RELIABLE RETAIL

Italian Labels Remain True To Brand DNA Retailers cite Burberry

Prorsum, McQueen and

Bottega as top shows.

by WWD STAFF

MILAN — In a strong and polished and, at times, entertaining Milan Fashion Week, brands delivered the goods while staying very much within their comfort zone — fo-cusing less on experimentation and more on mining their DNA.

“No big surprises, a really tame season. People are doing well what they do best — they’re staying true to who they are,” said Eric Jennings, vice president and men’s fashion director for Saks Fifth Avenue.

“Sober yet stealth,” is how Barbara Atkin, vice president, fashion direction at Holt Renfrew, Canada, described the sea-son, which blended sportswear pieces with more formal attire. Calling 2011 a “record year of sales” for the Toronto-based spe-cialty chain, with double-digit gains, Atkin said Holt Renfrew plans to “drive continued growth through 2012, and we are planning our men’s wear business accordingly.”

Yasuhisa Suzuki, coordinator men’s fashion, Tobu Department Store Co. Ltd. Japan, said, “In Europe we are doing bigger investments, because currently the euro is very low.”

Despite a general optimism for the year to come, many retailers said they are erring on the side of caution. “We won’t grow too quickly; everyone’s controlling their inven-tories right now,” said Jennings, who men-tioned Burberry Prorsum among the week’s highlights, saying it reminded him “of why I love this business and men’s wear fashion, when it’s done in the right way.”

In addition to Burberry Prorsum, other collections receiving high praise included Alexander McQueen and Bottega Veneta, with Gucci, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Ermenegildo Zegna, Neil Barrett and Missoni also mentioned.

Darren Skey, head of men’s wear buying and merchandising at Harvey Nichols, com-mented: “For us, there were three really standout shows, and one presentation. We loved Burberry Prorsum’s great countryside-inspired themes and English-heritage look. We surprised ourselves by falling in love with Versace; the first half was tricky, but the lat-ter half, with all the glitz and glamour and embroidery, was wonderful. Our customer loves that sort of thing. We also thought Dsquared2’s good kids and bad kids show was great.…We thought Jil Sander, with the shiny, wet look, “Matrix”-inspired leathers was interesting — rather than a standout. The presentation we loved was Alexander

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BlackoutIt’s over to Paris, where the fall men’s wear shows kick off today. Here, Dior Homme’s Kris Van Assche inspects one of the collection’s outerwear stunners — austere yet voluptuous. For a behind-the-scenes peek inside the studios of Paris, see pages MW4 and MW5.

MAN OF THE WEEK

Short on StyleGolden Globes host Ricky Gervais’ fashion choices were far from

award winning. Here are some extra tips for improvement. Page MW2

PLUS:Bottega Veneta’s

first men’s boutique

in the U.S. is sure to

make a statement,

according to creative

director Tomas Maier.

January 19, 2012

Men’s WeekMW2 WWD THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012

by LUISA ZARGANI

MILAN — Bottega Veneta is gearing up to open its first men’s boutique in the U.S. in May. Located off Madison Avenue on 67th Street in New York City, it marks the increased relevance of the brand’s men’s wear division, which now accounts for about 30 per-cent of Bottega Veneta’s sales.

“Men’s is a fast-growing business for us, and the opening of this store makes a statement,” said cre-ative director Tomas Maier at the brand’s sprawling Milan headquarters, where he showed his men’s fall collection on Sunday.

The store will introduce a new blueprint, which will reflect Maier’s vision of a man and his needs while shop-ping. “We don’t want to make men walk through women’s bags — it’s a little awkward for them.” With the new con-cept, with “different materials and colors,” which Maier is still keeping under wraps, the designer said he will focus on “what a man would like to find” in a store — a shoe wall organized by function, for example. “A man-friendly” envi-ronment was top of mind for Maier, who added that men “are more confident to wear accessories now. It’s a way to express an individual point of view. It can also be a ribbon, a detail, a leather strap, because they are craving something individual.”

Over the past 10 years, the designer has been expanding the brand’s product offer, and the New York men’s store will also carry furniture and interior design items as well.

Maier said Bottega Veneta has seen strong growth globally, but noted that 2011 was “an incredible year” for the brand in the U.S., where customers are “more focused on quality.” There are current-ly 24 stores in the U.S. Last year, the company refurbished its San Francisco, Chicago and Bal Harbour, Fla., venues, expanding square footage.

