Nothing is better than getting a little bit of inside info, just ask Martha Stewart. With this in mind we took to the streets and found some of the smartest guys in the industry to give us the heads up on the inner workings of the fashion world. You can thank us later…
Interview with Will Woods of F.M. Allen
F.M. Allen is one of those brands that you may not know about, but they’ve been making quality goods for a while. Since 1947, to be exact. The safari-inspired brand keeps it classy, but with just enough of a dandy feel to set themselves apart. We were thrilled to speak with the brand’s president, Will Woods, a man with something that too many people in the fashion world lack: a sense of history — history of menswear, and history of his brand.
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We talked to some of our friends in the business about what we should be looking like this fall. Timothy Farah of Club Monaco let you know why we should be thinking more and more about tailored goods, David Hart of David Hart & Co. told us why we should loading up on accessories, and Lance Lawson of Jake justified our love for all things preppy.
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Interview with Timothy Farah of Club Monaco
In the world of affordable menswear, it seems like J. Crew has cast a shadow over the competition for some time now. Well, thankfully, it looks like Club Monaco is ready to step up and offer guys everywhere a new option for their shopping. With modern aesthetics and 20% for all college students with an ID, they have done a lot to align themselves with young guys who want to up the sartorial ante. However, their best move was hiring Brooks Brothers Black Fleece alumnus Timothy Farah to be the Director of Menswear. He has put a greater focus on proportions and led Club Monaco into the forefront of well-priced menswear. We were thrilled to talk to the man himself about $500 suits, the art of proportions, and what Club Monaco has in store for us this fall.
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Interview with John Auerbach of Gilt Groupe
You know those emails you get every morning telling you what Gilt Groupe will be selling today? They’re from this guy. John Auerbach is an i-banker turned fashion man who is responsible for the success of the men’s business at what is arguably the most successful member’s only shopping website. With intricate knowledge of the financial market and a sophisticated understanding of menswear, Auerbach hopped on board with Gilt Groupe in 2007 and devoted himself to the cause of legitimizing the men’s sales, and for that, we are infinitely grateful. We were honored to speak with him.
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Interview with Lance Lawson of Jake
In the world of boutiques, Jake in Chicago is a superstar — just consult GQ’s list of the 100 best stores in America. Started by Lance Lawson and Jim Wetzel a little over five years ago, Jake has been a leader in predicting trends and finding the best up-and-coming designers. Jake was the first store to carry Tim Hamilton and has helped plenty of other labels find their way into the mainstream. If you’re in the Chicago area and looking for a great store, few would argue that the first place to stop in Jake. So we were obviously very happy to sit down with Lance Lawson and talk about the store, the boutique business, and what the future holds for Jake.
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Billy Reid is the founder and designer behind the namesake label that launched in 2004 to the delight of southern sartorialists. Starting at Saks, where he became an executive at the tender age of 21, he moved on to Reebok for the next six years before venturing off on his own. The Louisiana-raised Reid has stuck to his roots, gaining accolades as the guy who brought southern style into the 21st century. In just five short years, the brand has grown from one shop in Florence, Alabama to six spots in the south and another in New York with no signs of stopping there. Reid prides himself on designing pieces that are able to withstand a weekend hunting and a boardroom meeting. We may not be able to attest to the former, but Mr. Reid’s designers are a dream for prepsters everywhere. For that reason, we were ecstatic to talk to Mr. Reid about his brand, it’s future, and how to wear a white suit.
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Interview with Hil Davis of J. Hilburn
Co-Founder of the men’s clothier J. Hilburn, John Hilburn Davis III — he prefers to go by Hil — believes his company is ready to transform the men’s market with its innovative direct sales business model. Named in honor of Davis (though he does say he was originally opposed to the name), the brand currently offers custom shirting at extremely affordable prices. Different, however, from others in the market, such as Hamilton and Alexander West, J. Hilburn utilizes Style Advisers — commissioned employees around the country who set up appointments with prospective customers to measure them and talk over the custom designs, designs which can be chosen from among 250 fabrics. And with such a helpful Style Adviser program and some quality shirts, it’s shocking that they manage to put stuff out at such low prices. The secret is not unlike Tucker Blair and Company of We: skip the middle man, sell direct. Indeed, direct sales is the trick, and for that reason, Davis has faith that the company will have success as it sets to launch lines of sweaters and custom pants and eventually “own everything in a man’s closet.” Davis is a man with a strong Texas accent who has goals for the company that are of Texas proportions. Read on for an informative Q & A that tells you all about the line as well as this ever so intriguing direct sales model. You can set up your order here.
