Thursday 31 March 2011

CRYSTAL STILTS


Type in Crystal Stilts on google and you’ll see a lot of whacky phrases describing their sound: “nugaze,” “dream-pop,” “fuzz-beat.” Try and ignore these and put on Through The Floor, the first single of the new album, In Love With Oblivion.

Crystal Stilts have cleverly co-opted the melodic charm of early rock and roll and slapped an airy cacophony of sound on top. Singer, Brad Hargett, adds to the soup with a tuneful drone reminiscent of Ian Curtis. It’s an interesting mix that really works. Their second LP is released by Slumberland on 12th April. If you’re rigged-up well, we recommend you buy it on vinyl.


Joe Stevens


Wednesday 30 March 2011

Diet Coke x Karl Lagerfeld


It could be argued that Diet Coke is probably the only drink models and designers have included in their everyday diet appart from champagne, so it comes as no surprise that Mr Chanel himself, Karl Lagerfeld would want to put his stamp on this one as well.

Following his previous successful installment of the Coca Cola light aluminium bottle, Lagerfeld creates 3 new bottle designs featuring stripes, polka dots and stars in bright fuchsia & black  that will be in stores this coming June 2011. A special prism shaped box set was also curated by the fashion maestro exclusively for this collaboration. 

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Is Natural Selection Denim the way forward?




We feel that we are  part of a denim era, where denim is part of our lifestyle, integrated in every outfit; we adjust it with suits, we wear them to work, designers and brands are even extending to their own ranges & denim accessories; but what is it about denim that is so fascinating?7thMan Magazine sits down for a very exclusive interview with the Guardians of the Standard or GOTS, the creative collective behind Natural Selection Denim, the denim brand created in 2009, to get a few straight answers!

Q: How did you first fall in love with denim? Is it your love for denim that created Natural Selection?

Denim or a pair of jeans is now a staple piece of clothing in every modern man's wardrobe.  It’s the flexibility & durability of the fabric that I truly appreciate.  I have been fortunate enough to travel – I started picking up on the underground denim culture growing out of Japan in the early '90s. I have also taken inspiration from heritage British work wear especially for this season, old railroad uniforms specifically. How the brand started is a long story… a journey & sequence of events. Extending my knowledge in the world of denim; growing knowledge in sales, distribution & meeting entrepreneur John Park we were able to bring NS Denim to life.

Q: What is the core value/philosophy behind the Natural Selection denim line?

We wanted a name that suggested 2 things:

- The idea of the natural Evolution of denim – NS Denim captures fabric as it ages in a unique way.  From our raw fabrics, all the way through the journey, to the most unique of vintage washes.
- We also like encouraging the notion of evolutionary competition & the strongest will survive.  We are able to better communicate the quality of our premium product through this notion.


Q: These past few years we’ve been seeing this massive re-emergence of high-quality denim brands. What sets you apart from all the others?

We believe in using the finest of fabric & focusing on attention to detail in design. We are seeking new ways to be original with our fabrics all the way from application to developing our own laundry techniques for washing. As jeans lovers & the fabric that is denim, trying to replicate authentically worn in washes is our goal. We are working with premium fabric’s specifically Japanese & Italian selvedge.

Read the rest of the interview and see their S/S'11 NS Campaign film after the jump

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Tuesday 29 March 2011

Hedi Slimane : Anthology of a Decade


A new photography book honouring the photography work of the exemplary designer turned photographer, Hedi Slimane, is released on the 30th of Aprl by JRP Ringier publishing.

As Hedi Slimane: Anthology of a Decade Hedi Slimane: Anthology of a Decade Book reveals, Slimane’s photographs, which traverse the music scene, the New York art scene, street fashion and haute couture, are as fresh as his groundbreaking work in fashion. Drawing on photographs taken throughout the past decade, this volume records Slimane’s early years in the fashion industry, before, during and after his tenures at Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior. It was during this decade that Slimane brought to men’s fashion an androgynous, rock verve that influenced couture worldwide. This selection of 175 color photographs lays bare Slimane’s inspirations for this look…”

The book will be available from Amazon.

See more images from the book after the jump!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Alexander Wang launches Menswear collection


New York based designer Alexander Wang, after a successful launch of his first stand alone store and  his continuous evolvement of the Alexander Wang empire,is now moving into menswear.

