Brand profile : Rag & Bone

Rag & Bone is a new brand in our portfolio at Blender Agency, and during Paris Fashion Week we will present it to our Scandinavian customers for the first time. We are truly excited to start working with the first class brand that is Rag & Bone.

Founded in 2002, rag & bone had one very clear vision in mind: to make clothes that they and their friends would love to wear every day. With no formal fashion training, Marcus Wainwright & David Neville set about learning how to make jeans. They believed that denim represented the history, authenticity and fundamentals of classic work wear that they would strive to reflect in their designs.

(....) In 2006, rag & bone was selected as a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award and won the 2007 Swarovski Award for emerging talent in menswear, after also being nominated for that same award in 2006. In 2010, David Neville and Marcus Wainwright were named Menswear Designers of the Year by the CFDA.

rag & bone is a lifestyle brand, offering men's, women's, footwear and accessories collections which are available at high end boutiques and exclusive department stores worldwide rag & bone also operates four flagship stores, men's and women's, on Christopher Street in NYC's West Village, as well as a SoHo shop at 119 Mercer Street.

The the full story here.

Yesterday, GQ posted this video below, which gives an insight in the making of the Rag & Bone Fw2010 collection.

From GQ:

Check out this short doc the guys from Rag & Bone presented last night at the Crosby Street Hotel in NYC. It's a backstage look at the making of their FW2010 collection.

At this very moment are our Rag & Bone reps are seated front row at the Rag & Bone SS11 show in Meatpacking District, NYC. Check out Style.com for pictures of the SS11 show.

Rag & Bone SS11 Show (Natalie Massenet of Net A Porter)

Rag & Bone will hit a store near you soon.

Best,

BA

Before anyone did anything, Evisu did everything

A very anticipated comeback is on its way. The seagull denim from Japan, Evisu, has teamed up with denim guru, the founder of Paper Denim and Earnest Sewn, Scott Morrison. It already appears as the perfect match. From our previous experience with Earnest Sewn, we know that the products will be as good as anything out there. We recognize the same product feel, and the rumours tell that both the fittings and washes are amazing. We are glad to announce that Blender Agency will represent Evisu in the Scandinavian market as from 2010. We still have our old raw denims from Evisu in the closet, and can't wait to get hold of the new ones.

Evisu SS10

History

Evisu is the first true collectible “purist denim” brand in the world, introducing casual denim wearers across the globe to connoisseur-quality Japanese selvedge denim and custom distressing. Evisu plays a pivotal role in the history of denim, the brand that many credit for starting the Japanese “Replica Movement” which in turn, birthed the premium denim category we know today.

Evisu SS10

In 1988, Hidehiko Yamane, an avid denim collector, importer, and tailor by trade, set out to replicate the American classic 1944 Levi’s 501 with an obsessive attention to detail. He founded Evisu in 1991 in Osaka, Japan, naming the company after the Japanese god of prosperity, who is sometimes playfully portrayed on the label. Evisu is one of the five unofficial members of what most people in the denim industry know as ‘the Osaka Five’; the five most influential and respected denim brands in Japanese denim history.

Now

For 2010, in preparation for the new decade and the commeration of Evisu’s 20th anniversary, the design baton for Evisu was passed to American designer Scott Morrison. The overall rebranding and updated style changes of the new 2010 collections reflect Scott Morrison’s signature approach to denim. Morrison is considered by many as a pioneer in the denim world, founding and designing both Paper Denim & Cloth and Earnest Sewn. With his arrival at Evisu, he and his team have brought a renewed focus to denim, fit and wash, as well as an updated approach to Evisu the international brand.

Evisu Woman SS10

The Seagull

The famous hand-painted Evisu “Kamome” (“Seagull” in Japanese) logo on the back pocket was a reference to the Levi’s 1944 printed ‘Arcuate’ logo, which for a 9 month period during WWII, had to be printed instead of sewn due to US government restrictions on thread and other materials essential to the war effort. Over time, the hand-painted logos chipped and faded as the denim became more and more distressed - each jean becoming an individually distinctive, and collectible, one of a kind item.

