No contemporary clothing brand — with the obvious exception of Maison Martin Margiela — is cloaked in quite so much mystery as the Deth Killers of Bushwick. Eight years ago, the Brooklyn-based atelier made its debut as “Inner City Raiders vs. Deth Killers”, purportedly named after the centuries-old violence raging between two of the borough’s most notorious gangs. According to legend (available in its entirety on DethKillers.com), the gang leaders, exhausted after years of unremitting battle, drew up a peace treaty stipulating not only the end of their bloody turf war, but the creation of a fashion company. The mega-brand they summoned “would combine and capitalize on the clubs’ exquisite and deadly senses of style. Styles of dress so sexy, they were known to lure Mamasitas, Hoochie Mamas, and Rock Goddesses from all five boroughs.” And it was so.
     The Deth Killers spent three glorious years on the periphery of mainstream fashion — outfitting David Bowie in tight jeans and punk rock jackets for his 2003 “Reality Tour” — only to disappear altogether a year later. The circumstances surrounding the brand’s dissolution remain unclear: “If you happen to be wondering where the Deth Killers have been for the last few years, it’s a long story,” states their new website. “You might want to go to the bathroom now, because it’s very long and very boring.”