Reported literally hours ago on Style, the designer who took the fashion world by storm with his minimalist sportswear approach to design, will launch the Alexander Wang Menswear collection for Fall 2011 soon. The capsule collection will pick up elements from his previous endeavours with 'T' and 'Alexander Wang' and will follow the same style & aesthetic of  chic low-key utilitarian basics that are designed with excellent quality with Wang's contemporary take on the classics.

We are already practically drooling over it, the collection will be available at Dover Street Market come next season!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Monday 28 March 2011

Yohji Yamamoto 'This is My Dream'



This was long overdue!

A documentary that will present the story and work of Yohji Yamamoto entitled 'This is MY Dream' will be released sometime this Spring.

Directed by Theo Stanley and from what we have seen so far narrated from Yohji Yamamoto himself, the documentary embodies the essence of the same dark approach of Yamamoto as a designer, which makes the film so much more mysterious and interesting.

We can't wait until it's released!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Sunday 27 March 2011

Model Andrej Pejic stars in Izzue's s/s'11 campaign



Izzue, the far-east brand that is slowly becoming a celebrity favourite and taking London by storm, have just released their spring/summer 2011 campaign video featuring none other than model of the moment Andrej Pejic.

The 'casual chic' brand Izzue, never stops exploring every must have element by mixing signature details and subtle surprises that bring flamboyance to every fashion connoisseurs wardrobe. Along with Pejic, model Stella Maxwell also stars in the campaign that was shot in London & styled by reputable stylist Anna Trevelyan who is known for her provocative fashion forward styling.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

7thMan exclusive: First images from 'Forgotten Future' a/w 2011 collection


This past January, 7thMan was one of the first magazines to introduce to you who we thought would be taking over the contemporary menswear arena, Forgotten Future. The brand designed by Richard Dawson(who could honestly be one of the loveliest designers we ever met) once again invited 7thMan to preview their autumn/winter 2011 collection this past week and all we have to say is 'We told you so'!



Part influenced by the work of photographer Perry Ogden and partly still exploring the post war vibes precedented in the s/s'11 collection, the a/w'11 collection  is entitled 'Pony Youth'. Through a cohesive presentation of must-have wardrobe staples, that includes tailoring with a sportswear edge and an eclectic mix of pattern and texture, 'Pony Youth' incorporates a feeling of nostalgia that is evidently presented through Dawson's love of oversized vintage silhouettes and excellent quality that easily can challenge the notion of disposable fashion.

More images of the a/w''11 collection to follow!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Friday 25 March 2011

Two Wounded Birds



Two Wounded Birds are THE band for this summer. Their sound blends the disparate elements of the broad rock and roll spectrum of the 1950s and 60s; Link Wray's guitar, Brian Wilson's melodies, Phil Spector's production, they're all successfully evoked by Two Wounded Birds. After just finishing a tour with The Drums, expect big things from this band in the very near future. Their double A-Side single All We Really Wanna Do/Midnight Waves is released by Moshi Moshi on the 18th April.






Thursday 24 March 2011

Quilts by A.P.C & Jessica Ogden



French fashion label A.P.C has been known for their simplistic elegance and basic luxury and for a second season the ethical and eco-friendly company are introducing their collection of quilts made from wool, tweed, curduroy and cotton.

In this video, creative director Jean Touitou presents the design and production process of their quilt collection that includes 7 pieces and is a collaborative effort with friend and fashion designer Jessica Ogden.

Each quilt design is limited to 30 pieces and are available to buy today 24th of March on the A.P.C website.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Tuesday 22 March 2011

Formichetti paid 20 thousand dollars for Zombie Boy



As weird as it may sound, it is actually true. The man behind the Haus of Gaga, Lady Gaga, UNIQLO, Vogue Homme Japan and now MUGLER first spotted the tattoo enthusiast on facebook and tracked him down through a tattooist friend.
  
In a very exclusive interview,  the creative director and model gave recently, explained how the model couldn't fly to France to attend the MUGLER shows because he didn't have a passport and the reason for that? Genest was homeless and owing around 20 thousand dollars in fines to the state, for sleeping on the streets.

