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WHERE HAS ALL THE FASHION GONE Vol. III 路 Issue 13

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WWW.FREESOULWORLD.COM SALES CONTACT: DEBBIE DICKENS SIMPATICO/THE CO*OP SHOWROOM 231 W. 39TH ST. SUITE 602 NEW YORK, NY 10018 T 212-869-8666 F 212-869-8660 DEBBIE@SIMPATICO212.COM

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S I L V E R J E A N S . C O M A V A I L A B L E A T M A C Y ’ S A N D S I L V E R J E A N S C O .™ L O F T S LOS ANGELES CHICAGO HOUSTON DALLAS MINNEAPOLIS

CONTENTS EDITOR’S LETTER

INSIDE LOOK Five to Watch Behind the Scenes

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RETAIL Haymakers MartinPatrick3 Music in the Retail Setting

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VOICES Ten Questions With Marcus Troy Engineered For Motion

BRAND PROFILE Grayers Robert Graham Star Man FEATURE STORY Collaborations T-Shirts Fabrics

‘INSIGHTS FROM INSIDE

A preeminent retailer shares his thoughts on the coming season

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44 TEED OFF T-Shirt Brands Find Strength by Starting Niche

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GUS FLORIS Editor-in-Chief/Publisher gus@apparelinsiders.com REBECCA PAIEMENT Editorial Director rebecca@apparelinsiders.com DESIGN Pixalee Creative Agency pixalee.com

CONTRIBUTORS Courtney Michelle, Donovan Whyte, Rhea Cortado, Gina Costanza, Rachel Kinnard COVER MODEL Alisar Allabouni MAILING ADDRESS Apparel Insiders, LLC 38 East Ridgewood Avenue, #311 Ridgewood, NJ 07450

PHOTOGRAPHERS Marko Kalfa

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SHOW BOOTH 25114

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR WHERE HAS ALL THE FASHION GONE I realize it may sound like an extreme statement but I’ve come to realize that if you want your message heard, you need to push the boundaries.

come need

So what statement am I making with our cover? After walking the shows that kicked off Spring ’15, I found boring and uninspiring. There are definitely some standouts. of those brands are actually featured in this issue, but they and few between. You walk a show today and it all looks the same.

things A lot are far same.

The prevailing joke in the industry, and something that I’ve about on countless occasions, is that you can be dropped middle of several department stores and not know which one are in. Unfortunately now that joke has transcended the dement store and has found its way into the wholesale market. you can walk a trade show and basically interchange labels product being shown from brand to brand. It’s all starting the same. And it’s not only the product. Just look at the some advertising campaigns out there. It’s down right comical.

written in the y o u partToday on the to look of the

We all know that business is challenging. 1. We are over stored: specialty stores, department stores, outlets, online stores, flash sale sights. 2. The darling of the industry for many years, denim, has slowed down tremendously and instead of being creative with other product categories, brands and retailers are determined to reinvent the denim wheel. 3. Consumers have more distractions than ever and other, more pressing priorities to spend their money on. 4. Brick and Mortar retailers have lost sight of who their customer base is, continuing to ignore the customer service aspect of retail and have forgotten that retail is entertainment. 5. A consumer can buy any brand at any retail store and pay varied prices. 6. Big box, mono-brand stores continue to offer fast, disposable fashion at ridiculously cheap prices. And these are just a few of the challenges we face. There is no easy fix and inevitably there will be a new trend that will take the industry by storm. But until then, we need to be creative in our approach to business. Be EXTREME so you are heard and seen. Be ENGAGING and have a story to tell and be UNIQUE.

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Photo by Marko Kalfa

Gus Floris Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Marko Kalfa

vince.com

A p p a r e l , B o o t h 12 6 F o o t we a r, B o o t h 12 2

Watch

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For your consideration, five of the best newbies in the market. Welcome to the summer trade show shuffle. Among the brands you count on each season are always the fresh faces. Here, we’ve compiled our favorite newcomers, well worth a visit.

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5 TO WATCH 1

Yankee Dog 1 YANKEE DOG Yankeedogdenim.com

LAUNCH DATE: 2013 TRADE SHOWS: Project/ Tents Show, Las Vegas KEY LOOKS: Core essential is classic denim with a very

expressive shirting collection. Accessories include hats, shoes/ boots and neck ware. RETAIL LOCATIONS: Plans are in the works for their own gallery/Atelier Fashion Boutique this year in New York to showcase Nicholas Gamarello’s Artwork and fashion. Plus there are plans to open a Gallery/ Atelier Fashion Boutique to showcase the new labels. RETAIL PRICE POINTS: Premium Denim Jeans $260 and Up. Denim Jackets $385 and up. Shirtings $200 and up. For special original T Shirt graphic collection, approximately $80.00 and up. BASE OF OPERATIONS: New York City BRAND PHILOSOPHY: To focus on a core essential denim and create an American Lifestyle built around iconic jeans. These reflect design choices and details from by-gone eras which are still relevant and timeless. The fabrics are woven and loomed in America as well as a denim collection which is cut and sewn in the U.S.A.

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YOU SHOULD KNOW: The denim is being made in

collaboration with the L.C. King Denim Company, a 100 plus year old factory renown for its heritage, quality related denim products. The shirtings and neck ware are being made with collaborations with Brooks Brothers / Southwick factories here in the U.S.A. THEY CAUGHT OUR EYE BECAUSE: Yankee Dog Denim is story told through fashion of the building of America through the eyes of an American artist and fashion designer, an accomplished artist/ designer who has represented some of the industries most iconic fashion brand houses and now is focusing on his own dream vision. A homage to the working man who helped forge and build our country and helped create through a need, an iconic cultural identity and look which is embraced and recognized as American Denim. The collection will, in addition to offering essential core denim pieces, also offer limited edition seasonal collector editions of various classifications offered. CONTACT: Nicholas Gamarello / Founder PH.(212) 704-9933 265 West 37 Street Room 210 NYC,N.Y 10018

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Troubadour

2 TROUBADOUR Troubadourgoods.com

LAUNCH DATE: April 2013 TRADE SHOWS: Pitti Uomo, Tranoï Homme, and The Tents

@ Project in New York and Las Vegas. KEY LOOKS: The Weekender bag is the product that got the whole Troubadour adventure going. They are also very proud of their Rucksack, especially the unique buckle detail, which was inspired by a vintage WW1 sniper rifle. In terms of the smaller items in the collection, the brand loves their new Billfold Wallet, which is one of the slimmest on the market, and their Business Card Holder, which has a clever swivel top design. RETAIL LOCATIONS: Stockists include Harrods and Harvey Nichols in the UK, as well as stores in the US, Europe, and Australia. The full collection can also be bought directly from the website, where they offer free worldwide shipping. In addition to all of these, they’re expanding into some exciting markets and stores around the world over the next few months. BASIC RETAIL PRICE POINTS: $180 to $1885 BASE OF OPERATIONS: London, England BRAND PHILOSOPHY: Their approach combines the

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incredible craftsmanship of top fashion houses with a more functional design and understated, modern aesthetic for men. Function is at the heart of the Troubadour design process and is the driving force behind everything they create. They also believe that good quality and design should speak for itself, so their products are not covered in garish logos, and have no overt branding, which are values they share with their customers. YOU SHOULD KNOW: They have a fantastic collaboration coming up with a well-known British tailor. Plus they will continue to develop their bespoke service, TroubadourFor. Check Troubadour’s social media for updates. CONTACT: contact@troubadourgoods.com or via social channels @troubadourgoods 3 ACE RIVINGTON Acerivington.com

