Christopher Kane to Partner With J Brand

(image courtesy of Museyon Guides)

 

The uber-popular J Brand has just announced it's latest designer collaboration with award winner Scottish designer Christopher Kane. Kane is no stranger to the brand and has previously collaborated with J Brand on their 5x5 project in support of up and coming British designers.

This time around Kane will join the ranks of greats like Hussein Chalayan and produce a collection using " denim and other fabrications" offered by the company, but that compliment the designer's own business.

When complete, the J Brand/Christopher Kane collection will be available worldwide at retailers that stock both J Brand and Christopher Kane.

 

Related Stories

Hussein Chalayan for J Brand Denim

GQ's Best New Menswear Designer Presents "Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid"

(image courtesy of GQ.com)

Hats off to New York-based menswear designer Billy Reid who has become only the third person to be picked as GQ's Best New Menswear Designer in America. The competition was founded in 20o8 in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America [CFDA] to recognize the work of up and coming American fashion designers. Recipients of the award are given the opportunity to create an exclusive, limited-edition collection with iconic denim brand Levi's that will be sold in Bloomingdales.

Levi's Workwear by Billy Reid  is the result of this year's collaboration with the designer getting unlimited access to the Levi's archives to create a collection that incorporates the brand's workwear roots with Reid's "refined, yet modern tailoring". A total of ten looks are available in the collection such as a rigid, selvedge 501 jean, a dark indigo, denim button-front shirt and a heavily distressed twill hunting coat with detachable canvas apron.

"In terms of inspiration, our idea was to focus on the workwear and outdoor categories from the early days of the Levi's brand," says Billy Reid. "We were able to work with some incredible people in the Levi's archives and found an old work apron from the turn of the century, complete with its natural wear, tear and stains. The apron became a true muse and its influence is present in each piece of the collection. For example, the hunting jacket has a removable, and fully functioning, pocketed, work apron on the inside. We then used it to design the tote bag, which was developed by folding the apron into a bag shape."

The collection launched on September 10th during Fashion's Night Out and will be available at select Bloomingdales, www.bloomingdales.com, Billy Reid stores and www.billyreid.com. The prices range from $45 for a t-shirt to $295 for the hunting coat.

View the collection in it's entirety at www.gq.com.

 
 

 

Oasis' Liam Gallagher's Plays Designer with Pretty Green Black Label

Did you know that Liam Gallagher of Oasis has his own clothing line? Don't feel bad because I didn't either. Apparently, it's been around for at least three seasons and offers a full range of clothing from sportswear, knitwear, outerwear and shoes. All I can say is, wow, how unexpected.

The company is called Pretty Green Black Label and is designed by the musician with the help of a team made up of "key industry professionals". For those, like myself who would like to put the word designed in quotes, the company stresses that the design process is carefully monitored and developed by Liam who is the final approval for every item within the collection.

This Fall they've launched a men's denim collection. The jeans come exclusively in a straight fit, which is Liam's favorite silhouette, and are available in two washes, black and indigo. Identifying features are the embossed leather patch, a Pretty Green lime green stained logo and a signature Pretty Green coated pocket stud.  

The jeans retail for £85 and can be found at the Carnaby Street Store or Selfridges. For those of us outside of the UK, you can learn more about Pretty Green Black Label by visiting their website at www.prettygreen.com.

 

 

 

Shubhankar Ray: G-Star RAW Visionary

There are some people that learn how to be creative, whether it's from school, their environment or personal inspiration, but there are others, a chosen few if you will, that are born with a natural creative inclination that can not be contained no matter what paths others have laid before them.

Recently, I visited the Soho offices of G-Star RAW to meet Global Brand Director Shubhankar Ray who was visiting from the UK. I knew very little about him before then, but what I did know was quite impressive. Many of the original, experimental and groundbreaking concepts that come from the brand, such as the RAW Gallery, a pop-up installation that houses gallery style exhibitions of the runway collection as well as highly conceptualized pieces from the design team, come from the mind of Shubhankar. He is also responsible for creating the RAW Icon program which has seen superstars like Dennis Hopper and Benicio Del Toro participating as the first and second RAW Icons respectively. Another program he has facilitated is G-Star's involvement with the UN's Millennium campaign, a cause committed to ending world poverty. According to Shubhankar, social responsibility is not an option, but a condition of doing business today and he has committed the brand to the UN mission until 2015. The list goes on and on and it would be easy to rave about his accomplishments, which he graciously credits to the members of his team, and are numerous enough to fill several pages of any magazine. However, what I found most impressive was his far from ordinary backstory and a novel concept he liked to call "Mindstyle".

