Perfect Vision

An autistic artist helps reinvent the hipster tee

August 29, 2007—San Francisco label Distilled's new line of T-shirts and hoodies are pretty cool in their own right—and they get even more appealing when you learn their backstory. The design seen on the shirt at left is based on a work by a severely autistic 43-year-old artist named William Scott. It depicts "a place he calls 'Praise Frisco,'" says Distilled cofounder Matty Merrill. "It's an idealized version of San Francisco, a supportive, happy place, which William expects will happen in 2010, when everyone lives in penthouses in giant high-rise condos, goes to church every morning, and then dances all night." And, lest you think the arrangement is in any way exploitive, half of the proceeds from the line—which is limited to 300 pieces each of a tee and a hoodie—will benefit Creative Growth, the Oakland visual arts center for physically and mentally disabled adults where Scott studies. (The center itself is having a moment: Next month, work by its students will be featured in a window at Barneys New York in collaboration with Paper magazine.) The Scott partnership is typical of the outsider art vibe of the two-year-old Distilled. They're also working on a jacket with street artist Adam5100, who recommended adding a pocket for a clandestine can of spray paint. "Yes, we're encouraging mischievous behavior," admits Merrill. As long as they clean up their act by 2010.

William Scott for Distilled T-shirt, $54, hoodie, $145, available at Fred Segal in L.A., Atrium and Reed Space in New York, M.A.C. in San Francisco; www.distilledclothing.com