LAUNCH DATE: December 2013 TRADE SHOWS: Fi3, Santa Monica KEY LOOKS: The A.R. Homespun French Terry Sweatshirt

grounds the collection. It’s surrounded by a full line, with key looks including the Ace PT-17 Slim in Italian Denim offered in 3 washes and the range of Home Washed Plaid Shirts. RETAIL LOCATIONS: Now launching small groups with

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5 TO WATCH 3

Brandblack

Ace Rivington select specialty boutiques mostly in Southern California. In addition, they are always looking for stores to help grow their exposure in wholesale. BASIC RETAIL PRICE POINTS: $68 - $200 BASE OF OPERATIONS: Carpinteria, California BRAND PHILOSOPHY: The philosophy of the brand is about sharing a pilot’s story, the clothes he wears, and the spirit of adventure for travel that we all have. Modern with a sense of vintage inspiration and iconic appeal is the true description of Ace Rivington. YOU SHOULD KNOW: The foundation of Ace Rivington is based around the experience of Beau Lawrence, the brand’s founder who launched Union Jeans in September of 2004, picked up the reigns at LA Denim Atelier in May 2006, followed to be the Head Jeanswear Designer at GUESS for several years and was most recently the VP of Design and Merchandising for Neff Headwear. They have some big brand collaborations in the works for Spring 2015 that are top secret until they launch. THEY CAUGHT OUR EYE BECAUSE: Ace Rivington is a men’s lifestyle apparel brand inspired by the travel and adventure of its namesake. Truly a brand with a story, each season they will have a destination theme that will include a travel

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guide as well as timeless designs inspired by the location. All of the styles are vintage inspired fashion basics with details that add a modern twist at price points that do not break the bank. CONTACT: Beau Lawrence: info@acerivington.com Ace Rivington, Inc. 1072 Casitas Pass Road #307 Carpinteria, Ca 93013 4 BRANDBLACK Brandblack.com

LAUNCH DATE: February 2014 TRADE SHOWS: CIFF in Copenhagen & Agenda Las Vegas KEY LOOKS: Performance-based apparel with a very futurist

fashion edge. Think oversized hoods, narrow long silhouettes made of breathable, moisture wicking fabrics that look high fashion. RETAIL LOCATIONS: A question better answered at the end of August. BASIC RETAIL PRICE POINTS: $60 to $250 BASE OF OPERATIONS: Los Angeles BRAND PHILOSOPHY: The direction of Brandblack is progressive by nature, so their first collection speaks to that. They took inspiration from films and music that held a sort of “near future” dystopian theme, combining technical innovations such

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Vico as heat sealed seams, TPU dipped lace tips and juxtaposing these with familiar and in some respects classic, sports pieces. They also experimented with proportion to give it that futurist edge and challenged themselves with questions like: “What would a basketball kit from 2025 look like?” The end result is a functional, smart sportswear collection that is in balance with our innovative performance footwear offering. YOU SHOULD KNOW: Stay tuned. THEY CAUGHT OUR EYE BECAUSE: They are trying to push performance but not an the typical athletic way. They feel that we are living in the a very interesting time. New innovations are a huge part of this and Brandblack wants to adapt that innovative philosophy in their product while also pushing the overall aesthetic in a contemporary way. They want to “Look good winning.” CONTACT: Bdill@brandblack.com

Ultraflex runner outsole YALE. RETAIL LOCATIONS: Baskets, Amsterdam. Which is a very nice boutique store. In the US we are starting with KITH this season. Around the globe we also start with great reference stores like Poste/Harvey Nichols. BASIC RETAIL PRICE POINTS: $180-$380 BASE OF OPERATIONS: Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Designer Patrick Zamparini is based in Montebelluna, Italy and the Family factory is based in Porto, Portugal. BRAND PHILOSOPHY: Vico is a European footwear brand founded in 2012, created with passion between Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Montebelluna, Italy and Porto, Portugal. Inspired by travelling and neighborhoods from around the globe. A movement created by independent minds seeking to move forward and resist the usual.

5 VICO Vico-movement.com LAUNCH DATE: January 2012, in the Netherlands. This season in the United States. TRADE SHOWS: Pitti Uomo (Florence), Capsule (Paris), Seek (Berlin), Liberty Fair (New York and Las Vegas). Maybe Copenhagen Gallery Show. KEY LOOKS: The key look of the brand is the distinctive design in the patterns and the outsoles. The Key styles for Spring/ Summer 2015 are the BOWERY and the ALTONA and the new

footbed in all their shoes. Meanwhile, a cycling collaboration is in the works but still top secret. THEY CAUGHT OUR EYE BECAUSE: VICO is that we are really creating their own path. As a young company, they are creating shoes from scratch, which means they also develop their own outsoles. This creates a distinctive DNA and something different. CONTACT: VICO Headoffice Heer Bokelweg 155, 3rd Floor 3032 AD Rotterdam The Netherlands

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YOU SHOULD KNOW: They are using a 100% recycled

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RETAIL

Make Hay While the Sun Shines Haymakers brings creative menswear to Nashville by Rhea Cortado

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n a town that is home to world famous rock musicians and James Beard Award-winning restaurants, one thing that the “third coast” city of Nashville, Tennessee lacked was a proper locally-owned men’s shop. Not just any men’s shop but one catering to the growing entrepreneurial creative class that prefers aficionado-worthy denim to a suit and tie. The team behind J. Michael Clothiers in Nashville — a 25-year-old made to measure suit and sportswear shop known for its overachieving customer service — seeks to bridge that gap with the opening of Haymakers & Co. on the happening West End Avenue. “Nashville is still small enough to get around town with relative ease and there are pockets of revitalization that have literally morphed over the last couple of years into vital, happening communities,” says Mike Mahaffey, one of the co-founders of J. Michael Clothiers and Haymakers & Co. “You can walk into any restaurant, any night and see our demographic.” Throughout a 2,200 square foot renovated bungalow space, Haymakers & Co will include a barber shop, retail shop stocking up and coming brands such as Faherty, Gitman Vintage and custom clothing bar geared towards a more body-conscious fit. Miranda Priest-King, manager and buyer for Haymakers & Co. says that approximately 70% of the brands will be exclusive to its shop for all of Nashville. Brands that are made in America are an important emphasis.

quality products offered in a service-minded environment that makes the customer feel special, Haymakers & Co. plans for its shop to be a hospitable experience too. Priest-King says there are pop-up shops and special events in the works — including secret concerts tying in with the country music city’s reputation — to introduce brand stories to the Nashville customer and drinks are always complimentary. Mahaffey adds that this new generation of young professionals is a unique combination of independence, authenticity, inclusion and creativity, while valuing tradition too. “It is a group of people who are very drawn to old school ideas like hard work, excellence and honesty, yet they are less constrained by convention,” Mahaffey explains. “Haymakers is all about free spirited people who ‘do,’ whether they create or invent or build or design or sell or program or communicate. And, the merchandise we sell could be what they wear to work every day, or it could be what they wear at night and on the weekends. But they care a great deal about the story behind the product and the craftsmanship of it.”

