Between fashion, music, and culture: The universe of Cruelty

Born in 2021, Cruelty emerged with the proposal to fill a gap in the market, exploring designs and ideas that go beyond the obvious. Today, the brand stands out for its attentive look at the references that arise in everyday life and for its commitment to quality—from the cut to the story behind each piece. Inspired by landscapes, people, memories, and, mainly, by music, Cruelty does not stick to a single style: it follows the rhythm of life and the market, always in transformation.

We spoke with the brand about its origins, differentiators, and next steps. Among new releases and plans for Cruelty's expansion. Check it out below:

• How did the idea of creating Cruelty come about? What was the starting point for the brand's birth?

The idea for Cruelty was born at the end of 2021, but it was in 2022 that we made our first official launch. At that time, we noticed a gap in the market: the lack of variety in jeans, especially with wider cuts. That’s when we created our first piece: a pair of jeans with a baggy fit. We were one of the first brands to explore this style, which has since become so popular.

• Do you draw inspiration from external references or is the process more focused on personal and collective experiences?

I can say that everything that is part of daily life inspires me in the creative process. Everything that involves life, in a way, motivates me. I seek references in all fields: travels, moments, memories, music, cultures, landscapes, cities, people… In short, everything that surrounds us. Cruelty shapes itself along with life; we don't have a fixed reference. Many people got to know Cruelty because of the baggy jeans, which gave us good visibility.

However, fashion is cyclical and constantly changing. And so are we. We do not want to be stuck to just one style of piece. More and more, we want to explore new materials, textures, and designs, encompassing a wider variety of product styles.

• What have been the main visual and cultural influences in defining this style?

Cruelty is always in a shaping process, constantly changing. Therefore, we don’t have certain labels for inspiration, as we don’t have a fixed reference. However, music is something that is very present in our daily lives, with various musical styles, especially Rock, which strongly influences us in this aspect. We don't worry about always naming references, but we seek to understand the story behind what we are creating. Whether it’s the design of a piece, the origin of the material we use, or the style of the piece worked on, we combine all this information, mix the ideas, and transform them into a single piece.

• How do you see Cruelty in the national fashion scene? What differentiators set the brand apart from others in the Brazilian market?

I believe we have gained a good audience and an interesting place within our niche, even while still being at the beginning. There is much to explore, but I think we have already made an interesting impact on the scene. From the very beginning, we have prioritized quality—from choosing the best materials to the small details that make all the difference. The customer notices and greatly values this. They feel proud to wear the brand.

We’ve seen many brands emerging and trying to replicate our model, with pieces and designs similar to ours. However, we don’t worry too much about that, as we always focus on our work. We are very happy with the evolution of Cruelty and the path it is taking.

• Regarding your next steps, are there plans for expansion, new lines, or collaborations on the horizon?

Yes, we have plans to expand the brand outside Brazil in the coming years. However, for now, we are focused on reaching even more of the Brazilian audience, precisely because we are still expanding our product line and models in our releases. This is an important focus for us this year. As for collaborations, we are always open to new ideas. For now, we are concentrated on evolving and exploring the brand itself, so we can create more meaningful opportunities in the future.

• Tell us a little more about where the inspiration for this latest drop specifically came from?

Our latest release had as its main idea exploring colors. We live in a market where many brands work with neutral colors, and we have gotten used to that. So, we decided to do the opposite: explore colors, combinations, and contrasts that have never been explored by the brand. In fact, our photoshoot for this launch aimed to create "cinematic scenes," as if they were frames from a movie. For this, we chose a neutral backdrop to highlight the colors and contrasts of the pieces featured in this release.

• Is there an intention to explore other formats, like collaborations, events, or even a physical store?

Something we really want to do is to hold an event. I believe that the Cruelty audience is fundamental to the brand's success, and being connected with them is very important. This idea has been on paper for a while, and we want to move forward soon. Perhaps organizing some kind of regular event, involving artists from different niches. These could be pop-up events or shows with our support. Cruelty goes beyond a brand; it’s a way of living and expressing oneself.

We are always connected with the audience, whether in the places they frequent, the music they listen to, or the artists they appreciate. All of this is part of the same idea. Therefore, creating opportunities to connect even more regularly with the audience would be very important.

• If you could give one piece of advice to someone, what would you say?

Get out of the house, open your mind to new things, new experiences! Meet new people, go to new places, take different paths. Go to different restaurants, try different foods. Listen to a lot of music, explore different musical styles, and discover new artists. Research topics that have never interested you. And remember: never stop doing what you love and always be very authentic!