The company said men’s bags continue to perform very well and that the men’s shoe category is also growing very rapidly.

Men’s is also gaining traction in emerging markets, and the company opened its first men’s store in the world in Shenyang, China, in the L’Avenue shopping center, in May 2011.

Last year, Bottega Veneta launched its first men’s cruise collection.

CALVIN KLEIN scoured the latest crop of young models for its under-wear and denim spring advertising campaigns, which mark the debut of 20-year-old model Matthew Terry.

“It was an amazing experience,” said the Pennsylvania-born Terry backstage at the brand’s men’s show in Milan Sunday night, referring to the shoot for the men’s under-wear line. “It was my first time in California, and it was great to work in the desert with such a great team.”

Shot in Joshua Tree by Steven Klein, the bold and brightly colored images, which embody the brand’s athletic, sexy aesthetics, feature Terry along with Myles Crosby, Arran Sly and Chris Garavaglia.

The model, who signed with the Ford agency in May and got his start on the catwalk in Milan in June, used to work in construction and in a supermarket before starting his career as a model. “My parents are very excited, and more than proud,” he said. “And my friends are jealous but happy for me at the same time.”

Terry, whose future plans include building a reputation in personal training, also appears with model Lara Stone in the Calvin Klein Jeans

campaign, which was shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott on St. Barth’s Guanahani Beach. Terry said it was his first time in the Caribbean and only his second time outside the U.S.

Both the underwear and jeans campaigns break globally this month, with the underwear being featured in 16 markets, in titles such as GQ (U.S. and Mexico), ESPN, Men’s Health (U.S. and Mexico) and Out. It will be complemented by outdoor campaigns in eight countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Spain, Germany, Australia and China (Hong Kong), as well as online placements on men’s lifestyle, sports and enter-tainment sites. Television spots will air in Hong Kong.

The jeans will run in 19 markets, in such titles as Vogue (U.S., China, Mexico), Vanity Fair, Elle (U.S., Canada, Quebec, Mexico), Elle Men (China), Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle (U.S. and Mexico) and GQ Taiwan. Outdoor campaigns will run in 13 countries, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Italy, France, Spain, Australia, China and Korea, and there will be online placements on more than 55 fashion, music and lifestyle sites.

— ALESSANDRA TURRA

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Calvin Reveals New Ads

by KATYA FOREMAN

MILAN — “Uman is ready to roll,” declared Umberto Angeloni, founder of the conceptual Milanese tailored clothing label, which on Friday presented what it billed as its first full ready-to-wear collection.

The expanded Uman wardrobe, which can be ordered in a range of fabrics, spans jack-ets, suits, coats, pants, shirts, ties and scarves, with knitwear likely to be added in the coming seasons. Retail prices range from $150 for a tie to around $3,000 for a suit. Since its launch in 2009, Uman has based its seasonal presenta-tions around its suit, in only blue hues, as well as three new editions to its range of so-called “social jackets,” which are inspired by men’s passions, such as sports and travel, with an ac-companying book launched each season to ac-company the designs.

Celebrating classic elegance, the fall looks were awash with refined sartorial details, from a technically impressive white shirt with no yoke seam at the back to artisanal details on the ties. Suits were made from an array of weighty traditional tailoring fabrics, such as pure Shetland wool, a wool-silk pinstripe and flan-nels. An impeccably cut wool coat had a removable shaved-mink lining. The house is even broaden-ing its color palette, adding two alternative classic color options: brown and gray.

Angeloni said he recently started to feel the heat from retailers to broaden the Uman offer. “Ultimately, of course, it’s an innovative concept, but it’s also [simply a] suit, it’s an item of consumption, so it should be shown as part of a wardrobe, not just a concept,” conceded the soft-spoken executive.

Angeloni today is also chief executive officer of the Italian high-end men’s wear brand Caruso, which manufactures men’s formalwear for a num-ber of prominent brands. He is also a minority shareholder in Caruso.

Until now, distribution for the Uman label has been limited to six boutiques in five countries, plus

one Web-based retailer, Park & Bond. Angeloni said he’s ready to widen distribution in Europe and Asia, though Barneys New York is to continue as the label’s exclusive retailer in the U.S.

The label will also open its first bespoke atelier this spring, based at its concept room on Via Gesù in Milan. A master tailor will be available by ap-pointment. Ready-to-wear blazers, shirts and ties will also be available. The 2,000-square-foot space will house an atelier, a library of men’s wear litera-ture and Angeloni’s whiskey collection.