“Made in the USA has become more top of mind awareness for people. In 2008 with the recession, I think it really hit home how consumers shop, how that really affects everyone else,” Priest-King says. She adds that after many years of seeing factories shut down across the Southeast, she has noticed an uptick in the other direction: factories opening. “You’re finally seeing that resurgence of made in America and why it’s important. Farm to table is a huge deal in Nashville now.” The Haymakers & Co. concept expands upon the hip Nashville culture that gained recognition from the New York Times last year as the nation’s newest “it” city. It’s where purist denim brand Imogene and Willie draws a cult following to its retail shop housed in a restored gas station. Specialty coffee shops touting brand name roasters — Intelligentsia, Handsome and Stumptown — are a thing, as well as curated vintage shops. Given that J. Michaels Clothiers built its loyal clientele on high

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Erick DeLeon

MartinPatrick3 Minneapolis, Minnesota

INSIGHTS FROM INSIDE A preeminent retailer shares his thoughts on the coming season There’s marketing and ad campaigns, celebrity models and fashion magazines. And then there are the folks in the trenches truly shaping what we buy and wear from season to season. The independent retailer is the heart of the industry and their opinions are the ones that, often, matter most. We tracked down Erick DeLeon of Minneapolis menswear store MartinPatrick3. Here’s what he had to say about standout brands and the apparel business as we approach spring 2015.

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RETAIL Which markets and shows are you attending for the Spring 15 season? We try to attend as much as we can. In NYC we usually go to Project/Capsule/Liberty/MAN

If you could change one thing about the shows in Vegas what would it be?The only thing that would make it easier for everyone is having all the shows closer together, location wise. Getting around in Vegas (taxi) can take quite a long time.

Are there any standout brands for the season? There always are for us. What stood out to us was MSL by Billy Reid; Reigning Champ always elevates every season; and Kiriko, out of Portland, was probably one of our favorite finds.

What’s the prevailing trend you are seeing for Spring ’15? In general, a lot more technical fabrics are being used and not for the sake of using those fabrics to be different, but designed / made for the consumer in mind. Actual features and befit. It really makes the consumer feel great that pieces are incorporated into his wardrobe that he can actually use/easily addto his wardrobe and not just be a special piece.

How do you approach your buy--percentage of orders placed at show, orders placed after shows and when do you finalize all orders? Generally we write our orders when we get back from the shows. It allows us to decompress and dig deeper in all of our factors / analyze before we placing orders.

How much real estate (dollars) do you dedicate to new upcoming brands? That really depends on brands themselves. Never is a set number.

Is there something different you are doing with spring buying (or other initiatives) that will help you differentiate from other stores? We really let our clients dictate our direction, after they are the ones buying their “needs & wants” from us. We just add our taste to it. Thomas George, E Street Denim, Illinois

Which markets and shows are you attending for the Spring 15 season? We will shop Vegas and NYC in September. This is really a vendor-based decision as we have no need to be pushed off to the next show hearing “we are not ready with this or that till next month.” The shows have for a long time confused the buyers with what we are looking at. With a lack of fresh direction, product and ideas from the creators and designers, Shop Bop and Bloomies put on sale the same things that vendors present for the next delivery, believing the consumer will run out buy the same look full price they are getting at 73% off at all the web and department stores currently. Been saying it for a long

time: we reflect the market not create it, so when vendors create average for the “Big” volume guys, nothing is special to the ladies and gentleman who want fresh and they just slip back to their sporting goods wardrobe and cross trainers. Average is the high water mark.

If you could the shows in

change one thing about Vegas what would it be?

Move it back to LA. Break it up, make it special and imperative to be at instead of a super market. Special is special. LA and NYC could be better players in the fashion level, Vegas is mass market. Fashion is just a twisted basic. Fashion now is sports gear, bright colors, flip-flops, lower prices and fun. What am I saying? Boring, higher prices, lack of identity to a brand isn’t what the customer is looking for. Make it special: the shows and the product.

Are there any standout brands for the season? We need new vendors with a new approach, vendors who know consumers and can move them with energy, color, style and price. We need relevance to what consumers are thinking. It is done in every other market, why not clothing? Create integrity to brands and price structures. Public money in the industry has made friends of mine stop being who they were to get to the front and make cuts for top line numbers to impress the investors, all at the sake of de-branding to get to the mass market. Robin Report, Michael Kors, issues. Mass market is mass market, not special.

How do you approach your buy--percentage of orders placed at show, orders placed after shows and when do you finalize all orders? Shop till we drop. Buy when it moves Erin and I. Rather not buy to just fill the store. Keep shopping and hunting. Nothing is sacred, not even my beloved denim.

How much real estate (dollars) do you dedicate to new upcoming brands? As much as they deserve and can energize. As much or little as we find.

Is there something different you are doing with spring buying (or other initiatives) that will help you differentiate from other stores? Spring is no longer business as usual just as other seasons aren’t. Some things are getting more seasonal. Customer says what they say when they vote at the register. Investment clothing is losing traction in favor of “easy.” The web and department stores created a low price market where the consumer no longer sees the value to certain things. Niche marketing. Now all customers want a deal, especially the aspirational who believe The Rack/Off 5th are actually is giving them a bargain. Cheap goods at cheap (longer mark) prices, period. Don’t know if this is the place to publish these answers, but I do know nothing will ever be the same.

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What does this have to do with music? Everything.

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MUSIC IN THE RETAIL SETTING Lara Wiesenthal, Founder Activaire

am fascinated with the art, science, and sport of retail.

As a designer of store soundtracks, retail is my life and I embody all of the consumer types. I’m an emotional shopper, a loyal customer, a bargain hunter, a steely fashion forward fetcher, and an online lurker. Sometimes I am all of these in one day. When I’m browsing, touching, listening and taking it all in, I’m shopping as an “emotional” or “eccentric” shopper. As a classic “loyal” customer, I visit stores that I’ve been going to for years, comforted by familiarity and predictably delighted by new offerings. As a bargain hunter, I’m exhausted yet tirelessly spurred on by the challenge of constraint. When I’m in fashionista mode, I begin and complete my store visit with the calculated laser-like precision of an MI-6 agent on a mission. If I need to fill in any gaps after all of this shopping, I sink into a comfy chair with a mobile device. Sound is an environmental element. It is invisible, but omnipresent. The senses are heightened in a retail setting, so the music needs to be incorporated deliberately. The retail setting becomes most captivating when all of the senses are engaged, because it is entertaining. If the music is barely audible, the environment feels incomplete. When music harmoniously conveys a brand’s core values, this is dubbed in our industry as the “Audio Brand.” A great Audio Brand can effectively communicate the ethos of a brand to everyone, including employees and customers. However, just because an artist or a song is on-brand, doesn’t mean that it is right for the retail setting. Stores have environmental values that are experienced consistently by all shoppers, and music plays a major role in how people move through a store. Store planning from a musical perspective considers tempo in relation to the store’s layout and aesthetics. How does music effectively impact various consumer types as they all move through the same store? The classic shopper seeks a familiar experience, the eccentric shoppers responds to a visceral experience, the bargain hunter is stressed out, and the fashionista is only in the store for 10 minutes. How does the

same soundtrack effectively speak to all of these people, while possibly anticipating their emotional motivations for shopping? There are musical factors which all of these shopper types respond to uniquely, but in a nutshell: the store environment has to paint an extremely compelling picture. The store has to represent a scene that is fully engaging and immersive, while anticipating and fueling cultural trends. This does not mean that stores should play music that people already know and “like.” In fact, studies show that catering to existing taste actually impedes sales. To a degree we can forecast what people will come to like, but most importantly, when the music completes a ‘scene,” it is mesmeric because it’s part of a larger picture. I subscribe to the idea that the role of a retailer is to successfully introduce new ideas and products to consumers. Purchase history can be useful for understanding where consumers have been, but I’m more interested in helping to create the “purchasefuture.” To me, it’s the difference between leading and following. Outside of the store, music has a cultural life of its own. I find that the most successful retail soundtracks, authentically reference cultural trends in music. Even if it’s a new trend within a small movement, it works because movements can build. Music and fashion are symbiotic but separate fields, so they can complement each other. A brand may not want to blatantly reference street style, but they can communicate their cultural savvy with a smart soundtrack. Lara Wiesenthal founded Activaire in 1999, with the goal of using music to define space and address its social program. She currently leads New Business Initiatives at Activaire. As a music fanatic and collector of vinyl records, Lara DJs regularly in NYC with her husband and CEO of Activaire, Adesh Deosaran. Lara holds a BArch from Pratt Institute. She is trained in classical music, ballet, and studied modern dance with Garth Fagan Dance Theatre. Prior to founding Activaire, Lara worked formally in architecture. Her resume includes Junior Architect at Ehrenkrantz, Eckstut & Kuhn, Corporate Interior Architect at Alan Gaynor Design, and an internship with Michael Graves Associates.

