Capsule New York Men’s tradeshow, a well curated showcase of progressive apparel and accessories brands from the US, Europe and Asia, came to a close yesterday. This marked Capsule’s seventh season in New York presenting Spring/Summer 2011 collections, and a move to a new venue – Center 548, once home to the DIA art foundation in the heart of the Chelsea gallery district.
32 oz denim jeans by Naked & Famous (Photo by Chiun-kai Shih)
Exciting designers that caught my eye were from CFDA-nominated Simon Spurr’s diffusion line, Spurr. The selvedge and non-selvedge jeans are high quality - minimalist styles and they come in two fits, pipe or classic – now one of my husband’s favorite jeans; Kitsun?, although denim is not their thing, it was their US debut with a fabulous collection; a new denim company debuting was Canton Overall, premium Japanese jeans, which are not your normal looking jeans, ultra high-cuffed bottoms revealing the selvedge stitching made for an interesting style (perhaps a little Junya Watanabe’ish); Naked & Famous, the Toronto based denim and apparel company had two great jeans, a cashmere blend and a linen blend that was super soft to the touch. For a good laugh, they had a pair of the heaviest denim jeans I have ever seen, a whopping 32 ounces! And added for honorable mention, was Gilbert & Lewis’s adorable boldly colored slim fitted plaid and gingham shirts with built in bow-ties! A perfect top to pair with your favorite selvedge jeans.
The Cocoon installation (Photo by Chiun-kai Shih)
When it came time for a break and a bite to eat, the rooftop lounge was a peaceful retreat of tables with Stark ghost chairs, an art installation created by conceptual architects Annie Kwon & EMEHT agency titled “The Cocoon”, foot tapping music, and a serene view of the city’s skyline that created an ?ber cool relaxing fashion break.
–Nikki Cho Russo
Tags: Canton Overall, Capsule, Gilbert & Lewis, Kitsuné, Spurr
Today, one of our readers, Amman, wanted some guidance on Raw Selvedge Denim. Owning a new pair of Spurr Raw Selvedge Denim Jeans (lucky guy and btw, you’ve got great taste my friend) the two fold question was: 1) to wash or not to wash 2) since it’s a pair of Raw Selvedge Denim jeans that need hemming, should he wait until after he washes them to get them hemmed?
Most people who are raw denim enthusiasts want the maximum “bespoking” to happen naturally, so it’s kind of a zen mentality of not washing their raw denim for over 6 months to get the maximum effect. I happen to believe that it’s not a number that you can follow because each person has their own lifestyle and amount of activity that they do in jeans. If you wear them every day and you’re moving around a lot then I think you can wash them sooner than the 6 month mark, if you sit a lot then I would wait the 6 months and hold out if you want the best effect. The whole philosophy and aim of owning raw denim is to get them to conform, fade, acquire marks and creases specifically to your body, forming the perfect fitting and comfortable jeans.
If you are a little anxious to wash your jeans, but they aren’t dirty, but smell a little I would pull them inside out and put them in the freezer overnight and then either let them air out the next day or you can put them in a plastic bag along with a box of Arm & Hammer refrigerator baking soda to soak up the smell or a strip of Arm & Hammer Essentials fabric softener.
If you got them dirty and want them clean, use a splash of Dark Woolite in some warm water, with your jeans inside out, dunk them in the water moving them around to release any dirt without making too much movement that will add creases or marks from fading and then hang dry. This process will minimize the amount of fading and creases. Just keep in mind that there will be some shrinkage.
In Amman’s case, the jeans are grey so depending on the kind of grey, light – use regular Woolite, dark – use Dark Woolite. Hemming should definitely wait for after his first wash and as I told him, he’s in luck, cuffing is the trend with the whole heritage work-wear theme that is so hot for men right now.
Speaking of jeans, check out Spurr Denim by Simon Spurr. A very hot young designer with a great men’s collection.
Spurr Raw Indigo Pipe Jeans, $340.00
New for Spring 2010, this Indigo 5 pocket denim has plain back pockets and contrast trim and are the perfect addition to your wardrobe.
–Nikki Cho Russo
Tags: Arm & Hammer, BLUE AND CREAM, Spurr, Woolite
Opening Friday is FIT’s exhibition “American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion”, curated by Patricia Mears, displays the craft and intricacies of dressmaking. The show runs through April 10th.
