Meet the DJ Who Created Flashback, a Reflective Clothing Line That Wards Off the Paparazzi and Selfie-Seekers

In Hollywood, the paparazzi are lingering at every corner hoping to catch a celeb, even if they are not up for posing. But what if those photos, which they are using to cash in, produce a glowing figure rather than a celebrity in dispose? Enter Flashback, the line created by deejay and musician Chris Holmes who was tired of people (not just paparazzi) waving their cameras in his and his friends’ faces.

“I throw a party called “Night Swim” in L.A. at the Roosevelt Hotel,” says Holmes. “Thom York [from Radiohead] was deejaying and whenever he does, cameras are just in front of him flashing whole time. I thought if he had a jacket made of that material nobody would take pictures of him because they’d be all blown out.”

So Holmes went to Betabrand, the Kickstarter-like company that funds ideas based on crowd sourcing to partner on the project. Based out of San Francisco, Betabrand is basically an ideas laboratory where concepts are tested and rated by consumers. If there is no demand, the products simply aren’t made. (Recent coups have included yoga pants that are suitable for the office and jumpsuits created by Margaret Cho.)

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“We’ve been selling clothing that makes you look like a disco ball for years now,” says Chris Lindland, the CEO of Betabrand. “It’s hugely popular in the EDM world. So this is kind of like a spectacular upgrade on that stuff. It kind of just has this weird holographic sheen to it at any time of the day.”

Flashback incorporates the reflective material that is comprised of tons of little glass beads, so that they reflect the light and amplify it back to the source. “It’s made for stop signs and for jogging or riding bicycles at night,” says Holmes. “But what happens with the camera is that it the camera defines the brightest spot and adjust to what that brightness is.”

So suddenly, if a celeb or someone near the celeb is wearing the line, the photo becomes a giant glowing orb rather than an inappropriate image that will be thrown up on Twitter or Instagram. It’s actually a pretty rebellious concept to put out in the world at the height of the selfie craze.

So far the line includes a scarf, a full men’s suit (sold separately as a blazer and pants), a hoodie, and a hat. With the exception of the suit, the clothes are considered unisex but Holmes plans to expand the line soon. He is hesitant to reveal too much after Pharrell Williams showed up in a similar custom creation by Adidas at this year’s Grammy Awards. “He’s a good guy, but it is a very curious coincidence though,” says Holmes. “I think 99% of the world thinks he’s wearing our suit.”

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While Holmes has plans to enlist some of his famous friends in his first campaign (you’ll never be able to tell who they are!), you don’t have to be a celebrity to have fun with this line. “It kind of brings out the inner kid in people,” he says. “Like those Hypercolor T-shirts from the ’80s. Or the shoes that had lights in them. This stuff is just fun to wear and play around with. And it’s also really good for photobombing!”

Lindland says a groom could even pick the suit to upstage his bride. (Why should girls get to have all of the fun?) “It’s such a beautiful suit, it really is,” he says. “The guy who made the suits is previously at tailor so he went bananas on it and made them perfect for himself. And he’s our lead designer. The jackets are true to size. The pants are going to be sold with open inseams that you’ll have them hemmed up to the exact right length yourself.”

“We find some of our coolest products are being created by people who don’t have fashion backgrounds,” continues Lindland. “Not that fashion is limiting, but it is a perspective and lifestyle. You don’t expect someone who’s supremely deep into being a professional DJ would see this opportunity for clothing that would create this white specter anytime someone try to take a photo of it, and that for him is funny.”

“One of the main ideas of the line is when people see the material it should serve as a sign to maybe stop and look at what’s going on around them,” says Holmes. “Maybe they’ll realize that people around them don’t want to be photographed and to enjoy what’s going on around them and take a step back.”  

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