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Questions with Marcus Troy

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VOICES Marcus Troy considers himself a consumer at heart. If so, he’s an awfully well-informed one. Troy’s ardor for all things fashion from footwear and apparel to brand identity and lifestyle components spills out onto his blog: marcustroy.com. There he shares his passion and features the industry’s forward thinkers and visionaries. And since it takes a trendsetter to know one, Troy has recently teamed up with Project to create a space where bloggers and brands can hookup and spread the good word. We put our ten questions in front of Troy and here is what he blogged back. To quote the man himself, “Blogging ain’t easy, but somebody’s got to do it.” What are the big No No’s in social media that you see brands doing more often than not? Social Media and all its encompassing platforms gives so much power to the brands and the consumer. Both can learn so much from each other through their interactions together. The different ways consumers can interact with brands is truly revolutionary. They are able to browse and learn more about how brand history, purchasing, along with giving feedback on their product. Likewise, the brands can see who is talking about them, why they are talking about them, and what products they are talking about. With that being said, brands have to be careful about how they market their product. Making sure that they are getting the right message across without over stepping any boundaries. Overall, I think the one thing brands should avoid is “over promoting” the same content. Brands have to look at themselves as content creators, they should invest money with firms or agencies that believe in content creation and create new and exciting assets for their end-consumer. All images on all platforms should be curated and only shared at its highest quality.

2. When you are walking a show or shopping the market what do you look for that makes brand coverage worthy? The most important things for me are presentation, design and quality. I’m mostly drawn to new brands that are pushing the boundaries in terms of concept and design. I love when brands reinterpret trends or styles using their own voice. Originality goes a long way when we’re looking for brand coverage.

3. What was your first working experience in the fashion industry? Like most people in the fashion industry it started on the frontline, which is usually retail. After retail I moved into merchandising, then buying and eventually ended up in design and creative brand directing. I am a consumer at heart and at the retail level; I learned some of my most valuable lessons in the fashion industry.

4. How did you get involved in social media and blogging? Social media and blogging was just a means to share some of the cool things I was doing, seeing and participating in. I would like to believe that I was an early adopter of the space. I found that being able to share your opinion and your finds with people from all around the world was extremely rewarding. We now live in a world where everyone is a blogger or has a blog, how does one separate themself? What I’ve done is turn my knowledge into a consultancy business that allows me to work with brands and companies that I love. 5. What brought you to PROJECT? I started consulting with PROJECT several seasons and through that process I presented

them with an idea that I wanted to bring to fruition. They gave me a platform to create the project that I’ve wanted to do for a very long time. PROJECT remains the number one contemporary market place, which makes it such a great place to share ideas, discover new brands and bring projects that you are passionate about to life.

6. Tell us a bit about what you’re doing with PROJECT and the bloggers there. I’ve always had the idea of creating a Trade show of sorts for bloggers & editors. I wanted a space where brands and bloggers could connect. I always felt there was a void in the market place for these types of introductions and I believed that it would be cool to have this sort of interaction to happen at a market trade event. PROJECT gave me the platform to create such a project and it has been a rewarding experience for everyone, the brands, bloggers, for the people in attendance and for the people who follow at home. The editors that I invite to the show are also tasked with updating their social media platforms and sites live from the show. We wanted to give their audience a day-to-day look behind the scenes of what the PROJECT trade show is all about.

7. How has blogging changed the fashion industry? Great bloggers and editors have changed the fashion industry in so many ways. They’ve forced brands to pay more attention to how they carry out their branding and marketing. It has given people the ability to voice their opinion and be heard. Brands are able to reach new audiences with every post and social update. 8. What makes for a successful blogger? Success should not be measured by how big your personal brand becomes or how many twitter or instagram followers you have - your relationships, your reputations and your level of integrity should measure it. A lot of people are getting into the blogging world out of the desire for free things and the perks that come with the “blogger” profile. I think a good blogger is a professional and should treat it like an actual job.

9. Is there a way to quantify sales that come from social media and blogging?Yes through affiliate programs with brands. Several bloggers and editors have joined up to referral programs, then the brands can now measure influence by how many sales a particular editor is generating after they promote or share a product. We live in a time of convergence marketing and the smart brands will be able to pick up on that and exploit it.

10. What are you especially excited about this season? I’m excited about trade show season! I’m looking forward to connecting and working with a new group of editors at the Blogger PROJECT. I always try to invite new editors who are doing cool things in the space.

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BRAND PROFILE

PRE-PAIR TO RE-PAIR Bryan Johnson brings his considerable experience to his new venture by Rebecca Paiement

ryan Johnson wants to get back to basics. He says, “We’ve lost the relationships, the eye contact, the hand shakes.” Johnson, who co-created Seattle’s Zebraclub, has been around the apparel industry long enough to have experienced the change. From specialty denim retail to wholesale and manufacturing right through to developing labels like Brand Union Jeans, Reactor + and Z-Brand, Johnson has seen the ins and outs of the industry. And now, he and business partner Richard Slom turn their talents to a new venture called Re-pairbrand. “Re-pairbrand is many things to different people,” Johnson says. “We aren’t trying to reinvent the business. We are trying to simplify or repair the business a bit. Re-pairbrand takes a twisted contradictions approach to the way we work with a unique look that makes sense to our costumers.” Built on staying true and being original, Johnson and Slom embrace the tech trends but strive, instead, to focus on real people, not Facebook ‘friends.’ “It’s great to have 500,000 friends out there in cyber land but that doesn’t beat having face to face conversations with the people that you truly consider to be your friends and associates. They will be there in both the good times and the bad times and they’ll maybe even roll up their sleeves to lend a hand if needed.” Re-pairbrand clothing, much like its founders, keeps it simple too. With modest styling, the brand’s knit group has

“harmonious and unexpected” stitch and trim details. There’s other faves such as the stealth camo pant and a knit chino body pant and shirt. “We are focusing on the guy and girl who don’t have to be told by their peers what they need to be doing and what they should be wearing,” Johnson continues. “Lifestyle is the way a person chooses to live and we are a lifestyle brand that has chosen the way we want to live. It’s all about sharing and creating that relationship with our retail customers and the consumer.” The Re-pairbrand team believes in educating their staff, building things from the ground up, one customer at a time. “We need to get out to the events that the consumer goes to and share our story about our brand,” Johnson says. And, from there, he will continue to build. “The bigger you get, the harder you have to work to stay fresh and current.” But all this handshaking and eye contact isn’t a replacement for today’s way of doing business. “Technology isn’t going away,” Johnson admits. “A new idea for a business is making it work by being small and efficient.” He sees that with smaller, newer trade shows popping up in the apparel industry and financial growth across the South and Midwest. And still, Johnson comes back to the main idea of Re-pairbrand. “Building a foundation is hard work and an ugly part of the brand building process that won’t go away,” he reminds us. “I am a believer that this is a people business and I treat it as such.”