Enamoured by his story, Nicola Formichetti flew to Canada to meet with Rick Genest aka Zombie boy and immediately shot the autumn/winter 2011 MUGLER campaign with him and photographer Mariano Vivanco, he even changed some of the a/w'11 outfits to suit a more gothic Genest.

Have a look at the campaign for a/w'11 after the jump

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Lacoste for Size? limited edition range


Size? is probably one of the UK's most popular footwear destinations so it didn't come as a surprise when we heard that the crocodile infused tennis brand, Lacoste, was going to collaborate with the shop on a special range hitting stores this spring.

Now we have the first images of this collaboration that boasts 5 different classic styles from the Lacoste range, all given a re-vamp for Spring/Summer 2011. The Lacoste x Size? range includes the René Lacoste tennis shoe, the René Lacoste Espa that features an espandrille sole and the chukka boot turned shoe Thurman.

The range is available at Size? stores accross the UK now!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Hedi Slimane on those DIOR rumours



The Guardian, the English newspaper run a story yesterday claiming that former DIOR HOMME  creative director, Hedi Slimane, would not take the creative post at DIOR even if he was offered the spot because such a job at a luxury house is very demanding and can make anyone miserable.

Now Slimane's PR is fighting back with claims that:

"The article in The Guardian is obviously, and certainly deliberately, misleading...The interview was clearly done one day before the event [Galliano's arrest] in Paris and not after. It is therefore unrelated, and sadly presumptuous. The Guardian wanted obviously to associate, juxtapose the two, after the Dior events, by postponing the article."

Looks like Galliano's arrest is still top news in the fashion world!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Monday 21 March 2011

"Lot78 is...Bored" with a pop-up shop in Selfridges



Lot78, the London luxury outerwear company that is manufactured with very high-standards in the Veneto region of Italy will be launching their very own concept pop up space at Selfridges this April.

The brand that is known for their impossibly chic contemporary take on the classic leather jacket, created a clean and minimal space- in London's most fashion forward multi-brand shop-that will house the latest collection from the brand for Spring Summer 2011. Showcasing 7 new styles of leather jackets with a particular focus on quilted styles- the ‘Jamie ‘ and new collar shapes-the ‘Liam’, with its flattering zip front funnel neck, a new range of lux nylon jackets, the brand will also inttroduce their first pair of chinos for guys.

The project entitled 'Lot78 is...Bored', will give the chance to customers and brand enthusiasts to interact and be actively involved with the brand's creative process. This intentional play on words relates to a simple grey blank board which the general public can customize. The boards will appear across London for an exchange of thoughts, opinions and general fun to be exhibited within the pop up shop. How amazing is that?

Will you guys visit the  pop-up space in Selfridges?


We think you should but if you can't, don't worry.7thMan will be there and we'll take lots of pictures from the carefully curated space and the Lot78 products for you to enjoy!

See more products from Lot78 after the jump!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Fred Perry x Stussy Black Canvas Collection



Combining British sport heritage and American details,the Fred Perry x Stussy Deluxe Black Canvas collection for Spring/ Summer 2011 is not just a t-shirt capsule collection designed to make a small dent on the industry.

The Stussy Deluxe X Fred Perry collaboration combines American cultural references with the "London style" of an iconic brand,” says Nick Bower, Creative Director at Stussy.  "Cool, neat, sharp, hip, and smart is the definition of a Modernist and a good description of the Fred Perry polo shirt.”

The 1970's American sport influenced collection has evolved into a full-blown collection that includes both shoes and accessories.Keep an eye for the collection, in stores soon!

More images from the collection after the jump

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Saturday 19 March 2011

Orlebar Brown x Alan Aldridge Limited Edition Swim shorts


What an amazing sunny and glorious Saturday! I know I should be out in the sunshine but I just couldn't resist posting this.Launched this month at Mr.Porter and the Orlebar Brown on-line store is the very exclusive collaboration between artist Alan Aldridge and Orlebar Brown.

Summer is only around the corner and from the looks of it, it will be a very hot and sunny one so it's best to start preparing for your holidays early.The collaboration boasts 4 different artworks from the famous illustrator including 'Third Eye Trip' and 'Giggling Guru'.

My favourite is 'Stick Lips' in red!

The limited edition Alan Aldridge x Orlebar Brown is now available!