Armed with a Chemistry degree from one of the top five Universities in England, Shubhankar worked nights for UK band New Order which exposed him to London underground music and culture. Eventually, becoming disillusioned with his day job, he went on to get an MBA and was moved to the marketing department. The disparity of being a scientist working in the Marketing department would eventually kick off a creative philosophy of juxtaposed elements, unexpected combinations and changes of context that can be seen throughout his work and most prominently in G-Star RAW programs.

According to Shubhankar, there is no selling of a lifestyle when it comes to branding ---an idea which is in direct contrast to the philosophies of mainstream companies--- but only the offering of styling possibilities. To expand on this idea, he regards the G-Star design team, not as product designers, but as product engineers who offer styling solutions to consumers. This all is incorporated into a term which he's coined called "Mindstyle."

Mindstyle, is the opposite of lifestyle. It is more of an intellectual concept that gives consumers more chances to engage with the brand. As an outsider, his creative philosophy of contrasts combined with the concept of Mindstyle, at first, might seem confusing, but when talking to Shubhankar it all made perfect sense. Case-in-point, G-Star's current campaign features the world's number 1 chess player and youngest Grandmaster ever Magnus Carlsen as the face of the brand, alongside the beautiful and soft spoken Liv Tyler. It's the perfect example of fashion meets IQ, and the programs surrounding the campaign, such as the Raw World Chess Challenge, are interactive and engage the public intellectually while still promoting the G-Star brand. As Shubhankar also points out, it's the juxtaposition of eliticism and democracy as the world collectively (by vote) will decide on a chess move against Magnus with the help of three of the top grandmasters of chess.

I asked Shubhankar if he thought his background in science was the source of his unique approach to fashion and branding. His response was both surprising and uncomplicated. He explained that science is about simplifying complex processes. When considering trailblazers like Einstein, who utilized abstract thinking when developing new theories and experiments, it's actually quite easy to see that there is a very fine line between the creative forces of science and art.

My meeting with Shubhankar went over about 30 minutes as I was wholely absorbed in our discussion. I'm around creatives all the time in my business and many have abstract ideas which, I sometimes find to be esoteric and...well...out there. It's a rarity, and quite refreshing, to meet someone who is dynamic, inspiring and frankly, makes sense.

Brand to Watch: I Dig Denim

Okay. Seriously. You have to agree. The kid in this photo is just too damn cute...or too damn cool...or maybe both. If I was 7 years old, I would date him. Part of it might be his own innate swagger (wow, can it really start that young), but the other part without a doubt are the jeans.

He's modeling a new children's denim brand from Sweden called I Dig Denim. The brand is new on the scene and was founded by Hanna Clavegård who felt that the market lacked an exciting denim brand for kids. She believes that children are distinct individuals and should wear what reflects their personality. If that's the case than the model must be the coolest kid in school.

The brand, produced according to Fairtrade regulations, comes in four models in sizes 6-9 months to 9-10 years with plans to expand. So far it's off to good start after showing at this year's Copenhagen Fashion Fair and is now being sold in six countries.

For more information, you can visit their website at www.idigdenim.se, however, if you don't speak Swedish all you can do is look at the pictures. Not to fret though, click on the link that says Kollektioner. It's definitely worth a peek.

 

Xray Jeans Fall 2010 Lookbook

A few days ago I visited the showroom of Xray Jeans and it was a reminder that, although denim is just one category in the apparel/retail/fashion universe, it has so many niches, trends and functions, that it can literally be it's own entity. Remember when LA Fashion Week had a day of just denim shows? Those were the days. Anyhow, the reason why I say this is because Xray Jeans isn't following the prescribed trends pushed by other, more mainstream, denim brands. Instead, they just do what they like.

Made up of a team of four people, Xray Jeans is headed up by founder Jack Hara, a molecular biology and genetics major, who in spite of having a natural talent for a subject many of us would find headache-inducing, felt a calling for denim that compelled him to launch the company in 2004. Jack trawls various locations drawing inspiration from his surroundings, then passes on his ideas to his staff. As a result, the line is marked by jeans with a lot of distinguishing characteristics, in particular the eclectic back pocket details. No two styles are even remotely alike. On display were jeans with a simple indigo wash, a look most men can wear, to black jeans with a heavy wax coating, a style for the more daring. Also on display were a pair of atypical tie-dyed jeans where the effect was so hazy they almost looked sueded.