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Interview with David Hart of David Hart & Co.
David Hart is the tie designing mastermind behind the namesake label sold exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman. After starting the company in 2007, he has gained accolades for resuscitating the style of men who once dreaded sporting neckwear. Getting people excited to dress up again is one of Hart’s main missions, and we are thrilled to have him leading that campaign with his eye-catching prints of vintage objects that appeal to every man’s nostalgia genes. With patterns ranging from toy robots to ancient looking bras to radiant tartans, his trim ties and bow ties have not surprisingly caught the attention of the fashionable elite. An incredible dresser himself, he has style, sophistication, and vision in what he designs (and wears), and it’s all complemented by an unconventional yet appealing sense of humor and eccentric hankering for the past — he says Rod Serling of The Twilight Zone is one of his style icons. As he leads the charge behind the revitalization of 50s and 60s styles that we love so much, we are thrilled to hear that he plans to come out with more than just ties in the future. Gentlemen, meet David Hart: the prodigious thinktank behind one of the best tie companies to date.
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Interview with Doug and Ben Burkman of Burkman Bros.
Having been spotlighted in all the key magazines (GQ, Details, etc.) and on all the key sites (men.style.com, Valet), Burkman Brothers is a young company that continues its rapid ascent in the world of menswear. Under the management of mastermind brothers and former Gap thinktanks Doug and Ben Burkman, their utilitarian workwear aesthetic mingles with some old school preppiness and brilliantly coalesces with the influence of Asian fabrics. This Eastern-materials-meets-Western-styles look offers shoppers some of the most sought after weaves in the biz. Super soft oxford cloths and gorgeous plaids are what we might most easily recognize in the siblings’ line, but we’re also talking hoodies, chambray shirts, awesome shorts, and some serious pants. The Canadian natives — and their accents are authentic — debuted their effortlessly timeless 34-piece collection this past Spring and their new collection will hit fashion megastores like Barney’s in the coming weeks. We were thrilled to speak with Doug and Ben about the design process, their collection, and the future of the company.
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Interview with Alex Yoo of Alexander West
Custom shirting is a beautiful thing, but unfortunately it is also an expensive thing. However, banker-turned-designer Alex Yoo might have solved that problem when he created Alexander West. The New York based custom shirt-maker keeps custom at reasonable prices which is very appealing to anyone that has had problems with generic shirts. The young company has had lots of success in their early years with their uniquely affordable custom. We sat down with Alex Yoo and discussed the company and the bespoke shirt process.
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Interview with Brandon Svarc of Naked and Famous Denim
Naked and Famous is making splashes across the denim world with its brilliant designs and tongue-in-cheek, almost badass, aesthetic. And this attitude comes across in their company name, which is a satirical poke at the celeb-infatuated culture of today that buys expensive jeans simply because they are endorsed by big names. Experimental with weights and fabrics, the company is innovative but still manages to put out lines of jeans that anyone can wear. And denim nerds can talk for hours about the quality of their Japanese denim. Born in Canada, the company recently debuted in the US. We were thrilled to have a few words with company founder Brandon Svarc.
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Interview with David Hamilton of Hamilton Shirts
We had the opportunity to talk to David Hamilton, the owner of Hamilton Shirts, a bespoke shirt-maker that has been in the business since 1883, operating out of Houston, Texas. Having gotten press from all the big magazines — GQ, Esquire, you name it — Hamilton is a big deal company that is on the rise. And as personal fans of their product (we posted on Hamilton earlier, noting that their incredibly diverse options for a custom shirt combined with their adherence to the rules of superior craftsmanship earned their shirts a spot on our Top Ten Button Down List), we were thrilled to get to have a word with such a big name.
