Quintessence

Things of quality have no fear of time Quintessence Quintessence

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Ruba Abu-Nimah, Revlon’s Creative Director, gave a talk at StockX’s StockXchange Paris in 2019 about quintessence and a few pieces she felt lived up to this title. She began her talk by defining quintessence as the fifth element, describing an object to be ideal. When relating this idea to fashion there are a few designs which have transcended the test of time and have become wearable icons. By: Casey Vasquez

“When you wear an item of this nature you feel as though you belong in a club of those in the know.” - Ruba Abu-Nimah

Levi 501 Levi’s are a staple in every fashion guru’s closet and that is not by coincidence. Designed by Jacob Davis in 1890, the classic 501s have gone through many alterations but one thing remains constant and that’s quality. Nearly a century later in 1981 when the first pair were designed for women the 501’s exploded in demand, but what is it that makes these jeans so popular? Worn by tom boys and designer fanatics these jeans can be paired with anything. Their fit is flattering for all body types, the material keeps its shape, and the color uniquely fades with time. It’s no wonder these jeans are blowing up again through the recent high interest of thrifting. Go out and invest in a pair to complete your closet, you will not regret it. Air Jordan 1’s Released in 1985, the Air Jordan 1 was designed by Peter Moore for Nike’s Collaboration with Michael Jordan. This was the first time Nike created a shoe for a professional athlete. What started out as just a basketball shoe shortly became a staple for sneakerheads all over the world. By 1986 Nike had made 100 million from the shoe’s sales and created an entire brand for the Jordan line. Today the shoe continues to sell out, and collaborations with high fashion brands such as Dior and Off-White qualify the shoe to be on the list of quintessential designs. Louis Vuitton Designed by Georges Vuitton in 1896- 1897, the monogram and check pattern on Louis Vuitton luggage and bags have created not only an image for themselves but for many brands to follow. The two-tone checkered pattern is replicated by many designers, like Fendi, Coach and Michael Kors, who use their own names and monograms. The neutral colorway and classic bag design allow the monogram to serve timelessly. It comes to no surprise that the design was imitated all the way back in the 19th century and continues to be one of the most counterfeit brands today. The quality of the genuine has an indescribable feel. As Ruba explains, “When you wear an item of this nature you feel as though you belong in a club of those in the know.” So grab your Louis, confirm its legitimacy, and hold on tight. Chuck Taylor Converse designed the early basketball shoe in 1917 but it wasn’t until 1922 when basketball player, Chuck Taylor, asked converse to redesign the shoe with better support and flexibility that we began to see the early stages of the shoe many of us own today. The first white model was introduced at the 1836 for the Olympics which featured the classic red white and blue colorway. Chuck Taylors are the most popular basketball shoe ever sold and it was recorded that 60% of all Americans own or have owned a pair. It is the shoes long life span, inexpensive price, and ideal design that allows the shoe to transcend age, gender, personal style, and ultimately time.

Revlon Fire and Ice Makeup and more specifically a red lip can be a fashion statement alone. If you know the history of lipstick, then you know how men tried to govern the use of lipstick because they believed that women were falsely advertising their looks. The use of red lipstick became a way for women to subvert this control, and the look became symbolic with rebellion ever since. Revlon introduced their Fire and Ice ad campaign in 1952 with a series of questions such as, “do you think any man really understands you?” which subtly highlighted the fact that women could wear makeup for themselves. As surprising as it sounds today, this idea was unheard of in its time and it is for this reason that I hand the quintessential title to Revlon for their classic Red lip.

Burberry Trench A classic trench coat is iconic but we owe this timeless image to Burberry. Thomas Burberry first designed the trench coat in its classic khaki color and lightweight gabardine fabric to protect the soldiers in the trenches during World War 1, hence the name. This coat transformed into a fashion statement due to movie stars sporting the coat in their films. From there the coat entered the mainstream and has not budged. The design has been replicated by what seems to be hundreds of other brands, but nothing beats the quality and attention to detail than that of Burberry’s.