The brand's approach of marching to their own drum has garnered them a solid following. In a relatively short time, and with little press, Xray jeans has been picked up by Nordstroms, is sold at Buckles and has it's own section in Macy's Herald Square. They will also be launching their own e-tailing site on xrayjeans.com. The small staff, as well as a commitment to producing little waste, allows the brand to transfer those cost savings to the consumer. Because of this, their merchandise is very affordable, retailing at $98 for jeans and $98 to $148 for outerwear ---the lower price points for premium denim.

As with many denim brands nowadays, Xray jeans offers sportswear, with shirts and outerwear designed in the same eclectic aesthetic as the jeans. They are also expanding their brand by offering a childrenswear line for Fall just in time for Back-to-School and working on a womenswear line for the near future. 

Would You Buy a Pair of Hudson Jeans for $995

(image courtesy of Luxist.com)

Okay, this will be the third time in about a year where I have written about outrageously priced jeans. First it was Tom Ford and his $990 jeans. Then there was a boutique brand called Key Closet who had a pair of $10,000 jeans. Yeah. Right. Now Hudson Jeans, under the helm of Ben Taverniti, has launched a custom line of hand-sewn jeans called Resurrection which will set the buyer back a cool $995.

The pattern of the jeans is cut from a large sheet made from old Hudson samples sewn together, which explains the random details in the photo. Where Tom Ford had gold plated buttons and a silk lining to empty your wallet, I guess that and the custom aspect are the reason for the cost. Who knows. What I really would like to know is if anyone is actually buying these super-premium jeans?

Terrance Sullivan Fall 2010 Preview

During my run up and down Manhattan last week checking out the Fall 2010 collections, I had the unexpected pleasure of checking out newcomer Terrance Sullivan's namesake line. Sullivan is unique to premium denim in that he is based out of Birmingham, Michigan as opposed to LA or NY, but his collection is hand done in Detroit. 

So far the line is characterized by body-flattering skinny jeans with tasteful embellishments, such as multiple zippers at the knees which duplicate the frayed holes that are popular as of late, but give you the option to close them. Also, ruching at the back ankle managed not to be cheesy and was actually a welcome detail. Abrasians were not so much destructed as they were heavily scratched and washes varied from a simple gray fade to marblized. Most every jean I looked at had some characteristic embellishment, but still maintained a form of simplicity which I found both surprising and pleasing. This brand has yet to launch so its hard to say whether this will be a continuing signature of the brand or if it will change over time. However a visit to TerranceSullivan.com shows that there are cleaner, very sophisticated offerings as well, which are sure to have longevity if the brand does.

Terrance Sullivan is expected to launch through e-tailers July 1st and will roll out into department stores sometime later with the prices ranging from $175 - $475.

UPDATE: Terrance Sullivan is based out of Birmingham, Michigan, but is hand done in NY with all finishing done in LA.

 

Former Rachel Zoe Assistant, Taylor Jacobson, Partners with Kasil

 

(image courtesy of People.com)

Taylor Jacobson, the assistant who gained a small bit of buzz on the celebrity blogosphere last year when she was let go by famed celebrity stylist, Rachel Zoe on Bravo's Rachel Zoe Project, has bounced back nicely. Jacobson, a stylist in her own right, has partnered with LA-based premium denim brand, Kasil Jeans for the very first collaboration involving The Workshop. The Workshop was launched by Kasil as a platform for collaborations with young talent in styling, music and contemporary art. 

According to David Lim, Creative Director, Kasil, "She is the quintessential trendsetter. Her sense of style adds funkiness to the street chic that compliments our collection."The 'Minx', an ultra-skinny fit made with Italian and Japanese denim is the result of the Taylor Jacobson by Kasil Workshop and will come in four washes. "My vision was to create a transitional jean that was edgy yet polished at the same time. A feminine collection juxtaposed with masculine undertones," says Jacobson. 

The jeans will hit stores in April and will retail from $168 to $180. 

 

 
 

 

 

Blue Notch Spring/Summer 2010 Lookbook

With the first few images of Blue Notch's lookbook, I was immediately drawn to the light washes which I could easily compare to the aged surfaces of decades old concrete structures. The wash, duplicated somewhat in darker versions and on knitwear, was actually inspired by the dark atmosphere of underground clubs with the monochromatic palette described as having moments of blinding light with flashes of primordial prints. The results may be due to the eco-friendly natural dyes used in their "Purified Washing" technique. Either way, there is definitely something aggressive and unique in their offerings this season.

Blue Notch describes their collection as "akin to armor wear" as there are various metal elements and devices incorporated into the designs. Some of these elements are studding and riveting, normally reserved for leather and tougher surfaces. Roles are reversed with zippers that zip at the waist and buttons that start from the ankle to knee. Details harder to see are the armor chains "hot fixed" to the side seams of jeans and metallics incorporated into destructed jeans.