a (the?) Neil Barrett thread

I remember when he did Samsonite Black Label, there were some interesting items.

They have a small selection at Jeffery and a slightly larger selection at BG...I think in LA you can get it at Ron Herman or Maxfield.
Not a whole lot of market exposure in terms of shows, popularity, publicity, etc. Everything that I see I feel I can get from someone else and it will also be on sale during 3rd mark downs.
I feel though he is one of those designers that is better suited working for another house/label than trying to sell/market himself.

Neil Barrett is a perfect example of designers who take an ideology based off of the bottom of the barrel in terms of clothing heirarchy (gutter punk shit) and essentially re-brands and marks up. Still though, he makes awesome boots.

This is true for al lot of what he puts out in his namne and with all numerous co-branded collabs he does. However, A lot of his mainline leathers and dresswear (which I´ve only seen much of in UK) are very well made and great designs!

/TKL

Digital Denim i believe has a pair of neil barrett boots that look really fantastic. I remember me lusting after them pretty bad after seeing his recent purchases and waywn posts with them.

Well, he did well at Prada and did some good pieces at Samsonite.

As you probably already know well, he is very well represented at Louis Boston. My impression is that he cuts well, and that his interpretation of military styles is very solid, though not particularly exciting.

I agree with a lot of what has been said (especially SoCal and Brian).

The other thing with NB is that he has a signature aesthetic that he just keeps rehashing over and over without really taking it in the directions necessary for a really good eponymous label. When he first got started, I think it was a fairly revolutionary style, sort of military-goth with a hint of punk and all worn casually/distressed but in quite high quality. Unfortunately, he hasn't really updated it that much. I could see a collection from 1997 and it really could be his 2007 collection; i.e. not that much variety or change. The only designer I know who can do that and make it work is Yohji... and Neil ain't no Yohji.

Nevertheless, I think his leather goods do quite well and usually sell out, but in general I just don't think he has enough ideas to do well as his own designer (as SoCal and others have said). I think, thus, he is a good creative director but not so much a designer.

In terms of a speculative "What labels might he do well under?" personally I think he could do very well at Armani. Giorgio hasn't chosen a successor yet, but I think that Neil could add a creative zest in there while nevertheless keeping the key repeat customer happy. And, I think that their styles could mesh nicely.

I could also see him doing some neat things at Givenchy. Even after Boateng, they still don't have a menswear aesthetic that is well defined and so I think that NB could add something there as well... maybe taking Boateng's overly-stuffy self-aggrandizement and distressing/relaxing it (ala Lanvin).

I always enjoy it when you share your knowledge of designers. Is there actually anywhere online where I could take a look at his 1997 collection? Is there an online archive? The main men's style magazines which feature runway shows only seem to go back a few years.

Does anyone know who makes Neil Barrett's footwear and what sort of quality it is?

Agreed, always look forward to his posts. Now fok on the other hand...

I wasn't saying there was something out there I could see him doing...but, like Rach said I think Armani could be a good fit, simply because GA has a look that he only does a minor flucation with season in and season out...which is like NB and he could easily adapt to that mold.


What pisses me of about Yohji is that everyone still calls him so cutting edge and AG.

Or he would do well I think as a contemporary designer like Rag & Bone or one of those utilitarian brands.