Random Fashion Thoughts (Part 3: Style farmer strikes back) - our general discussion thread

[jbie]

I keep wondering if there's a male fashion equivalent to Eileen Fisher. Upper mid market pricing, capsule like consistency across seasons, eco-aware production, somewhat casual, similar vibe, etc. Who's close? Style wise I can see MHL and Studio Nicholson could fit.

Wouldn't a decent chunk of UK contemporary menswear fit into that? Universal Works, YMC, etc. Though that might be lower price than what you might be thinking of.

 

[cb200]

@jbie I do think there is an ethos that seem to be shared in common with some UK brands for sure. Good call. I think there's a minimalism to the Eileen Fisher approach that I'm drawn to right now. Uniqlo probably ate up a lot of the minimal leaning market in many ways as a large brand.

 

[ChetB]

nice article about the rise of big pants, by Jonah Wiener of blackbird spyplane:

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/03/magazine/big-pants-style.html

nothing that this crowd is unfamiliar with but it’s amusing to read some of the comments

 

[jbie]

@jbie I do think there is an ethos that seem to be shared in common with some UK brands for sure. Good call. I think there's a minimalism to the Eileen Fisher approach that I'm drawn to right now. Uniqlo probably ate up a lot of the minimal leaning market in many ways as a large brand.

Totally get you on that with the minimalism point. If you’re up for a rabbithole, then Eileen Fisher is part of or at least adjacent to, the “Lagenlook” movement from Germany. Mostly womenswear, and mostly for a slightly older crowd but a lot of draping albeit with less tailoring influence than something like the more unisex styles of Lemaire.

Eskandar is one of my favourite in this - I wear loads of their knits and trousers myself, and they share that ethos of great fabrics and fit. Works well unisex too.

Other brands might be Oska, Gudrun Sjoden (cheaper and more colourful), egg trading (and the brands that they stock).

For something in the general vein but a bit different, check out Louis Rabi. Bliss Foster did an interview with them on Youtube and they are doing some really cool work with putting volume front and centre with clothes. And again, unisex.

I think the interesting thing with these brands is that they’re not so much “oversized” as with Uniqlo and that camp, but more focus on volumes and draping.

Just my two cents!

 

[LA Guy]

I keep wondering if there's a male fashion equivalent to Eileen Fisher. Upper mid market pricing, capsule like consistency across seasons, eco-aware production, somewhat casual, similar vibe, etc. Who's close? Style wise I can see MHL and Studio Nicholson could fit.

I feel like A.P.C. has been doing this for over 3 decades now. De Bonne Facture also has a similar approach.

 

[jbie]

I feel like A.P.C. has been doing this for over 3 decades now. De Bonne Facture also has a similar approach.

Edit: LA Guy corrected me that DBF does in fact use their exact supplier names.

I feel this idea of conscious production is part of a larger trend of trying to finding a happy medium between highlighting craftsmen and production without giving up the specific supplier names that, from what I understand, are pretty valuable for production managers. Stoffa does this too, where they'll refer to working to an "X-th generation knitting specialist in Y region of Italy".

I recently started working at a small but fairly known menswear firm in Europe and it's amusing to contrast what people's online guesses are about suppliers with the reality. It's an interesting question for sure, especially given the tendency of this forum's obsession with finding out which producer makes what sweater/tailoring/footwear. Supplier doesn't really seem to be an indication of quality by itself, and I keep hearing about the good work coming out of China, Vietnam, and India in particular these days.

When I talked to the guys at The Cad and Dandy, they told me they set up their own RTW production facilities in India and trained up all their staff by themselves. Of course, 100 Hands produces in north India. And Kartik Research recently mentioned at their Paris showroom that the workshops that they partner in India with don't need any electricity (which means handloomed fabrics etc.)

I think it'll be very interesting to see how perceptions change about suppliers in the next few years, and how long it'll take about these views to trickle down.

 

[LA Guy]

DBF I feel is part of a larger trend of trying to finding a happy medium between highlighting craftsmen and production without giving up the specific supplier names that, from what I understand, are pretty valuable for production managers. Stoffa does this too, where they'll refer to working to an "X-th generation knitting specialist in Y region of Italy".

I recently started working at a small but fairly known menswear firm in Europe and it's amusing to contrast what people's online guesses are about suppliers with the reality. It's an interesting question for sure, especially given the tendency of this forum's obsession with finding out which producer makes what sweater/tailoring/footwear. Supplier doesn't really seem to be an indication of quality by itself, and I keep hearing about the good work coming out of China, Vietnam, and India in particular these days.