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ENGINEERED FOR SUCCESS EFM puts menswear in motion by Rebecca Paiement

ood luck trying to get menswear brand EFM’s founder, Donrad Duncan, to take a rest. “I feel like I am always in motion,” he says. “I travel a great deal. I ride my bicycle from my apartment to my design studio.” But the key is that Duncan never looks as harried as his schedule. “My days are often hectic and varied but I still want to look somewhat pulled together,” he says. “I know that there are many people that live this way so I wanted to craft products that can function in all these different worlds.” In only its second season, EFM launched in partnership with Tristate Holdings in Hong Kong. The CEO of Tristate, Peter Wang, is what Duncan calls “a visionary. He is very hands on and is a great listener. Peter has an appreciation for the way that I approach product and design. When Peter suggested we work on a brand together, I recognized that this was the opportunity I had dreamed of and a person that I would enjoy working with.” Duncan says that EFM garments are not just designed; they are, in fact, engineered. “A large part of the EFM brand is the fabric technology and unique fabric finishes. Some of the new directions in which we are taking the garments are visible to the wearer while others will only be tangible once the garment is worn.” Take, for instance, the Spring/Summer 2015 Silver

Bomber constructed of light weight, two layer nylon plain weave with a clear mesh face and a high breathable back layer contrast shield. Then there’s the Long Black Coat, highly vented and extremely light weight but with rain protection, mobile companion pockets, laser hole ventilation and a removable hood. These products go after the coveted creative class male. “His focus is always on constructing, whether physically or mentally,” says Duncan. “He rarely shuts off and wants to be prepared for anything. EFM equips him with the tools needed in garments that are at the same time practical and elegant.” Duncan has braved economic challenges by “figuring out how to manage increased raw material and labor costs all while offering something that is unique with a clear value to the customer, regardless of the price. We live in a world where the commercial component can not be ignored.” With a keen eye for the market, Duncan has positioned EFM to “cut through all the clutter. The product must be really special. These are the challenges that drive me and I fully embrace them. As with everything, balance is the key,” Duncan says. “It’s about motion and our intent is to keep things fluid.”

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FEATURE STORY: COLLABORATIONS

Publish

SeaVees

Ace Hotel

ALL TOGETHER NOW Collaborations, though not always profitable, become a an artistic meeting of minds by Rhea Cortado

uccessful fashion collaborations are like a symbiotic relationship of the animal world. Flowers depend on honeybees to spread their pollen for procreation and the honeybees receive the flowers’ sweet nectar sustenance in return. Both parties in the collaboration mutually accomplish goals they can’t get done alone. Sports brands rely on their sponsored athletes for performance feedback, leading to signature models of shoes and gear. In fashion, H&M and Target’s collaborations with high-end designers such as Philip Lim or Missoni, respectively, offer priceconscious but trend-hungry customers a taste of real designer cachet. The designers then gain mainstream market reach. For a

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while, collaborations crossed between such seemingly disparate product categories and industries that it appeared nothing was off limits. Fashion designer Cynthia Rowley’s prints have even been put on Band-Aids and Vans shoes recently released a Star Wars by Vans capsule. In the contemporary world, collaborations have become creative projects among mutually admiring peers. Sneaker designers put their heads together with fashion brands to create the perfect outfit that flows from head to toe. Denim brands provide their technical expertise to realize a fashion designer’s dream for the perfect pair of washed jeans. High meets low when designer and mass-market worlds collide but contemporary

FEATURE STORY: COLLABORATIONS

brands tend to mingle on the same plane and grow audiences across categories. “It’s an organic process. Often we start chatting with someone casually and find connections that lead to collaborations,” says a spokesperson for the upscale Ace Hotel. The Ace Hotel is reputed for attracting a hipster clientele that appreciates the artist-commissioned custom lobby decorations and hotel gift shop of curated and exclusively created objects for the savvy traveler. Strategically placed for each location’s color palette, the surf brand Katin x Ace Hotel and Swim Club trunks are sold at the Ace Hotel’s whimsical artsy Palm Springs location for the desert pool partier, whereas an Ace x Hancock poncho is only sold in the sharp London hotel. “We all come from varied creative and professional backgrounds that naturally bring up interests in all sorts of

things,” says the Ace Hotel representative. Indeed, much collaboration is birthed from the spark of creative beings tripping out together. “The desire of people working together doing something interesting — that is a pure moment,” says Maurizio Donadi, co-owner of Conduit Creative Office, a think tank for brands. He added that many collaborations fail when they’re done for the wrong reasons. “Unfortunately it has become a marketing initiative more than offering better product for the consumers,” Donadi says. Streetwear retailers and brands are famously nerds for the rare and limited, making exclusive collaborations a kindred match. “The typical dynamic for all collaborations is teamwork,” says Alex James, creative manager for Publish, a streetwear brand on its recent collaboration with the retail store Wish ATL in Atlanta, Georgia.

Publish

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FEATURE STORY: COLLABORATIONS

Publish “Both sides are working from the concept stage all the way to final creation. Everyone gives their input into design, production, marketing and selling,” says James. Publish has built a following on signature silhouettes, such as jogger pants, on-trend streetwear prints and tees that fit just right. Wish ATL in Atlanta, Georgia is not afraid to stock the most risky avant garde styles in fashion colors and silhouettes. Their collaborative capsule collection of all black streetwear

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separates in nylon and ripstop expressed the best of both brands: Publish’s instinct for silhouette and fabrics, Wish ATL’s talent for what types of styles work for its customers and climate and, of course, their mutual appreciation for minimalism. James added that the collaborative process could be a nightmare if both parties aren’t on the same page. “Lots of things can go wrong,” James says. “Both sides might want different styles, materials or even completely different concepts. You

FEATURE STORY: COLLABORATIONS

know right off the bat if this is going to go smoothly or not. Luckily, we choose our partners very wisely.” The spokesperson for the Ace Hotel adds, “It may seem obvious, but collaborations are primarily conversations — and when there’s not enough listening happening, conversations get stale. In our experience though, there’s always a lesson to learn from the collaborative process.” The collaboration isn’t limited to only two parties making one product. SeaVees “Legends Series” is an ongoing series of one-off collaborations with California legends from the 1960s, the era in which SeeVees shoes were founded. The series has included a custom surfboard shaped by Renny Yater, a famous surfboard shaper from the 1960s, a T-shirt made by Sol Angeles featuring original art by the renowned artist Kosh who designed rock album covers from the 1960s to 1970s, and leather goods by Make Smith Leather, founded by a third generation leather smith. A percentage of the proceeds are donated to different cultural organizations. None of the collaborations result in shoes, which is what SeaVees makes and sells. But that’s not the

point. SeaVees is communicating the culture of the era in which its shoes originated. “We provide background and some boundaries for the collaborators,” says Steven Tiller, CEO and chief designer of SeaVees. “The first step is to share our own story, the SeaVees Legend. How it ties the origin of the brand from 1964 to the brand as it is today. We ask the collaborator to do the same and the result is of the moment and magical.” Donadi concludes that it’s rare for collaborations to be profitable, making it even more important to ensure that the mutual benefit is creative and innovative. “Just look around and you will see plenty of mediocre products being developed by marketing driven brands desperately needing attention,” Donadi cautions. “Design, create for experimentation, not for commercial reasons. Success comes by learning the potential of testing something new, that your company couldn’t do alone.”

