In a small town in the North of Ireland, the crisp smell of the winter air and the sounds of boards clashing in abandoned spaces: this is where Play Hard was inspired, even before Luke Rainey knew what the future held.
“I grew up in a super underprivileged town in the north of Ireland. We had absolutely nothing, but we had skate. So we see skate as a way to get out of the situation that we were in. We thought if we got good enough, we could get a better life.”
“And really, the show is about hope, and it’s using skate as its vehicle to translate that message that following your passions and following your dreams, no matter where you’re coming from or who you are, you can do it.”
Based in Berlin, Luke formed DAGGER after his ex-employer sent him a dismissal letter. “I started the brand when I lost my job in 2020, and the last line of my job dismissal letter was, We wish you all the best with your professional future and personal well-being.” The phrase “All The Best” became the cornerstone of DAGGER’s formation, permanently embedded in the brand’s identity. “I printed that on the back of my first T-shirt, and all the best with the brand slogan, and that’s why we’re here today.”
On February 2nd, DAGGER presented Play Hard at Berlin Fashion Week, their AW26 collection. Snow, ice, and windy streets surround the Kraftwerk venue in the city center. The cold winter weather, combined with the industrial nature of the location, fused with the aesthetic of the collection and the origin of its inspiration. DAGGER brought street wear and high fashion together on the concrete floors of the Neuköllner location. “High fashion has been bringing skate culture into it forever. So now, there’s a skate brand on the runway, where it should be. We’re just representing for ourselves now. That’s the only difference.”
The show started off with a shirtless, drinking angel in the middle of the runway, positioned on a rock. Following the angel’s entrance, the models strutted down the runway in iconic skate staples attached to the DAGGER identity, each item selected and customized to reflect the memories of small-town Portrush: resilient, creative, and scarce. Imperfection plays a big role in the garments, showing how rough, raw edges are part of the story. This collection is not about perfection; it’s rooted in identity, community, and “all the best”.
“It’s incredibly personal because that statement alone formed this entire brand from one T-shirt. But I also love this cheekiness, this neuronicness. It’s like all the best can mean fuck off, and all the best can mean I love you, and I wish you the best, and I like that kind of ‘everything with a wink’.”
Luke’s identity is clearly seared into the fabric of the brand. When asked how this identity collides with DAGGER, Rainey told TITLE, “I’m queer myself. And I feel like, especially with skate brands or streetwear brands, we are owned and operated. It’s not so common.”
“I try to put that aspect and that queer lens into everything that I do to hopefully make people, queer people, feel more comfortable in that scene and open it up to everybody.”