See all swimshorts after the jump!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Friday 18 March 2011

BOY London x LONG Capsule collection


After the successful pop-up shop in Urban Outfitters, Stephane Raynor's punk-infused brand BOY London gets together with LONG, the Gareth Emmet & Rhys Dawney oversized bold print tee brand for a t-shirt collection.

The 3-piece t-shirt collection reflects the graphic punk tone of both brands and continues to be inspired by attitude, power and anarchy in the most 'I don't care but I'm definitely fashionable kind of way'.

All the t-shirts are unisex and are available to buy on LONG's on-line store!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Want to see all 3 t-shirt designs?Just click after the jump!

NIKE X Liberty London sneaker collection


We are always a bit weary when we hear that different designers and brands are going to collaborate because sometimes the result is not exceptional.The designer wants to be creative, the brand wants to sell more so they're playing it safe, so it must be a bit daunting to actually await for the end result of such a collaboration.

Fortunately this is not the case with NIKE and Liberty London. The sportswear brand collaborated with probably one of the oldest stores in London to create a 12 piece capsule collection that incorporates the Liberty London trademark prints onto 4 of the most popular NIKE trainers including the Air Force 1 and the Dunk Hi.

The 12 piece trainer capsule collection Nike x Liberty London, will be available at Liberty from the 1st of April and 10 pieces will go to all other stores and globally from 1st of May as 2 of them will be exclusively for Liberty's.

Take a closer look at more images from the collection after the jump!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Sibling Collection now on video



During London Fashion week we introduced on 7thMan the wonderfully crafted pieces from Sibling's a/w'11 collection intriguingly entitled 'Darn the Boozer'.

The collection that consisted of beautiful knitwear in edgy designs was storytelling a pub-crawl that if you live or happen to breathe East London, you probably boogie-d or had a drink at these particular 'monuments'.

Now the London based designers of Sibling created a short video featuring their a/w'11 creations, that was shot at the George & Dragon and styled by Matthew Josephs.

Enjoy!

SIBLING C6 from SIBLING LONDON on Vimeo.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

The CFDA Awards 2011 Nominees are:


The Council of Fashion Designers of America, announced this week the nominees for the CFDA 2011 awards, in a ceremony hosted at CFDA's president Diane Von Furstenberg offices in the Meatpacking District.

Congratulations are in order for all the nominees.The awards ceremony will take place on the 6th of June at the Lincoln center in New York.

Here are all the nominees:

WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Marc Jacobs
Alexander Wang
Proenza Schouler


MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Simon Spurr
Michael Bastian
Patrick Ervell


ACCESSORY DESIGNER OF THE YEAR
Reed Krakoff
Proenza Schouler
Alexander Wang


SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR WOMENSWEAR
Prabal Gurung
Joseph Altuzarra
The Row


SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR MENSWEAR
Alexander Wang
Phillip Lim
Robert Geller


SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR ACCESSORY DESIGN
Alejandro Ingelmo
Jason Wu
Eddie Borgo
Pamela Love


INTERNATIONAL AWARD
Phoebe Philo


GEOFFREY BEENE LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Marc Jacobs


ELEANOR LAMBERT FOUNDERS AWARD
Hal Rubenstein


EUGENIA SHEPPARD MEDIA AWARD
Hilary Alexander


CFDA BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPECIAL TRIBUTE AWARD
Arthur Elgort


FASHION ICON AWARD
Lady Gaga

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Wednesday 16 March 2011

FIRST LOOK : adidas is all in -- : 120 Edition



"Heart over head. Inclusion over ego. United by passion, we go all in. Go all in"

Adidas have just released their latest ad installment, shot by Romain Gavras, entitled 'adidas: All In' and as you'd expect the video is an amazingly intense edited celebrity extravaganza.Staying true to their raw film & sound manipulation, the 120 second short 'film' features stars in the likes of singer Katy Perry, designer Jeremy Scott, the Chicago Bulls and Argentine footballer Lionel Messi.

Music is "Civilization" from the new album from Justice

Video courtesy of adidas

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Tuesday 15 March 2011

Rei Kawakubo moving into cartoons?


Rei Kawakubo has done it again!

This time the Comme des Garcons and Dover Street Market creative director managed to surprise the fashion industry by working with comic strip creator of 'The Simpsons',  Matt Groening.