The pale English rose needs to visit a tanning

salon, and please trim the beard. You’re not

a model on the runway of the Paris shows.

He mixes way too many fashion elements and

the hybrid peak-shawl lapel is one of them.

The jacket is too small, it’s pulling everywhere.

Maybe if he lost the vest, it would fit.

Too much pressure on the seam, leading

to embarrassing wrinkles and a wardrobe

malfunction waiting to happen.

It was already a mistake when he

wore bell-bottoms back in the day.

Please don’t be a repeat offender.

Orthopedic sneakers for people with

back problems are appropriate. Take an

Aleve and wear evening lace-ups.

It’s not bad enough that it’s two pieces,

we need to add another layer?

The only saving grace is that there’s no ruffle.

And spring for a bow tie next time.

Man of THE WEEK RICKY GERVAIS: DThe Golden Globes host may have tamed his humor for this year’s broadcast, but he let his fashion side go wild. This Seventies prom suit is probably the most comical thing he did all night. Some things in history should never be repeated and that’s especially true for a shiny burgundy tuxedo with black contrasting lapels. He’s too old for this trendy, Ted Baker ensemble. He should opt for a Savile Row tuxedo instead and represent his country with honor.

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A NEW MEN’S UNDERWEAR item will be hitting stores in early February: Quick Draw Fly underwear by Tommy John.

The styles, which will feature a brief, a trunk and a boxer brief priced from $25 to $32, are designed with a horizontal fly with “fewer layers,” explained designer Tom Patterson,

who launched his first Second Skin collection in 2009 with an undershirt that does not ride up. “Most flies in the market are

either vertical or horizontal, but with a lot more layers. This new design is lighter in weight with fewer layers for functionality,” said

Patterson. All packaging will feature the Quick Draw Fly tag line and an online and in-store marketing campaign is in the works. The styles,

in sizes S to XXL, will be rendered in MicroModal spandex and blends of polyester and spandex, one with mesh for ventilation. In addition to black and white, colors include navy, red and royal blue.

Wholesale sales for Tommy John men’s underwear and T-shirts to-taled $1.5 million in 2011 and sales are projected to exceed $4 million with the new product launch. — KARYN MONGET

Quick DrawA Quick Draw Fly

item by Tommy

John.

Looks from the Uman presentation in Milan.

Uman Expands Collection for FallBottega to Open Men’s Store in N.Y.

Tomas Maier is

increasing his

focus on men’s.

An image from the underwear campaign.

Men’s WeekWWD THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012MW4

PARISM

T

Topping things off at John Galliano.

Who let the dogs out at Thom Browne?

Behind

bars at

Damir

Doma.

Parting

shots at

Kris Van

Assche.

Time for

takeoff

at Adam

Kimmel.

Standing at

attention at Yves

Saint Laurent.

PARIS — It’s crunch time in the men’s wear studios of Paris. WWD paid a visit as designers put the finishing touches

on their fall fashion statements. — Laurent Folcher

PHOTOS BYMARLEEN DANIELS, STEPHANE FEUGERE, DOMINIQUE MAITRE AND FRANCK MURA

Men’s Week WWD THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012 MW5

String theory at

Phillip Lim.

Head in the clouds

at Rick Owens.

Fancy pants at

Dries Van Noten.

Viktor & Rolf’s very

own Spicebomb.

Spinal tap at Louis Vuitton.

Just another

brick in the

wall at Jean

Paul Gaultier.

Men’s WeekMW6 WWD THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012

McQueen. We will certainly be finding the money to buy it. We loved the Prince of Wales checks, and all of the leather and wool. Between the Victorian theme and the country gent, it was a strong play on English heritage.”

For David Aquilina, buyer for interna-tional designer at Lane Crawford, a “new-found sophistication” defined the collec-tions. Barrett presented his most mature show to date, he said, “focusing on stream-lined tailoring and a toned-down take on outerwear. He also offered a fantastic capsule collection based around tuxedos, which was available only in the showroom.” Knitwear, tailoring and outerwear were the salient categories expected to drive business for fall. Fabrications remained focused on all things quintessentially British. Aquilina mentioned a strong focus on herringbone, houndstooth and Prince of Wales check, with “tonal grays as the new black.”

