Places + Faces
ESTABLISHED
2013
HQ
London, England
FOUNDER
Imran Ciesay (Ciesay) and Solomon Boyede (Soulz)
HOW DID PLACES+FACES START?
Way back in 2013, Ciesay spent a summer in NYC and would finesse his way into the backstage area of concerts and private events by telling security he was an official photographer for a big brand. Eventually, he had a huge pile of photos of some of hip-hop and contemporary culture’s biggest names but nowhere to put them. It was here that his friend and fellow photographer, Soulz, came in and suggested that the two should start a Tumblr blog called Places+Faces. After a few logo-printed hoodies acting as business cards caught fire, the duo slapped it into apparel and accessories and became one of the hottest brands in the local streetwear community.
IS IT PRONOUNCED “PLACES PLUS FACES” OR “PLACES AND FACES?”
Both work but as the website’s URL suggests, the go-to is “Places Plus Faces.”
WHAT DOES PLACES+FACES ACTUALLY DO?
Ciesay and Soulz keep busy with a bit of everything. They have hoodies, waistbags, and accessories stamped with the P+F logo. Besides the merch, they’re doing everything from pop-up shops and club nights to photo zines and mixes featuring up-and-coming figures in the UK music scene, including Daniel OG & Neverland Clan, Darq E Freaker, 67 and Kojey Radical.
BIO
Not many brands can flex the fact that they went from a Tumblr photo blog to streetwear mainstay, but that’s the story of Places+Faces. The UK brand is the brainchild of Imran Ciesay and Solomon Boyede (or Ciesay and Soulz, respectively) and began way back in 2013 as a place for Ciesay to dump his archive of backstage photos. Like all good origin stories, P+F caught fire after the duo slapped a Places+Faces logo on some hoodies and other merch. Six years after its humble beginnings, the brand has become more than just a retailer and photography crew—they’ve created zines, done club nights, and dropped mixes with some of the UK music scene’s best artists.
2013
Ciesay starts to sneak backstage at hip-hop shows and private events to photograph artists and cultural icons in New York while Soulz photographs in London. They put their images on a Tumblr blog.
2014
The first merch is created. The two P+F hoodies are used by Ciesay and Soulz to wear as business cards for the brand.
2015
Places+Faces link up with Highsnobiety for a London photo exhibition.
2017
P+F drop their first print magazine, featuring images of Lil Yachty, A$AP Rocky, and more.
2019
P+F launch a collab with GUESS Jeans U.S.A.