The collaboration which was first showed during Paris Fashion Week at the CDG showroom, is made-up of four t-shirts that feature the iconic PLAY heart with a comic strip illustration of a series entitled 'Binky and Sheba meet Rei'.

The t-shirts are available to buy starting today the 15th of March in all Comme Des Garcons stores!

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Karl Lagerfeld goes viral for Hogan




At 7thMan we love how every single brand is embracing new media in such a wonderful way!

Continuing their successful collaboration, Hogan and Karl Lagerfeld have just released this unique video,where Karl, the man himself is talking us through their Autumn/Winter collection, sharing his thoughts on Hogan the brand and even gives an advice or two to any wondering investors about the Chinese woman and the chinese market.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Thursday 10 March 2011

7thMAN Must-Have: Loro Piana x Barberini Sunglasses


N.P.E.L.P.* lenses -which is an acronym for  Neodymium, Praseodymium and Erbium and LP for Loro Piana (the Italian luxury brand)- are the result of a collaboration with Barberini the leading producer of optical glass solar protection lenses.

After extensive research, Mr. Vetrini, engineer, pilot and CEO of Barberini, developed a unique lens for the gliding World Championship in Rieti, Italy (2008). In this sport, long distance acuity, image definition and the ability to identify even the slightest colour shades are essential. N.P.E.L.P. lenses represent the evolution of that research process and the best quality “lenses” for those who need protection and deep view during sun exposure.

In a marketplace where most high-street brands develop their own range of 'one-use sunglasses', quality protection is a very important issue when it comes to purchasing sunglasses; So it would be best to splurge on an amazing pair of Loro Piana that will grant you both protection and fashion forward unique style.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Matthew Miller's Modern Man for A/W'2011



Blurring the lines of tradition and practicality, RCA alumni Matthew Miller presented his autumn/winter 2011 collection both in Paris at the BFC's 'London Show Rooms' but also at London Fashion Week as part of Fashion East's Men day presentation.

The 2010/2011 McArthurGlen Spirit of Fashion Award recipient, introduced his own interpretation of masculinity through a collection that was inspired by German artist Joseph Beuys and travel in the twenty-first century. Still exploring the technological vs traditional impact of menswear design, Miller used traditional techniques that were complemented by the use of hi-tech and performance fabrics.

The Matthew Miller a/w'11 man prefers practical and functional clothing with an insertion of bright colour. Traditional duffel coats in melange wool get a re-vamp in vibrant blue and bold yellow with their toggles replaced with M33 carabiners, jersey t-shirts with military accents are insulated and the rope accessories are definitely innovative. 

The future certainly looks very bright for Matthew!

See all the looks from Matthew Millers a/w 2011 presentation after the jump

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Wednesday 9 March 2011

7thMAN Designer to watch: Frater Clothing s/s'11


Frater Clothing S/S 2011 from Frater on Vimeo.

New menswear brand Frater designed by 21 year old Michael Brown manages to combine the best of both worlds, excellent quality and affordable price point. The collection is made up of printed tees, hooded short-sleeve jumpers, denim shirts and functional jackets that are definitely wearable, effortlessly cool and adaptable.

What more could a guy want ?

To introduce his Spring/Summer 2011 collection Brown worked with Slow Motion who shot a film set to a soundtrack of the LA band Ritualz.The film sees each piece in the line captured on models moving through the air in slow motion - made possible by the Redlake camera which shoots at 8,000 frames per second.

Through using this new technology, Frater hopes to bring consumers a new way of viewing the collection and its intricacies - creating a more intimate way for the viewer to connect with the collection. 

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Tuesday 8 March 2011

The Givenchy A/W'11 Backpacks are sick!


Is it just me or did Riccardo Tisci up his game for this season ?Did he have a premonition that John Galliano would go AWOL and subconsciously designed his best collection yet ?

The Givenchy a/w'11 collections for both menswear and womenswear were probably the most stunning and seducing-ly innovate yet wearable collections from all the offerings that we've seen on the catwalk this show season!

The sexy ,up-tight, arrogant aesthetic transferred brilliantly through to the accessories with the chav-tastic all-over dog print taking center-stage and a fur covered backpack in both brown and black can lure anyone to the dark side!