The Italian influence came through on soft tailoring, with the sweater jacket omnipresent. “The weights are incredible, too. You think it would be so heavy, but when you throw it on over your sport coat or your suit, it really fits well, it doesn’t feel like you have a jacket on,” commented Matthew Singer, men’s fash-ion director, Neiman Marcus Stores, Neiman Marcus Direct and Bergdorf Goodman.

At the other end of the spectrum, the double-breasted suit made a strong return. “There is a high level of attention to dress-ing more formally and elegantly, dressing like a gentleman. Prada was the catalyst and directional, as usual,” said Tiziana Cardini, fashion director at La Rinascente in Italy.

“All of the beautiful tailoring and outer-wear will drive our business at Nordstrom,” said Jeffrey Kalinsky, executive vice presi-dent, designer merchandising for the Seattle retailer. “The resurgence of tailored clothing will resonate with our customers. Double-breasted has never looked better. We also loved all of the oversize outerwear, peacoats, and turtlenecks that dominated the runway.”

Anita Barr, director of men’s wear at Selfridges, noted: “The highlight for us was Prada — it set the tone for the week. We liked the elegance of it — it was a very powerful show. And, of course, Gary Oldman at the end. It was a real moment, and it left us all buzzing. We loved Burberry Prorsum, too — it was stronger than the summer collection and just a beautiful show. [Alexander] McQueen

was gorgeous, and we’re really excited that they’ve introduced a made-to-measure ser-vice with Huntsman. Overall, budgets are up this season to reflect our investment in men’s wear at the store. It’s a healthy business.”

Kevin Harter, vice president of fashion for men’s and home for Bloomingdale’s, said: “The Italian designers offered us clothes that were opulent yet very masculine, which our customer loves. I always love Burberry Prorsum but thought Christopher Bailey showed his strongest collection to date. As al-ways, there was an abundance of great outer-wear, but I was thrilled with all the luxurious cashmere sweaters and the suitings. Prada

was stunning, showcasing all the fantastic overcoats. One of the collections I’m most ex-cited about hitting our floors is Z Zegna. Paul Surridge’s first collection for the house was stellar. His collection was the perfect mix of slim suits and sophisticated sportswear of-fered in a very masculine color palette.”

Rich wintry colors were a major trend with berry tones, blues and forest green leading the way.

Here’s more from the buyers:

Cindy Ho, fashion director, 360 Style in KuwaitTrendspotting: “A very beautiful men’s season in general, with superrich textures such as jacquard, silk velvet….It is nice to see [such a rich offer] for men, as it has been miss-ing for some seasons. It is time to dress up. [Things are] playful, but in a very chic way, with classic suits in new cuts and [new ways of coordinating looks], with shirts, waistcoats and accessories.”Sound off: “So far, I am not disappointed with anything, but will find out in the showroom — and if the prices are favorable.”

Anita Barr, director of men’s wear at SelfridgesTrendspotting: “There was lots of black leather — we particularly loved the accessories at Jil Sander, and especially the leather lunch bag. That collection had a very, very dark Thirties Berlin edge to it. Both Jil Sander and Burberry had the child animal motifs, and we liked the country theme at Burberry, too. There were a lot of heritage fabrics and country sports refer-ences, and tailoring was very strong.”Sound off: “You always find more formal looks in Milan, while in Paris you get a com-pletely different sort of vibe. And men are dressing more formally in general. The boys on my team really dress up now for work — you don’t see jeans and T-shirts anymore.”

Darren Skey, head of men’s wear buying and mer-chandising at Harvey NicholsTrendspotting: “Great outerwear and knit-wear, great techniques for knits and a varia-tion on necklines. We also saw lots of snoods and scarves. Also, velvet suitings in great colors like red, bottle green and army green. And you don’t have to wear those velvet suits together — you can take the jacket and pair it with jeans or other trousers.”Sound off: “It was bloody freezing in Milan. If we could have taken some of the outerwear straight off the runway, we would have.”

Toby Bateman, director of buying for MrPorter.comTrendspotting: “Full-length coats with belts. Teddy-bear coats (humanely killed, we are as-sured)…animal motifs and feathers appearing as print detail. Slippers everywhere — in vel-vet, mostly, but also patterned. Shoes in two-tone. Camouflage patterns. Military details — brocade and trimmed-down trouser legs.”Sound off: “In general, the collections were quite tailored and smart. They were com-mercial, but designers have stuck true to their DNA in feeling.”

