The birth of Berlin-based streetwear label DAGGER begins with its founder, Luke Rainey, unexpectedly losing his job. The typical formal and insincere dismissal letter with which he found out this news ended with: “We wish you all the best with your professional future and personal well-being,” a message that inspired his first DAGGER collection.
With only three months of Job Seekers Allowance and in a cramped Berlin apartment, Rainey created what has since become DAGGER’s “core” tee printed with the brand’s slogan, “all the best.”
This same phrase is core to the brand’s latest release, offered across a range of casual styles. The five-piece drop includes loose-fitting track sets, graphic caps, and baggy jeans, all tastefully distressed to give a worn-in look.
Similar to its recent hardcore-inspired collection, there’s a gritty feel in the campaign for this drop — a noticeable aesthetic change for the brand.
A model with a visibly cut face and punk-esque spiky hair fronts DAGGER’s latest campaign, wearing the “all the best” collection which is available now from DAGGER’s website and the Highsnobiety Flagship store.
A lot has happened since founder Luke Rainey’s first T-shirt line for DAGGER, created during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the brand enlisting a new co-owner in the form of Marvin Lobodda (who is also Rainey’s fiancé, making it a family business) and being stocked in highly-coveted retailers such as Dover Street Market Paris.
However, one thing hasn’t changed: DAGGER still wishes you all the best.