cav empt
Tokyo-based brand known for its retro-futurist graphics, anomalous silhouettes, and critically-minded approach to streetwear.
ORIGIN
Japan
PRICE TIER
premium
SPECIALIZATION
MEN
Founded in Tokyo in 2011 by Sk8thing and Toby Feltwell, Cav Empt (C.E.) emerged from the creative partnership behind iconic Japanese brands like BAPE and Billionaire Boys Club. The brand’s name is a shortening of the Latin phrase “caveat emptor” (“let the buyer beware”), a concept drawn from a Philip K. Dick novel that signals its counter-cultural, questioning stance. C.E. is distinguished by its synthesis of London's streetwear sensibilities with a Tokyo-based design perspective, producing boxy, oversized silhouettes and reinterpreted menswear classics. Its visual identity is defined by Sk8thing’s distinctive graphics, which blend themes of retro-futurism, digital decay, and critiques of consumerism and technology.
Featured Items
Utility Bomber Jacket
$250.00
Washed Cotton Light Zip Jacket
$205.00$569.00
Utility Bomber Jacket
$250.00
Washed Cotton Light Zip Jacket
$205.00$569.00
Learn More
The story of how secretive streetwear brand Cav Empt was born
This article details the brand's origin story, emerging from the partnership of Sk8thing and Toby Feltwell in post-earthquake Tokyo. It explores the philosophical and cultural references that shaped Cav Empt's identity.
Cav Empt Is Your Favorite Streetwear Brand's Favorite Streetwear Brand
An in-depth interview with co-founder Toby Feltwell that covers the brand's founding principles, its resistance to expansion, and its critical perspective on the streetwear phenomenon and consumer culture.
Cav Empt: What to Know About the Clothing Brand
A comprehensive brand profile from a key streetwear publication, outlining Cav Empt's history, design ethos, and key collaborations, including projects with Vans and Nike.
Buyer Beware: Anti-capitalism, Desire, and Cav Empt SS17
This article provides a deep analysis of the brand's creative direction and philosophical underpinnings, using the Spring/Summer 2017 collection as a case study for its critique of consumerism.