Matthew Singer, men’s fashion director, Neiman Marcus Stores, Neiman Marcus Direct and Bergdorf GoodmanTrendspotting: “You’re definitely seeing that stronger suit come down the runway. The one-and-a-half breasted suit, which really holds its shape when unbuttoned and is really fresh and modern….With it being fall, there were a lot of scarves coming down the runway, but they were superlight….For footwear, I saw a lot of burnished toe effects and dress boots.”Sound off: “There hasn’t been any letdowns this season.”

Barbara Atkin, vice president, fashion direction at Holt Renfrew, CanadaTrendspotting: “There seems to be a new re-laxed formality where the roll-neck sweater acts as alternative to the tie, and heavy-knit cardigans enter the realm of modern outer-wear. Evening separates seem to have taken center stage, as the statement formal jacket

becomes a surprising key item of the season.”Sound off: “We are planning strong growth in knitwear, outerwear, novelty dress pants and sport jackets, particularly the soft decon-structed jacket.”

David Aquilina, buyer for international designers at Lane CrawfordTrendspotting: “Eveningwear has…been key with most brands, not only offering the classic tuxedo, but also more commercially inspired takes on this men’s wear staple in jacquards, satins and — most noticeably for fall-winter ’12 — velvets.”Sound off: “With instability within the global market continuing to haunt 2012, it is impor-tant that the products that we present to our customers hold a certain level of integrity. Not only are our customers going to be seek-ing new and innovative products, but they are also after a sense of value for money.”

Yasuhisa Suzuki, coordinator men’s fashion, Tobu Department Store Co. Ltd.Trendspotting: “Strong and interesting colors, voluminous shapes, knitwear.”Sound off: “This fashion week was very con-servative and too commercial.”

Kevin Harter, vice president of fashion for men’s and home for Bloomingdale’sTrendspotting: “The longer overcoat will be the statement piece for fall 2012, shown on the runway in beautiful herringbones, tweeds and cashmere. Slimmer suits continue but, again, in sophisticated fabrics and much more pat-tern. Knits seemed very updated, whether it was longer cardigans used as outerwear piec-es or the pairing of classic turtlenecks with blazers and suits. Also felt strongly about all the corduroy and velvet that we saw.”

Maurizio Purificato, owner Antonia UomoTrendspotting: Clean lines; the comeback of both the duster and the loden coats; re-visited British style; velvet; cotton chinos; shearling; running-inspired jackets in tech-nical fabrics.

Salvatore

Ferragamo

Ermenegildo

Zegna

Umit

Benan

Burberry

Prorsum

Prada

RETAILERS EMBRACE SOFT CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES FROM ITALIAN BRANDS

{Continued from page MW1}

Men’s Week MW7WWD THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 2012

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THE HERITAGE MESSAGE con-tinued to ring true in men’s collec-tions for fall, as brands exhibiting at the Project show stuck to clas-sic men’s wear silhouettes reinter-preted in a modern way.

“It’s like raiding your grand-father’s closet,” said Marylynn Piotrowski of Smith & Butler, who has had success selling au-thentic brands such as Barbour, Pendleton and Filson at her Brooklyn-based specialty store. “But it takes our generation to tweak it. I call it recycling,” she said, noting that she expects a more relaxed version of heritage to take hold by next fall.

Piotrowski was shopping the show for the latest sportswear

looks from Pendleton and other related brands that could be sold at a reasonable price. A lot of her customers don’t have money for upscale designer collaborations, so she was seeking a more “ap-proachable” price point. Brands that manufacture in the New York area, or at least in America, were also being given top priority. “If I can stay local,” she said, “I like to support that.”

Many of the labels at the show produced their collections in the U.S. That includes Black Sweater, a line by documentarian Jamie Johnson based on the legend of a society hostess from Florida at the turn of the century who sent black cashmere sweaters to anyone she wished to banish from the social scene because of behavior she found indecent. Johnson’s collec-tion reflects upper-class society at this time and offers “formalwear with a twist,” according to consul-tant Jake Post. All items use British fabrics such as tweeds and her-ringbones, and everything is pro-duced in America, including the cashmere sweaters and Japanese-fabric shirts. Key items include a heavy hooded wool coat with a velvet stripe for $1,750; a wool and velvet sport coat for $1,487; a wool herringbone blazer with a gun pad for $1,525, and a silk stocking regi-men coat for $1,550. Post said the company is also hoping to expand its sweater business.