The “Seagull” logo has evolved a great deal over the past 20 years, and once again we’ve decided to update the iconic seagull. Basing the newest incarnation of the logo on a found example of an early 1990’s original hand-painted design, the new, thinner ‘less is more’ gull.

The lines Scott and his staff will present will be Evisu, Evisu Genes and Private Stock. In addition there will be a more fashion oriented line called Stylecraft. We have just reveived the first pictures of the FW10 woman collection, and the pictures are looking very promising (see below).

Evisu will most definitelly find it's way to a store near you within 2010. We hope you are as excited as we are.

Evisu SS10

Best wishes for 2010,

BA

Brand profile : Duvetica

Duvetica is an Italian down jacket brand founded by Giampiero Vagliano and Stefano Rovoletto, who both have a history at Moncler, where Vagliano was President and Rovoletto held the position as Brand Manager. When they started working at Moncler in 1995, the brand had great challenges both in terms of turnover, positioning and image. Over the course of five years they managed to increase global sales from €2 million to €30 million, while greatly improving both brand awareness and brand equity. After resuscitating Moncler they wanted to make something of their own, and five years after leaving Moncler they launched Duvetica in the Japanese market in 2005.

They are currently one of the largest down jacket brands in Japan with an incredible 1200 points of sales. Duvetica has now set their eyes on the European market, where they are growing at an explosive pace.The name Duvetica stems from Duvet (French for down) and Etica (ethical), and sums up their two main principles; 1. All products from Duvetica contains down. 2. They strive to maintain an ethically sound production. The down is from Perigord, France, and the fur is from Finland. In other words you can be sure that the down and fur is not coming from the aggressive parts of down/fur-production that sadly some suppliers out there are using.

The collections are designed by a Japanese-Italian duo, where the Italian designer also acts as a colour forecasting consultant in the yarn industry. In other words, she is one of the select few who sit and decide which colours will dominate two years ahead in time. The colours black (999 Nero) and Duvetica red (405 Rosso Granato) can always be found in the collection, while ALL other colours are changed each season. For FW09 there were 23 different colours available in the basic styles. Next season there will be all new colours, except black and duvetica red. They operate this way so that there is a constant progression through new colours, small seasonal changes to all models, and a massively large collection with over 600 style/colour options for women’s and 500 for men’s. Duvetica jackets have a tailored feel with clearly defined fits – something that the down jacket market is severely lacking in a segment dominated by shapeless unisex-jackets and fits belonging to a completely different era.

The favourite subject of the people from Duvetica are the qualities where they pay enormous attention to the slightest of details, all the way down to finding the sewing thread that best stops feathers from protruding through the seams. The zippers used are from manufacturers like Lampo (Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior), Riri (Visvim, Number Nine, Marc Jacobs) and Meras (James Perse), but Duvetica has now even started producing their own zippers in collaboration with some of the finest zipper manufacturers.

The down used is exclusively grey goose down from Périgord (Dordogne), which is the type of down with the best filling power – i.e. the down isolates better per gram compared to white goose down, or even worse; duck down. The composition is 90 % down and 10 % feather, which is the best balance. If you apply more feather the product will feel stiff and heavy, and if you use less feather the product will not balloon out as well after being compressed. Even though the qualities Duvetica uses are supreme, the prices are still very competitive. Duvetica are able to keep their prices down through owning most parts of their supply chain, which drastically cuts the production costs. The jackets are produced in the EU, with the exception of a small percentage of the production which is produced in Croatia.

Duvetica are available through fine retailers throughout Scandinavia, please send us an e-mail at info@blender.as for store inquiries.

BA.

Brand profile : Alexander Wang

Further to our series of brand presentations, we continue with the rising star of Alexander Wang. 

In a few weeks, we will start the sales of Alexander Wang's spring summer 2010 collection, the third consecutive collection Blender Agency sell for the fashion world's latest darling. 

