Hypebeast goes behind-the-scenes for the Brooklyn-based designer’s new custom collection with Intuit TurboTax.
Rebellious Spirit Is in the Details
For designers looking to build a lasting legacy,
it’s paramount to understand that financial structure is not a creative constraint but a foundational pillar that anchors innovation. With Intuit TurboTax’s SoHo flagship now open on 463 Broadway, the tax filing service explores how modern financial tools empower small business owners to harness their craft and creativity. In the latest “Behind the Design” series, Brooklyn-based designer Kody Phillips demonstrates how he manages his business, his studio and the business logistics powering his rising fashion imprint.
Growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio, Kody Phillips was required to wear a uniform at his private school. Fashion became a mode of rebellion, a visual language to combat conformity, with Phillips learning the ropes of product design through DIY experimentation. Through social media, co-signs from KidSuper, and by embracing the industry’s “halo effect,” Phillips’ direct-to-consumer line (formerly run out of his Brooklyn apartment) has exploded, with hero products like the Lasso Shirt and Lasso Jacket establishing his unique design ethos. The up-and-coming luxury contender now operates from his art studio in Williamsburg, New York, and has accelerated the brand with a design and production team.
Most designers will tell you that any collaboration starts with the “why?” “Is it going to be cool…That’s the biggest thing to me, because we’re so young,” he shares with Hypebeast. “Making sure brands align with our vision, the ability to make something good, something special. I’m not going to sign a contract where the mission is to make merch — I’m cool with making nothing if the goal isn’t something substantial.” To kickstart his collaborative capsule with TurboTax, Phillips and his team presented five hero products that encapsulate his brand’s identity while elegantly deconstructing the modern work uniform. “The second we locked in the [partnership], I knew exactly what I wanted to make. The workwear set — the pants and jacket — are new items that we’re introducing. We [added] paint splatters to demonstrate that they are wearable — you should wear them as often as possible. They are made to stand the test of time,” Phillips shares.
“I’m cool with making nothing if the goal isn’t something substantial.”
Staying true to his brand’s penchant for utilitarian designs, the collection reimagines the modern pantsuit, swapping in textured denim and a structured zip-up jacket as the new corporate uniform for creatives braving the chaos of NYC. The collection also introduces an all-new Camp Collar Shirt design, which Phillips embellishes with custom-made gemstones and gold-toned hardware. A bespoke T-shirt featuring a stylized airbrushed “Kody Phillips” logo and a signature beret to top off the collection. “I like the juxtaposition of [office wear] with deconstructed workwear. [In the studio], we’re all wearing the same clothes, workwear that you can move in and get dirty in,” he adds.
Before Kody Phillips became an established fashion brand with wholesale and retail revenue streams, the designer worked at a screen-printing shop. When a garment was subject to a design mishap (intentional or not), Phillips recalls taking those leftover items home, deconstructing them, removing the hardware, and visiting the shop at late hours to print for free. These upcycled items would appear on resale websites like Grailed, with Phillips learning the art of cut-and-sew garment-making along the way.
“The custom hardware is my favorite. ”
a focal point of his collection with TurboTax. When asked about these details, he lights up. “The custom hardware is my favorite. We did a lot of research on those clasps. I’ve been working on them for almost a year, and this is the very first time they are going into production and placed on a garment. I’m excited to see the [reaction] — whether people like it and its [functionality]. And the Lasso shirt’s new shape, we’ve been working on a new camp collar shape for about four or five months.” For the Brooklyn-based designer, the spirit of Kody Phillips resides in the subtleties, the custom zipper panels, and unconventional tailoring that bring a sense of quiet rebellion to his collections.
Thus began Phillips’ love affair with hardware —
“Ask for help. Ask for favors,”
From a backend perspective, however, these embellishments arrive at a cost. Zippers are expensive; a metal component can run up to $20 a unit, while more affordable options compromise on quality. So with every deconstructed pocket, Phillips is tasked with weighing the cost of his vision and determining if the final product is worth his initial investment. Balancing creativity with profit is tricky business. Asked how he navigates the prickly profit margins, he shares, “It’s very hard. It’s a learning curve. We moved to this studio around two years ago. With every new place, you have to put up money and take a huge financial risk. Things move fast in fashion, but they move slowly in production. Everything you’re dealing with now is probably a mistake you made six months ago,” he says.
In fashion, those mistakes are likely born on the moodboard, and by the looks of it, Phillips has continued to steer his ship by remaining flexible and adaptable. “It’s a matter of sustaining a monthly cash flow. Looking at every report, knowing what products are selling, when to reorder, and when to restock. It’s hard, but you learn something new with each drop.” As for financial lessons, Philips has one piece of advice for aspiring designers who’re also stuck dreaming in a screen-printing shop. “Ask for help. Ask for favors,” he says. “Oftentimes, we think help is out of reach. But people like to help. Anyone you look up to, ask them questions. And work consistently. Everything gets put on the back burner when you’re really in it.” Returning to his “why?,” Phillips is motivated by community. “This TurboTax collection made me really think about the community. You want to go quick — go alone. You want to go far — go together.”
The Kody Phillips x TurboTax collection debuted at TurboTax SoHo during NYFW. This fashion collection celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit, and the meticulous craftsmanship that creatives put into running their businesses behind the scenes. Kody Phillips was joined by the founders of Who Decides War in a panel discussion hosted by TurboTax, where both designers dove into their inspirations and design processes, to help creatives understand how financial logic and resources really strengthen the creative output.
The Kody Phillips x TurboTax Collection
Read more about the latest collection from Kody Phillips, and stay tuned on Hypebeast to see more highlights from the label’s unique collab with Intuit TurboTax.