When I talked to the guys at The Cad and Dandy, they told me they set up their own RTW production facilities in India and trained up all their staff by themselves. Of course, 100 Hands produces in north India. And Kartik Research recently mentioned at their Paris showroom that the workshops that they partner in India with don't need any electricity (which means handloomed fabrics etc.)

I think it'll be very interesting to see how perceptions change about suppliers in the next few years, and how long it'll take about these views to trickle down.

Debra's approach is to work with and highlight the makers and materials. If you go to the DbF website, like here: https://debonnefacture.fr/products/balloon-trousers-heavy-cotton-drilll-khaki
The weaving and materials origins are explicitly written, and the name of the maker is explicitly named. I first met Debra is 2015, maybe 2016, and her commitment to highlighting French manufacturers has always been there. I'd encourage you to talk to them on their affiliate vendor thread: https://www.styleforum.net/threads/le-de-bonne-facture-thread.642437/

 

[jbie]

Debra's approach is to work with and highlight the makers and materials. If you go to the DbF website, like here: https://debonnefacture.fr/products/balloon-trousers-heavy-cotton-drilll-khaki
The weaving and materials origins are explicitly written, and the name of the maker is explicitly named. I first met Debra is 2015, maybe 2016, and her commitment to highlighting French manufacturers has always been there. I'd encourage you to talk to them on their affiliate vendor thread: https://www.styleforum.net/threads/le-de-bonne-facture-thread.642437/

My bad, I think maybe my references got muddled.

But that’s great to know, I’ll follow up - thanks!

 

[DorianGreen]

A simple, clean look and a very nice silhouette (Ralph Lauren).

 

[LA Guy]

Edit: LA Guy corrected me that DBF does in fact use their exact supplier names.

I feel this idea of conscious production is part of a larger trend of trying to finding a happy medium between highlighting craftsmen and production without giving up the specific supplier names that, from what I understand, are pretty valuable for production managers. Stoffa does this too, where they'll refer to working to an "X-th generation knitting specialist in Y region of Italy".

I recently started working at a small but fairly known menswear firm in Europe and it's amusing to contrast what people's online guesses are about suppliers with the reality. It's an interesting question for sure, especially given the tendency of this forum's obsession with finding out which producer makes what sweater/tailoring/footwear. Supplier doesn't really seem to be an indication of quality by itself, and I keep hearing about the good work coming out of China, Vietnam, and India in particular these days.

When I talked to the guys at The Cad and Dandy, they told me they set up their own RTW production facilities in India and trained up all their staff by themselves. Of course, 100 Hands produces in north India. And Kartik Research recently mentioned at their Paris showroom that the workshops that they partner in India with don't need any electricity (which means handloomed fabrics etc.)

I think it'll be very interesting to see how perceptions change about suppliers in the next few years, and how long it'll take about these views to trickle down.

Trying to figure out the supplier is fun but ultimately often futile. There are just so many manufacturers that only do white label work that you are never going to find out the exact provenance in a lot of cases. That said, forum members have found out some important ones in the past, so much so that some world known brands have asked specific forum members to please take down the posts. In some cases, the member has complied, so as to not make trouble for the supplier, generally, which stands to lose a lot more.

 

[HankVenture]

Anyone know what Patrik Ervell is up to these days?

 

[LA Guy]

Anyone know what Patrik Ervell is up to these days?

Apparently is the head designer at COS. It's hard to keep an independent label viable, so my guess is that he was tired of the BS, and real budgets and a steady paycheck sounded good.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrik-ervell-352147bb/?originalSubdomain=uk

 

[bows1]

Those club collar shirts back in 2011-2013 were so great

 

[LA Guy]

Those club collar shirts back in 2011-2013 were so great.

The last I saw of Patrik Ervell was in Paris, in what must have been his last season or thereabouts. I met briefly with the rep who started as a member of the forum (if someone remembers his name, please remind me, he was a cool guy) and they were trying to pivot a bit in fit, make it more accessible. He had interesting ideas, but the look was so specific that the customer base would have been rather small. That said, I could see him adapting well to the vibes of 2024 fashion pretty easily.

 

[LA Guy]

Peak 2000 mid market fashion moment just occurred to me: Asians of all sorts convening at Armani Exchange (A/X) to buy leather car coats. Full disclosure, I have one. In a burgundy color.