Montauk native Grace Brosnan is the creator of Hardwear, a vintage and handmade label that embodies “timeless yin energy, sensuality, and an experimental design approach.”
The collection is inspired by the designer’s mother — the owner of Joni’s Café in Montauk — as well as her friends, the ocean, and Montauk in the Summer, and her international travels. Hardwear’s vintage collection is inspired by the unique stories that come with each piece, with pieces collected from all around the world.
The collections are created with environmental intention and in limited quantities. The line originated in Montauk as a handmade swimwear label and is now based in Paris.
Tell us about your background and what inspired you to start Hardwear.
Being born and raised in Montauk, there was beauty everywhere, from the shells on the beach to the waves in the ocean, I always felt inspired. At 16, the desire to have a creative outlet that was completely my own drove me to start Hardwear. I wanted to curate a space where I could express the love for my home while experimenting with different mediums.
The line originated in Montauk as a handmade swimwear label. It’s now based in Paris and includes vintage clothing. Tell us about the growth of the brand and your journey.
I like to think that Hardwear grows with me, as I enter different chapters of my life so will Hardwear. I’m a first-year fashion design major at Parsons Paris. I’ve started a new life in Paris and I felt that my brand should have one as well. Hardwear will always be a creative echo of where I am in my life.
Can you tell us more about how Hardwear is inspired by your mother and by Montauk?
I don’t tell her this enough but my mother is my role model in every way possible. Her kindness and energy is a gift to anyone around her. Montauk is special the same way she is special. I feel that Hardwear is a love letter to Montauk and to my mother, wherever I am in the world my collections always connect to my home.
You create your collections with environmental intention in limited quantities. Can you talk a little about why this is so important?
It is so important to be aware of our environment, now more than ever. I feel that if I can do what I love while trying to minimize my waste, or work with fabrics that I know are ethically made, I know I am making a difference. That is why I love working with vintage so much, I’m working with something that is already there, and if I can renew and lengthen the lifespan of a piece then I am proud of that.
Tell us about how you source your vintage collection and how it’s inspired by the unique stories that come with each piece.
I’ve always had a love for all things vintage for many reasons, my favorite being the idea that when you buy a vintage piece you are buying a story and life that comes with it. When I’m sourcing whether it be from flea markets or shops around the world, I love learning about a piece. Because to me, you are not just buying a dress, but a piece of Paris in the ’40s. With Hardwear’s vintage collections I’m not just sourcing clothing, I’m sourcing stories.
Where can we purchase your pieces?
This year I came out with a website for Hardwear, Hardwear.studio. On top of that a friend and I started what we like to call the Female Flea Markets where we invite local female artists, designers, and creators to come and set up. They are so much fun and a great way to support local female entrepreneurs. We do them every Saturday in the summer behind Joni’s Cafe in Montauk.
What are a few of your favorite spots in Montauk?
There might be too many to choose from but I really love the rocky beaches in Camp Hero State Park, the field and the pier at Fort Pond Bay, and of course, my mother’s cafe, Joni’s.