24 year old Alexander Wang might be the biggest young star in women’s fashion today. Wang is originally from San Francisco, but moved to New York when he was 18 to study at Parson’s and work as intern at Marc Jacobs and Vogue. After only a year at Parson’s he dropped out of school and launched his own brand that within 2007 grew to a full women’s line. Wang shows his collections at NY Fashion Week where the last runway shows have been styled by Erin Wasson.

The collections of Alexander Wang are pure, classic and luxurious, but definitely urban, surprising and mysterious. Some people go as far as stating that Wang has reinvented the cool girl. His expression might be best described as skatergirl turned model, and mixes sexy vs androgyny, feminine cuts with mixed-up proportions, and the result is playful and wearable. 

For their September issue, W Magazine has written a suggestive article on Alexander Wang; Kid Rocks: All About Alexander Wang (Picture above: W Magazine). 

Alexander Wang is available at fine retailers throughout Scandinavia. Please e-mail us at info@blender.as for more info.

Brand profile | Jack Spade

JACK SPADE began in a warehouse on Warren Street in 1996. It grew out of an idea that useful items, in this case bags, could be both utilitarian and stylish. We started using waxwear fabrics and heavy canvas to make a few bags for friends. Over time we received feedback on the bags, made changes, and developed a line of straightforward shapes. Then it occurred to us—why not sell bags to hardware stores and get feedback from people who really use utility bags? Our first JACK SPADE bag was sold to a hardware store in 1997. The distinct identity of JACK SPADE soon made apparent the need for a freestanding retail store. Opened in December 1999 at 56 Greene Street in New York’s SoHo neighborhood, the JACK SPADE store reflects the company’s aesthetic. The unique 500 square foot space houses sturdy men’s bags, clothing, accessories, books and curiosities.

Jack Spade is the latest addition to our brand family, and a very anticipated such, in terms of product quality, origin and brand image. In addition, Jack Spade complements the existing menswear portfolio of Common Projects, Our Legacy and Lyle & Scott. Their approach to fashion is almost impudently in line with the menswear trend of 2009, and we are certain their basis will help the brand to grow into a major menswear player for the future. 

Jack Spade was founded by Andy Spade, Kate Spade's husband. Head over to Interview Magazine for an interesting interview with Andy, a true creative business man, on his newly founded ad-agency. 

There are certain products that men everywhere turn to for reliability and inherent style. Military-issue chino pants, Timex watches, Lacoste shirts, Levi’s, oxford cloth shirts—all represent the proverbial “real McCoy.” Most were originally created 
to serve a purpose—chinos for the military, Levi’s for the workman, Lacoste shirts for the sportsman. Mass marketers have taken the concept of these items and produced lesser products for the sake of fashion. Remember when the only great chino pant you could buy was made of heavy canvas and sold exclusively in Army/Navy stores? Unfortunately, few of these originals still exist.

We’ve always appreciated companies like J. Press, Levi’s, Barbour and even Oxxford Clothing for being great companies that make useful items for men. The products these companies manufacture have style because the designs have a reason for being. With these products as inspiration, we created JACK SPADE. We want to return to this approach, once again offering men items that represent both honest, thoughtful design and practical purpose.

You will be able to purchase Jack Spade from the finest Scandinavian menswear dealer, from February 2010.

Brand profile | Vanessa Bruno

Dear reader,

Throughout the fall we will give you brief presentations of the brands we represent at Blender Agency. First out is one of the latest additions to our brand portfolio, Vanessa Bruno. 

Parisian Vanessa Bruno launched her own brand in 1992, only 24 years old. She came from a modeling career, but had fashion and design in her blood as a child of a danish supermodel and her italian father who founded french fashion house Emmanuelle Khan.

Vanessa Bruno is known to create fresh, feminine, sofisticated collections, but they also have very strong basics. The brand consist of main line, which is part of the official program of Paris Fashion Week, and the complimentary line Athé which was launched in 1995.

Blender Agency started to represent Vanessa Bruno from Spring-Summer 2009. Today, Vanessa Bruno is available at fine retailers throughout Scandinavia. Contact us at info@blender.as for more information. 

Best,

Blender Agency