Ace Hotel

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BRAND PROFILE

SHADES OF GRAYERS Menswear brand Grayers updates historical pieces with wit by Rebecca Paiement

ood, honest menswear is no laughing matter but to newcomers Grayers, it’s quite droll. “The golden thread that connects the Grayers guy is wit and humor,” says co-founder Peter Georgiou. Like many entrepreneurial sorts, Georgiou saw a gap in the market that he and partner Joanna Georgiou were intent to fill. “There is what I believe to be a forgotten middle,” he says, “The guy who cares about what to wear but doesn’t want to be burdened by it with price or aesthetics. As menswear is having a moment, I decided the time was right to flip all the irrational prices and inaccessible designs on their heads and so, three years ago, we launched Grayers.”

Files riff on the Rockford Files or the playful marketing shirt stack, affectionately called “A Shirt Storm.” Georgiou feels, “Our shopping experience and brand personality delivers. Our e-commerce site, for instance, is fully immersed in the intellect and quirk of the brand.”

Turns out Georgiou is a history buff so he, and those like him, know that “grayers” was the original term for the gray flannel trousers donned by young men in pre-war Britain. For the first time, these men moved away from three piece suits, preferring the more comfortable “grayers,” and, with them, ushering in a much more casual movement in dressing.

Firmly rooted in history but updating it as they go, the Grayers team enjoys the past while relishing their future. “There’s two sides to the story,” says Georgiou. “You build the brand the old fashioned way, you earn it with all aspects of your brand and product. And then you sell it the digital way.”

For Grayers, it’s “a triumvirate,” says Georgiou. “Supply chain, great product design and strong marketing. It’s all relevant to the success of the brand. One of the biggest challenges for a young brand is having a solid supply chain to deliver on great ideas. It’s as important as the product and up-and-coming brands need to focus on it as much as the reason they came into existence.”

This sense of history permeates the Grayers designs and aesthetic. “We are fascinated by the origin of pieces and we often start with or are inspired by an actual vintage piece or reference,” Georgiou continues. “We like when guys recognize where a garment has come from and then be pleasantly surprised with how we’ve modernized it.” Georgiou has more than just some university history major chops. After all, he and Grayers designer Kenny Thomas spent more than a decade in the trenches at Ralph Lauren together, rising through the ranks of design, product development and sourcing. Grayers even worked, for a time, with menswear designer Todd Snyder before branching off on their own to let Snyder concentrate on his own eponymous label. “Our guy has range,” says Georgiou and that’s readily apparent in the brand’s indigo dobby weaved striped shorts for spring/ summer 2015, inspired by a swatch of vintage, turn of the century Japanese fabric. Or the Grayers Chief Petty Officer shirt taken from a vintage woolen CPO shirt but modernized in heather blue French terry with anchor buttons and contrasting inner cuffs and yolk. “It’s refined nautical,” Georgiou adds with a smile. This whimsy carries through to items like an Oxford

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BRAND PROFILE

Hot Under the Collar Robert Graham expands to include new retail and footwear by Courtney Michelle

on’t you dare try and tell a man when it’s appropriate to wear a Hawaiian shirt; not while Robert Graham’s still around.

Fourteen years ago, designer Robert Stock grew bored with the traditional style of menswear, tired of what he calls the “bland, boring, same old, same old” designs of the industry. Surrounded by black, white and gray, he felt it was time to switch it up and turn the tide with the unmistakable designs of Robert Graham, where the phrase “pop of color” is an understatement. Generating a following of consumers turned collectors, the brand looks to the future, launching their first shoe collection this fall, multiple store openings, and supporting their wholesale retailers in a way that will help create a better shopping experience across the board. With his love and appreciation for luxury style, Stock flourishes. At the start of both of their careers, he met and became friends with Ralph Lauren, building a collaboration that launched the now household-name brand, Chaps. Upon leaving Ralph Lauren, Stock created Country Roads by Robert Stock, receiving fashion awards and accolades, including a Coty Award for “Leading American Menswear Designer.” In 2001, Stock launched Robert Graham, a collection of sport shirts, which

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he coined “American Eclectic.” That same year, Fred Segal was first in line to house Robert Graham’s original shirts. Today, RG has grown into a complete lifestyle brand: denim, sport coats, swimwear, outerwear; the works. “When people start getting compliments, they start feeling good. I’m in the business of selling feeling good,” Stock has said. With about 11 freestanding stores in the US, RG hopes to open more on a yearly basis and expand globally, while still being highly represented at its original stomping grounds, Fred Segal, as well as 1,200 other luxury retailers. Quirky, eye-catching visuals with vintage and custom props adorn RG shops, emphasizing world travel and nostalgic memorabilia representative of the brand. Intricate, luxurious touches are sprinkled throughout, including hand-sewn velvet and silk curtains in the fitting rooms, patchwork sofas made of Sari fabric from India, tables constructed out of vintage automobile hoods and a chair made of roughly 300 RG shirts from past collections. To make it easier for consumers, the retail stores tell a cohesive story, with product categories that are set from fashion need, to impulse buy and flow from denim to a

BRAND PROFILE specific category-focused, curated section. Each mannequin and display shows how to complete a full RG look; RG sales reps and visual merchandisers venture to their wholesale retailers, offering product seminars so they, too, can capture what the brand is about, and how they can further accommodate their consumers. But those streamlined stores will have to make way for a new edition to the RG family: footwear.

a New York City native, the showroom and corporate offices are in the city, and the Bleecker location is the East Coast flagship, quickly becoming a tourist attraction. Choosing the perfect location was definitely worth the wait. The West Village offers an intimate shopping experience, receiving a “stellar” reception on Bleecker Street, attracting a tremendous amount of foot traffic, and offers the entire RG collection.

After thirteen years in the game, they’re getting their feet wet for Fall ’14, introducing a new shoe collection that is sure to complete and round out the full RG lifestyle experience. Collectors and retailers have been asking and RG has delivered.

As one of RG’s efforts to further support the needs of retailers, they’re offering new initiatives, including exclusive product for wholesale accounts and retail stores, dedicated sale days with incentives for wholesale brand ambassadors, and implementing a new sales interface system tool, NuORDER. NuORDER is a buyer-to-buyer business system that works directly with the wholesale accounts team and RG’s respective businesses, allowing them to grasp a better understanding of what their consumers need. The system will help them recommend new styles, order replenishment product, and help better merchandise their floor to fit the demands of the consumer. NuORDER will also be used for networking and increased sales opportunities.

