Founded in 2011 by Tobi Egberongbe, Mifland is a, as Egberongbe puts it, a “design company.” It splits its headquarters between New York and Atlanta, creating a style that’s not directly influenced by either city but rather uniquely its own. First with bags and accessories and now bigger, ready-to-wear items (jackets, pants, hoodies), Mifland approaches everyday items through a luxurious, streetwear-referencing lens, meaning the hoodies, for example, feel heavier than your usual blanks, come in a custom assortment of colors and feature pronounced, puff print on both sides.
But the brand’s inventory isn’t limited to simply sweats. As mentioned, Mifland originally mastered in bags, luggage and wallets: a Rolltop Rucksack, a Standard Rucksack, Duffle Bags, a smaller Bedford Bag, Utility Totes, Saddle Bags, Mini Messengers and four different types of card and cash holders. Most of them, with the exception of limited collabs with Nike, Jordan and cigarillo brand Backwoods, remain in the rotation. New patterns have been implemented here and there, but they only further the brand’s mission: to make items so unique there’s no mistaking who made them.
Mifland’s “Million M” pattern, for example, is hard to miss — even harder to confuse with any other brand’s insignia. It features the brand’s cursive “M” stamped over and over again, with seemingly no real set reason. But it works well on puffer and jean jackets, bags, shorts and even bucket hats. It’s luxurious, without the same history of logo patterns by Louis Vuitton or Burberry, but with the same air of luxury all the same.
It’s why mega-stars like Los Angeles Laker LeBron James and actress Tessa Thompson have gravitated toward Egberongbe’s designs. Because while they’re of course good-looking, Mifland’s products are also comfortable, durable and impressively functional. Using hefty leather — ranging from three to seven ounces — sourced here in the US, the bags promise to last and earn a stellar patina over time; something cheaper bags don’t develop. Plus, the all of the brand’s leather goods are constructed by hand using the “figure eight” stitching method.
“The figure eight method is a method that involves heavy-duty waxed thread and a back and forth stitch. This combination of material and process ensures durability and ruggedness,” the product description reads. Unique finishes are employed on a few of the brand’s more recent releases, too, a slew of winter-ready tops and bottoms — like The Mifland Padded Overshirt, The Mifland Padded Pants, The Multicolor Work Jacket, Carpenter Pants, Utility Vests and The Limited Edition Mifland Puffer Jacket.
What’s that mean, exactly? Well, the padded jacket and pants may look a lot like your favorite puffer, but the dense weave prevents both from being too puffy, aka the point where your silhouette loses all structure and your shadow looks more like a blob than it does a human body. Paired together they look like elevated separates, capable of subbing in for, in my opinion, a suit where appropriate. The Work Jacket takes the classic chore coat and makes it fun. The Puffer, as the name implies, is an exaggeration of the style adorned with the colorful “Million M” print.
All of them were a part of Mifland’s Fall/Winter 2021 release, which spanned several parts drawn out over a few weeks. It was the first time Mifland dropped apparel beyond sweatshirts, sweatpants and shorts, signaling both growth and increased confidence in their own aesthetic. We, for one, are surely excited for whatever’s next.