One unique neckwear company was Title of Work, a collection by former women’s couture designer Jonathan Meizler, who jumped into men’s bespoke last year. The ties,

which retail from $140 to $400, are inspired by the art world and fea-ture “incongruent details.” The fall collection, for example, is based on taxidermy and offers porcupine claws, raccoon teeth and rubber-ized rooster feathers as details on the slim neckwear offering.

“When you’re in an oversatu-rated market,” Meizler said, “you have to be different.”

The brand is also offering tie bars with sterling silver chains, reversible cuff links and revers-ible scarves for fall.

Designer Todd Snyder set up a pop-up at the show, complete with brands that complement the collection’s updated Americana sensibility, including Bates hats, Tricker’s shoes and Maxx & Unicorn wallets. “We come from a retail background,” said David Bruno, director of merchandising and sales. “So give us an opportu-nity and we’ll make a shop.”

On the apparel side, Snyder showcased the company’s expand-ed collaboration with Southwick for a collection of men’s suits, dress shirts and neckwear for fall, all of which are manufactured in the U.S. Although the manu-facturer has produced Snyder’s suits since his launch last year, the shirts and ties are additions for fall. Key styles include unlined sport coats in tweed or double-faced camel hair and wool that can be worn with jeans or chinos. The brand also offered an expand-ed outerwear collection, including a fully quilted melton wool coat with removable lining and silver fox hood for $2,695, and a hooded

shearling coat for $3,995.Denim also continued to be

a key part of the show. Denim pioneer Scott

Morrison’s brand, 3x1, of-fered rare selvage denim and twills for fall. Finishes were raw and rinsed in mid- and heavy-weights. “We’re seeing retailers focus on quality and details over mass-market ap-peal, which is a very welcome change,” Morrison said. In ad-dition to denim, Morrison also offered a selvage chino group with the M2 military fit espe-cially popular.

Los Angeles-based Simon Miller, which has focused on denim for the past five years, launched a knitwear collection for fall. “We don’t want to be just a denim brand or a California brand,” said the company’s Jake Sargent. So in addition to the jeans in four washes, the booth showcased a lightweight alpaca-linen sweater for $330, as well as a beefy wool-angora-mohair blend in a modified honeycomb pattern, priced at $895. A felted shawl cardigan was $750, and all the sweaters were knit in the U.S. The brand also offered its interpreta-tion of the five-pocket slack, using a fabric most often seen in outer-wear. “It lends the five-pocket a sense of sophistication you don’t see in jeans,” Sargent said.

At Johnny Love, the brand of-fered men’s wear shapes for its outerwear that were familiar but sexier, such as trenches shaped to the body and wool coats with leather-trim collars. Retail prices

averaged $550. There was also an innovative tubular cowl-knit scarf with a leather closure. And every jacket used nanotechnol-ogy, meaning they were wind- and water-resistant.

Ernest Alexander, a line rooted in accessories, showed its versatil-ity with a sportswear collection that included waxed-canvas field jackets lined with Loro Piana wool; sweaters knit in Italy; or-ganic jersey T-shirts; suiting vests; button-down slim-cut oxford shirts in Japanese pima cotton, and a cashmere blazer.

Delphine Germano, the New York liaison for Le Bon Marché in Paris, was most interested in the accessories she found at the show. “There are so many clothing lines in Europe, I need to bring some-thing else, so I’m more focused on items that tell a story.” She singled out Dedegumo watches and Lexdray luggage. But she also singled out the 3x1 denim line and also sought “preppy sports-wear you can wear in town,” while walking the show.

Project Vendors Reinvent the Classics

by DAVID LIPKE

STURDY HOLIDAY SALES gave men’s re-tailers an auspicious start to the New Year and lent buyers an upbeat attitude at the Capsule show in New York, which show-cased 250 brands in a new location at 550 Washington Street earlier this week. Key trends included toggle coats, Fair Isle sweat-ers, tweed suits and sport coats, suede elbow patches, American heritage themes and mili-tary influences — particularly camouflage motifs on everything from shoes to neckwear.

“Our holiday was superstrong, and we were up considerably over the last year,” said Jen Mankins, owner of Bird in Brooklyn. Accessories have been a particu-larly healthy business for Mankins, and she singled out Porter, the Japanese bag maker, and Forage, a tie brand from Philadelphia that specializes in ties made from deadstock

fabrics, as highlights of the show.Also on her shopping list was footwear at

Above Tree Line, a new section of Capsule dedicated to outdoor brands. “Hiking boots are the new duck shoes,” quipped Mankins, who also picked up outerwear from Fjällräven in that section. Wood chips, tree stumps and the smell of pine set the rustic mood within the area.