Emerging menswear brand Spurr, designed by Simon Spurr, will be going back to its’ roots of denim related sportswear and t-shirts at a lower price point, mostly made in Italy. The higher-end collection, named appropriately, Simon Spurr, will continue to have hand-finished suits, leathers and knits all made in Italy and France.
Juicy Couture is on a jet-setting quest to make the world more juicier. They are opening up a shop at Miami International Airport in December, then traveling north to open at JFK International Airport, continuing across the pond to Taiwan’s TaoYuan International Airport and then on to Athens Airport.
Read more of WWD highlights below.
–Nikki Cho Russo
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Dresses from Rodarte, Narciso Rodriguez and Adrian's design for Joan Crawford on display at the "American Beauty Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion" show. Photo by John Aquino
The incomplete cotton muslins on display in ???American Beauty: Aesthetics and Innovation in Fashion??? are the surest indication the Museum at FIT??™s newest show delves into the inner workings of design.
Custom patternmaker Nicolas Caito personally inspected the muslins on the mannequins for Thakoon, Proenza Schouler and Francisco Costa to be certain they were just so. That attention to detail was just what curator Patricia Mears was after for the museum??™s latest installment, which opens Friday and runs through April 10.
Rather than give a more predictable historic overview of American fashion, Mears has zeroed in on how the philosophy of beauty is relayed in the craft of dressmaking. During a preview of the exhibition Wednesday, she said, ???One of the things I wanted to do with this show was to not make it about sketching, diffusion lines, marketing or anything else. I wanted to show people who really know how to make clothes.???
Click here to read the full article and slideshow
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Spurrs Spring presentation. Photo by Pasha Antonov
Spurr is branching into two collections at different pricing tiers in an effort to position itself for global distribution. The split, which will take effect for fall 2010, is the first strategic move since Tommy Fazio became president of the emerging brand designed by Simon Spurr.
Spurr will be a contemporary collection of denim-related sportswear such as T-shirts and jackets. The label is going back to its roots, having launched three years ago with jeans at Bergdorf Goodman, where Fazio was the men??™s fashion director. Spurr since has evolved into a full designer collection, but starting with the fall 2010 collections, the designer offerings will bear the new label, Simon Spurr. The Simon Spurr collection will feature hand-finished suits, leathers and knits, all made in Italy and France.
Spurr, the contemporary collection, will continue to be made mostly in Italy.
Click here to read the full article
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LOS ANGELES ??” Dylan George, the premium denim brand founded last year by Danny Guez, is looking to ignite growth with the addition of executive talent and the relaunch of its men??™s business.
Rick Spielberg joined Los Angeles-based Dylan George in October after a four-year run with Hudson, where he helped grow revenue from $9 million to $60 million as vice president. Before Hudson, Spielberg was president of Blue Holdings, which was founded by Guez??™s father, Paul, and where Danny met Spielberg before the younger Guez left to launch People??™s Liberation in 2004. At City of Commerce, Calif.-based Blue Holdings, Spielberg oversaw the denim brands Antik Denim and Taverniti So for two years.
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Rendering of the Juicy Couture shop in Miami International Airport. Photo by Courtesy Photo
The contemporary brand, which did $600 million in sales last year, plans to target customers when they travel, opening four stores at airports worldwide beginning in December. The first will launch in Miami International Airport??™s American Airlines terminal, followed by the British Airways terminal at New York??™s John F. Kennedy International Airport in January. In February, a Juicy store will open in the Taiwan TaoYuan International Airport??™s Terminal II through Juicy??™s Asian distribution partner, Lane Crawford.
The fourth shop, which is planned for a spring launch, will be in the Athens Airport Duty Free area. This store will open with the help of the brand??™s new partnership with Elmec Sport SA. The retail license and distribution agreement will allow the firm to retail all Juicy Couture collections, including apparel, accessories, footwear, children??™s wear, intimates and jewelry in Greece, Romania and Bulgaria through freestanding stores and select specialty retailers. The wholesale operation with Elmec will begin with the spring collection. The three-year deal expires on March 31, 2014, with an option to renew for another three years.
Click here to read the full article
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TOD??™S IN THE SHADE: Tod??™s is about to fill one more gap in its lifestyle offerings. Just in time for cruise and Christmas shopping, the luxury goods brand will roll out a few styles of its new eyewear line to select Tod??™s flagships and opticians worldwide. The full range will debut in February. The capsule is comprised of 13 models for men and women, plus unisex ones, in acetate and metal, or combinations of the two. Colors include black, bronze, gold, silver and blush pink. Some styles are available in different sizes. The designs already have attracted fans such asJessica Alba, Freida Pinto, Jennifer Garner and Demi Moore. Retail prices for the Marcolin-produced eyewear range from $289 to $541.