“We are thrilled to partner with LJP International and leverage their ability to make high quality, trendsetting footwear,” says the brand’s CEO Michael Buckley. “As we continue to extend our product offering within the world of Robert Graham, we look forward to introducing an exciting collection of unique and innovative footwear to the marketplace.” In partnership with LJP International, RG will introduce a footwear lineup that is not only true to the brand’s DNA, but defines the art of luxury while creating works of art themselves. Italian calf leather fabrics, full leather linings, and signature eclectic detailing are just a few design elements retailers and consumers can expect to see. The new collection includes classic styles mixed with an RG twist. Two types of slip-ons, an athletic inspired pony calf-hair and a full leather nubuck. Driving moccasins with crocodile embossed leather and an RG in-sock liner and shank. Another fashioned in nubuck with a hand stitched, laser paisley treatment upper and iconic paisley pod underneath. Other styles featured include Penny Loafers, Wingtips, Monk Straps, Chukka Boots, and “classic” Oxfords with contrasting and matching laces. The footwear excitement stretches over to their Fall ’14 RTW collection with this year’s theme, “Back to New York,” an homage to the Big Apple; drawing from the city’s iconic architecture and quintessential NY elements, like taxis and traffic, the MOMA, and Coney Islands famous hotdogs. “The magnetic power of New York City, a metropolis rich with culture, character, and liveliness serves as the inspiration for the Fall/Winter 2014 collection,” says Buckley. “New York City is truly a city like no other as captured in our dynamic Fall 2014 collection.” Although RG’s first store opened in Los Angeles and the New York location is only a year old, RG is a New York brand. Stock is

To further increase wholesale sales and appeal to not quite converted collectors, RG hosts unique clientele events and cocktail parties at wholesale retail stores, offers luxury gifts with purchase, email marketing, a tech-friendly website and access for online transactions, and developing compelling and engaging content for social media platforms and channels. RG plans to launch a Pinterest account and participate in daily engagement with the community on Facebook and Instagram, offering contests and giveaways. RG is also expanding and revamping their collector’s club, making it more inclusive. Currently, the collectors club offers about 100 shirts or more, but they’re looking to attract prospective buyers and tier their approach to reward everyone based on spending level. When asked if this would taint the exclusivity of the club, Buckley thinks not. “We have a dedicated loyal following of consumers,” he says. “ We call them Collectors because they buy and keep Robert Graham items like works of art. We look forward to the relaunch our Collector’s Club this fall.” RG’s developmental changes within the brand, marketing strategies, and wholesale market should help accomplish their main goal: to create greater access to the brand and raise an overall awareness, always working to enhance the ultimate luxury experience for consumers and their wholesale partners. In the next two years, RG would like to open new shop-in-shops with wholesale partners, expand licensed product categories, rounding out the men’s lifestyle approach- i.e., their involvement in the Super Bowl this past year and the 2014 Indy 500, international distribution, and opening retail stores in key markets.

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FEATURE STORY: T-SHIRTS

Teed Off T-Shirt Brands Find Strength by Starting Niche by Rachel Kinnard

-shirts are fashion’s greatest underdog. Worn as a foundation for nearly a century, the T-shirt is now a staple, ranging in price from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. According to the U.S. Streetwear Report 2014 published by WeConnectFashion, there is an estimated 1.4 billion cotton T-shirts sold annually in the U.S., totaling more than $18 billion in revenue. Although most labels offer branded or basic T-shirts as part of their complete lines, few brands are able to focus on the T-shirt as their bread and butter. Even fewer

companies are able to keep the wardrobe staple fresh and new each season. “The demand for a softer, higher quality, better fitting tee has grown exponentially over the past 10 years. Today, the consumer no longer perceives the tee as simply an undershirt but as an indispensable wardrobe staple with the versatility to span casual and formal occasions,” says Kevin Miles, Sales Operations Manager for Alternative. He says the core advantage of selling

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FEATURE STORY: T-SHIRTS

T-shirts can also be the main challenge: “Barriers to entry are low as the tee is not a complex apparel item to produce from a technical standpoint, although it is difficult item to perfect.” The key to staying relevant in such an in demand industry is through differentiation and innovation. According to Miles, Alternative has “created the softest, most luxurious tees on the market with impeccable fit beyond our competitors. We capture the perfectly imperfect striations of the vintage tee by knitting our yarn on vintage-replicated machines.” Other companies, such as Cotton Citizens, are also focusing on specialty production and a luxurious feel. Based in Los Angeles, the label operates out of Adam Vanunu’s family owned dye house which serves denim brands like J Brand Jeans, Helmut Lang, Seven For All Mankind, and Hudson Jeans. Vanunu recognized the opportunity to interpret the same kinds of washes, details and colors from premium denim into T-shirts. Cotton Citizens has expanded into offering a range of pieces, but Vanunu says that beginning with T-shirts, “gave us a base where we were able to showcase our quality of work and the direction

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of our lifestyle. By focusing only on T-shirts, we became known for doing the T-shirt the right way, as luxurious as possible. Now it’s turned into a whole collection with a variety of bottoms, outerwear, sweaters. Our business is really evolving.” Another approach to the finding distinction in the saturated T-shirt market is by using the Tee as a base for covetable images, prints or logos. The streetwear industry is built on printed T-shirts as a form of cultural currency. Benjamin Fainlight started NYC based brand LPD with a line of crewnecks inspired by the lettering style of sports jerseys. His “dream team” collection features iconic names in fashion such as “McQueen,” “Wang,” and “Margiela,” along with the designer’s year of birth. Fainlight says, “For a brand like LPD that is still young, a T-shirt is an easy, direct piece that can get a larger message across. Your audience is so massive with T-shirts.” In the last few years, the T-shirt has been elevated to the status of serious clothing and the reference to high fashion in LPD’s jerseys is no coincidence. As consumers gravitate towards luxury

FEATURE STORY: T-SHIRTS basics, the T-shirt is taken more seriously as a finished look. Customers who follow the streetwear industry trends are willing to spend 20-30% more for an average cotton t-shirt printed with a company logo (U.S. Streetwear Report 2014). Fainlight says, “T shirts are becoming more and more accepted as fashion items and you can wear just that. It’s not just a layering piece anymore.” One of the newest influential retailers shaping the T-shirt market is VFILES, an online platform known for their taste in emerging designers with dedicated young fans, hungry for the next new statement piece. The store is accessible to a wide range of followers, offering $240 T-shirts by cult favorite Hood By Air next to $35 T-shirts by streetwear brand FUCT. This kind of approach mixes attainable with aspirational, widening the customer base while maintaining the credibility of high fashion. Danielle Greco, Buying Assistant at VFILES, says, “A lot of brands start out with T-shirts, streetwear in particular. The advantage is to get your message across to your customers in the quickest way that you can.”

A truly modern phenomenon, the most influential element in the T-shirt market is the fast paced platforms of social media. Joel Knoernschild of L.A. based Echo Park Surf Squad, says, “Most of our business is done online. We’re able to maneuver quickly and quick-strike. We can come up with new shirt, preorder it online, have it made and shipped within a month. There’s a lot more flexibility compared to presenting a new collection six months earlier and pre-booking.” LPD’s Fainlight attributes the creation of the “Dream Team” range to his inspirations online. He says, “You can see what’s happening so easily and so immediately, almost before it even happens on a larger scale.” He adds that the success of the company is also closely tied to the internet. “People are making things and distributing them quicker in ways that were never really possible before.”

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FEATURE STORY: FABRICS

IT’S A STRETCH As performance merges with denim and shirting, the brave new world is more comfortable than ever by Rebecca Paiement

hen walking the Kingpins show, booth by booth, one can’t help but experience a sort of déjà vu. The technology present in all the brands, dye houses and trim shops is extraordinary and a whole lot of it revolves around Lycra. A sponsor of Kingpins, it feels like Lycra must have a sort of think tank where denim mad scientists sit and concoct amazing innovations. They’re on an indigo mission, of sorts, and their little ideas have transformed the way we wear our jeans. Take Lycra’s Dual FX, for one. The ability to have jeans stretch to fit every curve and then quickly recover without sagging or bunching has been revolutionary. “This is an industry open to innovations,” says Jean T. Hegedus, Global Marketing Director for Lycra and Invista. Hegedus leads the way through a host of Lycra’s clients including The Italian Job, Garmon Chemicals and manufacturers the world over, from Italy to Pakistan. “We start at the consumer level,” says Hegedus. “With mega trends and we consider future trends and current consumer

trends.” And they go from there, creating woven knit denims; X-fit stretch and recover denim; Cool Max that moves moisture outside the body to keep cool and dry in the hot months; Thermo Lite with insulating fibers that have a hollow core for keeping the body warm; or Cool Max All Season which not only wicks away moisture but also insulates for year round wear. And, of course, it’s not just Lycra. High level technology now rules over the modest little cotton workwear in every stage of its development. From waterless and ozone processes that make the manufacturing greener and the result sustainable to four way stretch and more to come, denim has recaptured its title. After all, for a while there, it seemed like jeans might be conquered by their laid-back, cozy nemesis, the yoga pant. But, employing an “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” theory and, clearly, capitalizing on extensive consumer testing, the denim market has moved resolutely into performance based innovation, making the jeans we wear fit and move exactly as if we’re in those yoga pants or, even better, in nothing at all.