Footwear was also a priority for Randy Brewer, co-owner of Convert in Berkeley, Calif., who is opening a nearby shoe store in March under the same name. Brewer picked up the Tretorn and Gram footwear lines, both from Sweden. “We focus on recycled and eco-friendly lines, and Swedish brands always fit into that mold,” said Brewer. “In apparel, I liked Field Scout, which had very clean lines, and Pendleton’s Portland collec-tion, which had really beautiful outerwear and sweaters — and great umbrellas with the Pendleton print on them.”

Holiday sales at Convert were “amazing” said Brewer, with hats, scarves, underwear, socks and headphones driving sales. “People were spending more freely and picking up those extra items. There was more impulse buying. Something in the economy feels a bit more positive,” he observed.

Lucky Brand and Riviera Club debuted a collaboration for fall, encompassing 14 styles. The line includes three jeans ($195 to $215 at retail) in various washes, including a dark rinse in a chino body, and a light wash with paint splatter made in organic Italian selvage denim. Western shirts lined with jer-sey ($150), a field blazer in army green cotton ($285) and a soft, garment dyed hoodie ($125) emblazoned with “Jalama” — the name of a prime surfing beach north of Santa Barbara — rounded out the collection.

“We are both California brands and we wanted to fuse our heritage,” said Joshua Weiner, director of men’s merchandising

at Lucky Brand, of the partnership with Riviera Club. Driving home the brand mes-sage, hangtags are printed with a California speeding ticket.

In the main Riviera Club collection, plaid shirts — the trend that won’t die — contin-ued to sell well, and the motif also decorated a reversible down vest.

A counter aesthetic was on view at Number:Lab, which incorporated perfor-mance fabrics and athletic influences into its directional sportswear. Hooded jackets were fashioned from neoprene, blazers were coated with polyurethane and gym essentials melded sporty jersey with mesh and wicking fabrics. Even a classic duffle coat was given a modern edge with enameled metal clasps replacing the traditional horn toggles.

The American past came alive in the H.W. Carter & Sons collection of flannel shirts, ticking stripe thermals, painter pants and denim overalls inspired by the first half of the 20th century. Originally founded in 1849 but dormant in men’s wear for the past sev-eral decades, the brand is being revived in the category this year by designers Greg Chapman and Chris Grodzki, who have ac-quired the license. Core retail prices for the collection are $125 to $325, and the duo plans to open a retail store in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on North Sixth Street in March.

Gloverall, a heritage brand from the other side of the Atlantic, showcased the iconic duf-fle coats the company has made since 1951. “We are repositioning the brand with new fits, styles and labeling,” said Mark Smith, sales director for the Northamptonshire, England-based brand. For fall, that included duffle coats in Harris tweed, Locharron tartan and a Seventies-style corduroy model with shearling interior ($500 to $700).

Another legacy British brand, Sunspel, founded in 1860, has also recently revamped and updated its line of high-end underwear.

The label was acquired by Nicholas Brooke and Dominic Hazlehurst in 2005, but contin-ues to make much of its product in its historic Long Eaton, England, factory. Its underwear, boxers, T-shirts and polo shirts ($48 to $130) are made from exceptionally soft and dura-ble long-staple Egyptian cotton and loomed on lace machines. Boxers features Sunspel’s signature scoop seams, and long underwear comes in elegant merino wool styles.

While workwear and rugged outerwear was a common theme for many brands, Ovadia & Sons offered a counterpoint with its sophis-ticated tailoring and urbane sportswear. A “winter white” capsule in the line emphasized pale tones, such as white corduroy trousers with antelope suede trim, a pearl gray sport jacket, a camel sweater with suede elbow patches and a plush cream Fair Isle sweater.

Also on display were tweed suits, waffle car-digans, cashmere turtlenecks for layering, tas-sel loafers with Dainite soles for traction and a military group that included ties embellished with P-40 Warhawk “Flying Tigers” warplanes.

Capsule Spotlights Heritage and OutdoorH.W. Carter & Sons

Ovadia & Sons

Ties by Title of Work.

A honeycomb sweater from Simon Miller.

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