technical materials from Sympatex, Italian technical materials, Schoeller material... Hardy doesn't deprive himself of anything!

• In terms of details, there are also zero concessions : on his clothes we find waterproof zips, personalized Riri zips, colored edging that we only see on the inside of the garment, and he even thought of the way from which the pockets are sewn so that they remain perfectly flat.

So are you starting to understand why this brand has been considered one of the most innovative in streetwear? 🙂

While Maharishi is a twenty-year-old brand, it is far ahead of its time, since we find several fashionable and very current values ​​there:

• Environmental awareness,

• Spirituality,

• peaceful message,

• Very functional clothing.

Hardy was already a visionary 20 years ago and ultimately, he is more so than ever today. As suggested by the name of its brand which, in Sanskrit, means… “great seer”.

This introduction is long, but necessary, because Maharishi is a very different brand compared to those we usually talk about on BonneGueule. I really wanted you to understand why I love it so much, and what inspired us to collaborate with it.

How I discovered Maharishi

My love affair with this brand started with pants. I was looking for a model that was not jeans, not classic chinos, nor wool pants, with a cut that was a little more refined than a semi-slim.

Milone, to whom you owe the fantastic articles on workwear and techwear, then advised me to turn to a brand I had never heard of: Maharishi.

There, I came across the Corarden cargo pant , in organic cotton, with heat-sealed seams on the outside, along the leg. As someone who loves the edging along the leg, I'm delighted! Impeccable, exactly what I wanted, because the ankle is well fitted. Problem: it's quite expensive (more than €200), but my wardrobe is already well stocked with basic and versatile pants, it's time to make my "favourite/pleasure purchase" of the semester. So I order.

When trying on, there is a certain anxiety because it is a piece very different from all the pants I had tried until then, but I fall in love with this elaborate cut, with volume in the thighs and a well-fitted ankle. It is quite low waisted but sits perfectly at the level of the buttocks, there is an extremely elaborate pattern!

So, you know what I did?

I ordered another one. Then a few months later, yet another, resulting in a total of four Maharishi pants that stole the show from most of my jeans and chinos .

Among these four, there is one cut that stood out from the rest, it is that of the Custom pant. It synthesizes all of Maharishi's know-how without the excesses (the others are still very particular: very tight at the ankle, quite loose waist, etc.). The Custom pant is perfectly measured. We'll talk about that again in a moment.

So, you know what I did? (bis)

I talked to Geoffrey about it, because in a much more practical way, I saw him struggling to find pants that fit his well-muscled thighs. However, Maharishi, with his pants, slightly loose at the thighs and well fitted at the ankles, was the perfect solution.

It was also love at first sight between Maharishi and Geoffrey, who now owns six pairs of pants (!!!).

With a brand we loved so much, it was clear that we had to try the collaboration. And Maharishi and collaborations are a long love story.

For those in their thirties, remember: during the 2000s, we saw the emergence of a number of streetwear pants with drawstrings at the ankles. Well they were copies of Maharishi, as were the huge dragon and tiger designs (poorly) printed on some of the clothes, which butchered Hardy Blechman's painstaking work on these Asian symbols.

Although the Snopant was still very wide, Hardy adapted very well to the market trend by offering much more fitted cuts, without ever denying the brand's DNA. This is a good transition for me to talk about cutting...

Our BonneGueule x Maharishi pants

From a distance, we see olive-colored pants. But up close, we immediately notice its very particular cut.

And when I say "special", it's for real because, in the same way that we easily recognize the shoulder of a suit from Cifonnelli, we immediately spot a leg line from Maharishi.

Hardy's feat is to give ease to the thighs without ever having a "baggy" look, by firmly fitting the ankle , all in a harmonious and perfectly proportioned manner.

This is also a pattern that would have been impossible to develop internally at BonneGueule, because it requires enormous experience in terms of model making. Let us give back to Caesar what is Caesar's!

If you have good thighs and/or rounded buttocks, you should really like these pants, thanks to the ease in these areas .

In terms of comfort, it is not left out thanks to the addition of two small elastic bands at the waist, on the hips . It is therefore very comfortable from the first fitting, and with the back of the pants which rises higher than the front, you can:

• Wear it well maintained , raising the belt well above the buttocks,

• Wear it slightly loose , the elastic is quite flexible for a looser effect with a slightly lower crotch.

Precisely, at the level of the fork, there is a curious sewn diamond piece which allows you to never be constrained in your movements.

It is the ambitious challenge of a silhouette which retains the comfort and functionality of a low crotch thanks to a "tapered" cut, but which narrows at the knee due to the set of seams there, to be less bulky.

If you look closely at the knee joint, you will see 4 small, slightly curved bending clips at the front and back, which give this anatomical fit .

As has often happened to me when I wore Maharishi pants, people will notice that there is something special about this collaboration, but they will have a hard time saying precisely why. That’s the magic of this cut!

Sophisticated pockets

Ah, the subject of pockets, a strong point of Maharishi! Like some high-end pants, they're cut so that they never open up if you have wide hips, and the inside is sewn in such a way that they can't come out on the outside.

But that's not all…

Inside the right pocket you have an internal pocket (a pocket within a pocket) expressly for the phone, which is terribly practical. This avoids having your keys at the same level as your smartphone, for example.

At the right rear pocket, inside the pants, there is a hidden passport pocket that is very secure, as it is inaccessible to someone outside, unless you put your hand inside.

And finally, let's finish with the best feature: the hidden zippered pockets.

You will put everything you should not lose, including when you are sitting: passport, keys, headphones, important paper. Casually, that makes no less than four accessible pockets on the sides (two pockets on each hip) without counting the back pockets. This is why they are very functional and practical pants.

Sharp finishes

The finishes are not left out, as you will see:

• The fly zip is a Riri zip, personalized with the brand logo, please!

• There is a black nylon band at the heel, to protect this part from wear,

• Two loops on each side, for easy drying or storage on a hanger,

• And at the left ankle, in the seam, there is Maharishi's very discreet signature, with a tiny reflective part.

Next to it, the slightest chinos may seem very bland to you now...

The material: organic cotton

Environmental awareness requires, Maharishi used organic cotton, as for its other cotton pieces. Here we are on a 230g fabric, which they call "compact cotton", with a rather dense twill weave. But above all, there is this beautiful olive color that has been very slightly faded.

How to maintain pants?

Like any chinos or cotton pants! Machine wash at 30°, minimum spin and, as usual, no tumble dryer.

How to wear anatomically cut pants?

How to choose your size ?

The sizing is very classic, just take your usual size! If you are between two sizes, go for the smaller one. It's that simple.

How to get the BonneGueule x Maharishi pants?

The BonneGueule x Maharishi pants are now available here .