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FEATURE STORY: FABRICS

Over at Cone Denim, advances are being made in every color of the rainbow, literally. Cone’s new VaraBlue uses a unique garment dyeing procedure that simulates the look of traditional denim. “The Ready to Dye garment approach gives tremendous versatility in developing most any color in small qualities,” says Kara Nicholas, vice president of product development. “It’s like a blank canvas with unlimited color and wet processing options and it offers great flexibility in keeping pace with market shifts and color trends.” VaraBlue is all about yarn treatment, which, in and of itself, doesn’t make for the most interesting reading. But the result is far from dull. In contrast, it’s quite vibrant. “With VaraBlue, you can achieve clean sexy modern or authentic vintage washes that mimic traditional indigo with highs and lows on seam abrasion, color chip off, fading and ring dye effects,” says Nicholas. Meanwhile, Cone’s own team of researchers just debuted their Conetouch denims recently at Premiere Vision in Barcelona. Bringing a new dynamic to stretch denim, the new cotton touch, stretch technology merges with sustainability to use recycled bottles, 8 bottles per pair, to be exact.

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But denim isn’t the only thing being coated, stretched and pulled. Leather is in on the action as well. Nicholas Smith is the Global Head of Textile Coatings at Bayer and, as he speaks about the company’s new waterborne polyurethane dispersions (PUD), it becomes clear that merely cutting and sewing is fairly outdated. “The use of our waterborne PU allows PU leather and other PU coated fabrics to be manufactured without the use of the solvents that are normally required.” The end result, Smith says, is a superior softness “while, for others, it’s the quietness of a coated fabric that leads to a better wearing experience.” Performance rears its head again, this time in the form of the men’s dress shirt. Companies like Mizzen + Main and Ministry of Supply are taking the stuffy old button up and making it as easy to wear and soft as a weekend tee shirt: moisture wicking, machine washable, ready to wear from the boardroom to bar. These shirts actually move with the men, employing the same head-scratching stretch and recovery techniques that have transformed denim. It seems nothing is safe from the comfort, soft revolution. In the meantime, performance brands themselves are not to

FEATURE STORY: FABRICS be outdone. Though performance properties have spilled over into denim and shirting, brands like Aerro are not content to sit on their comfy laurels. “Our Aertec fabric is more breathable, wicks away sweat better than other fabrics on the market and it’s antibacterial. That component is huge because bacteria is the culprit when it comes to odor,” says Aerro’s Hillary Greyson. Aerro has also introduced a mesh panel which improves range of motion and can be placed in discreet places because, and the name says it all, it’s considered “privacy mesh.” In fact, “instead of worrying that their pants are going to split, they can kick higher and squat deeper. The Aeroflow panel provides

ventilation to the hottest parts of the body,” boasts Greyson. Kickstarter is full of brands, impressing with technology to obtain much needed funding. Aerro is one of them. “On a platform like Kickstarter,” says Greyson, “it’s all about the latest and greatest and there are so many early adopters.” In a market saturated with denim, shirting and the latest and greatest activewear, forward styles might be run of the mill, no pun intended, but it seems technology will lead the way into the future. Not only does your product need to look good and move well, but soon it will also have to keep cool, stretch beyond belief and save the planet. Who said being a pair of jeans was easy?

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FEATURE

Star Man

Michael Stars Men makes its debut by Rebecca Paiement

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BRAND PROFILE

woman’s weekend wardrobe is not complete without a few things: a good set of heels, a fantastic pair of jeans and a sensational tee shirt. And, for nearly 30 years now, that tee shirt has likely been one created by Michael Stars. These one-size-fits-nearly-all tops were cool tees before the genre even existed. That tee took Stars on a journey that has realized a full woman’s lifestyle collection, namesake shops and a few fun curbside truck boutiques in New York and Los Angeles. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were some complaints registered at those pop up shops: “Guys kept coming up to the truck inquiring about when we would be introducing a men’s line,” says Michael Stars co-founder Suzanne Lerner. “Michael (Cohen) and I have talked about this for years. Plus we have 12 retail doors. The women and the men who come in with them want our shirts for men.” The natural next step for the brand, Michael Stars Men will soft launch for Fall/Winter 2014 and will “run seamlessly, hand in hand with the women’s collection,” says Lerner. “They both feature an equally stylish, yet attainable assortment of everyday lifestyle products. Simplicity at its best.” The first collection is designed as men’s building block wardrobe foundations, with planned expansion into a full collection with technically detailed outerwear by Spring/ Summer 2015. Men can expect tech nylon and bonded jersey active groups, seersucker with unexpected overdye options and custom made fabrics, including burn out stripes and indigo beach washes. “Many piece feature detailing such as waterproof zippers and seam line hidden pockets,” adds Lerner. “Every element contains dimensions that are so often overlooked.” Michael Stars is known already for its dedication to the city of Los Angeles and making all their products in the USA. They continue that tradition with the men’s collection. “We really did our research to find the best local exclusively-made fabrics,” says Lerner. “We found this was missing in the men’s market. Plus fashion and function have become increasingly important in menswear and our technical fabrics such as tech nylon and bonded jersey offer just that.” The techie elements have not gone unnoticed by Stars’ chosen retail partners, especially with the competitive pricing. In addition, the local production and super quick turnaround are sure things to ensure reliable stock. Aside from devoted female Michael Stars fans referring their guy friends, the buzz will happen in no time. “The Michael Stars man has a sense of personal style,” says Lerner, “But, above all, he appreciates good quality, fit and comfort. He’s a more adventurous type who is looking for elevated, yet effortless fashion.” apparelinsiders.com · 53

INSIDE LOOK

Behind the Scenes Thank you for bringing our cover concept to life. You Guys ROCK! PHOTOGRAPHER: Marko Kalfa is a fashion and portrait photographer from New York City. His work has been featured online and in print for publications including Apparel Insiders, Flaunt, Esquire, The Fashionisto, Fiasco Homme, Fucking Young, GQ, Interview and Womens Wear Daily. Clients include Better in Blue, Bosideng, Carlos Campos, Cafeteria, Vans, !iTEM Denim, Tretorn and Soho House.

MODEL / RED MODEL MANAGEMENT: Alisar Ailabouni is a Syrian-born Austrian fashion model and the winner of Germany’s Next Topmodel, Cycle 5. She is now signed with Red NYC, Elite Milan + London, City Models Paris, PARS Munich. New York City-based RED Model Management was founded in 2007. Since its inception, RED‘s diverse models board has consistently appeared in the fashion world’s most high-end editorial print spreads, and prestigious, avant-garde designer shows.

HAIR AND MAKEUP: Gina “Gee Gee” Costanza - Hair and Make up artist extraordinaire, Queens, NY 54 · apparelinsiders.com

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