FRIENDS OF MEN??™S: Men??™s wear veterans and young CFDA members came together to fete Robert Bryan??™s new men??™s wear tome, ???American Fashion Menswear.??? David Lauren stood in for Ralph Lauren, who wrote the foreword. The book combines historical images and recent looks from new American designers like Michael Bastian and Tim Hamilton ??” no doubt a result of the CFDA??™s involvement in the project. Scores of industry friends came to the Ace Hotel to congratulate Bryan. Diane von Furstenberg, Calvin Klein??™s Italo Zucchelli and Kevin Carrigan,Phillip Lim, Richard Chai and the duos behind Duckie Brown, Rag & Bone and Shipley & Halmos all paid their respects.
OUT THERE: Dysfashional, the conceptual fashion exhibition curated by Luca Marchetti and Emanuele Quinz, is set to present two new stages in Paris and Berlin. The avant-garde show, which does not feature any clothing, will include a video installation by Raf Simons and experimental exhibits by the likes of Maison Martin Margiela, Kostas Murkudis, Pierre Hardy and Damien Blotti??re. Up-and-coming Berlin-based designer Michael Sontag has conceived an interactive installation inspired by the dressing table. Parasite, a hybrid gallery-cum-store space that will feature a labyrinth of ???wallscapes??? designed by Bless, will showcase work by emerging artists and designers exploring the boundaries of contemporary fashion.
A Dysfashional fanzine was released for the Paris leg of the show, scheduled to run at the Passage du D?©sir until Nov. 29, with a German edition to follow for the Berlin session, to be housed in the city??™s Haus der Kulturen der Welt venue from June 18 to July 18. Both editions will then be bound to form a catalogue.
HER TURN: Damir Doma, a rising talent on the Paris men??™s wear scene, is turning his hand to women??™s wear, too. The Croatian designer plans to show his debut women??™s collection on the runway during Paris Fashion Week next March. Earlier this year, Doma opened a boutique in Paris on the Rue des Arquebusier in the Marais.
Tags: Ali Zedtwitz, American Fashion Menswear, Anthropolgie, Damien Blottière, Damir Doma, Danny Guez, Diptych, Dylan George, Dysfashional, Emanuele Quinz, F.I.T., Juicy Couture, Klaus Mühlbauer, Koi Suwannagate, Kostats Murkudis, Lawan, Luca Marchetti, Maison Martin Margiela, Pierre Hardy, Raf Simons, Rick Spielberg, Robert Bryan, Spurr, Tod's
Look, I know Mother’s Day isn’t even over yet, but this is probably a good time to start shopping for Father’s Day, if there’s any hope of getting your discounted, designer jeans on time. Although I think Gilt Groupe has done a good job with shipping my items in a timely manner in the past, it’s always good to shop early, no? Some jeans start as low as $68!
What’s on sale:
AG Adriano Goldschmied
Costume National Homme
Diesel
Earnest Sewn
Gant
Loomstate
Love Moschino
Rogan
SPURR
True Religion
SHOP NOW
– Kathy Ng Hassan
Tags: AG Adriano Goldschmied, Costume National Homme, Diesel, Earnest Sewn, Gant, Loomstate, Love Moschino, Rogan, Spurr, True Religion
From Denimology:
Win A Pair Of Jeans From Farinellis
Farinellis.com is a brand new store from Mauro Farinelli who has been in fashion retail for 12 years, most recently being the creative force behind Denim Bar in Arlington. The store stocks a great selection of denim from the likes of Current/Elliott, J Brand and Paige for women and Nudie, PRPS, APC and Spurr for men. Readers of Denimology are in for a treat because Mauro has two great offers for you – firstly if you enter the discount code “Ilovejeans” at the checkout you will get you 20% off all your purchases and as if that wasn’t enough if you enter your email address below you will be entered into a competition to win your choice of any pair of jeans available at Farinellis.com.
Please note that by entering this competition you are agreeing to receive email newsletters from both Denimology and Farinellis.com. You will be able to unsubscribe from these emails at anytime. The closing date for entries is March 30th, 2009.
– Kathy Ng Hassan
Tags: A.P.C., Current/Elliott, J Brand, Nudie, Paige, PRPS, Spurr
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