Now the only question left to ask is' Will he take the reigns at DIOR ?'





By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant

Monday 7 March 2011

7thMan interviews Raleigh Denim



If you have been a follower of 7thMan then you probably know by now that we love our jeans.They are comfortable, functional and we can wear them anywhere,so we wouldn't pass off the very exclusive opportunity when we got an e-mail asking us to interview the amazing team behind denim phenomenon Raleigh Denim.

Creating jeans with integrity and true craftsmanship and having only just recently launched in the UK we had a Q&A with the founders Sarah and Victor Lytvinenko and got some very frank answers from the husband and wife design duo!

You were recently in the UK to launch RALEIGH. Did you enjoy London? What did you guys do?

V: Yes! We had a great time. It was a lot of business meetings, but we did get the chance to go to the Tate Modern to see the sunflower exhibit by Ai Weiwei.  We got to drink a proper English Ale and got to eat some great Indian food near Bricklane. It seemed to go by way too fast and I was feeling a bit under the weather for the entire trip. We can’t wait to come back and spend some more time in the city.

Have you seen any famous Brits wearing your jeans?

S: I have not seen any famous Brits wearing our jeans yet, but The National wore our jeans at their sold out show at Brixton Academy in London in January.

Having started your company in your own house, do you think it is difficult for a new company to break the industry?

It's difficult for anyone to really break in to any industry.  I think a person or business with tremendous passion and tremendous persistence can do about anything they put their minds to.

Do you remember the first pair of jeans you ever produced? How did you feel?

Yes we do. It felt great, but there is a huge difference between the first pair of jeans we made and the first pair we were proud of. We went through hundreds of pattern changes and samples before we had anything close to the fit and styling of the first jeans that we would put our names on.



There is an abundant source of denim within the high-street and designer circuit. What makes Raleigh denim stand out from all the others?

For us, making jeans is about quality, craftsmanship, fit, and style.

We make our own jeans, by hand, in our own shop in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. This way we can make our jeans our way, and so we could be present during that process, able to respond, improve, correct, oversee as much as possible.  We take the building of our jeans quite seriously, and believe that how things are made is as important as the thing that's made.  We're accessible and transparent; you can walk in and see things from start to finish in our workshop.

What was the real reason you started making jeans?

V: The reason that we started making jeans is that I could not find jeans that fit the way I liked them to. We built our patterns ourselves, from scratch. It took a while to get it perferct, but allowed us to really develop our tailored fits.

What about your raw materials?You are very unconventional and original in the way you source denim...

 Almost all of the denim we use comes from the Cone Mills White Oak plant, about 70 miles away, in Greensboro North Carolina. They have been making denim in that building since 1905 and are by far the best mill in the US.  They have the only working original shuttle looms in the United States. We develop new styles of denim with Cone that they make exclusively for Raleigh. Almost all of the rest of our raw materials for the jeans come from within 200 miles of our shop.

Building with this true American vintage style denim and a few choice vintage machines (including a couple Union Special 43200G leg hemmers), we take the heritage building blocks and create something new, with our updated fits and stitching details.




Your shop ‘The Curatory” doesn’t feature only your own brand but many others including Lanston and St.James. Why did you decide to do that?

The Curatory was created for several reasons. We needed a place where people could come to see and feel balance of the making of our garments with an elegant retail experience. Over the past few years we have come across other designers and brands with similar styles and ideals that are not available in North Carolina, and that compliment what we are making ourselves quite well.  It's fun to be able to bring them in and showcase them in our shop.


Do you design according to inspiration and personal preference or are you very much commercially aware of what is happening at the moment?

We certainly keep an eye on the market, but we usually end up just following our guts and making what we want to see in the market.

Would you say that you can identify your typical customer?

People who wear Raleigh are aware of details, respect craftsmanship, seek quality, think long-term, and make the jeans their own as they wear them.

Which style/wash of your denim collection literally flies off the shelf? and is there a “must-have”  pair of jeans for Spring/Summer 2011?

Our “Original” jean is based on the first style we were really proud of. We have updated it with triple needle fell seams and tighter stitching details all around. It has an interesting shade of 12.5oz denim with a tinted weft allowing the denim to break in a little greener than normal indigo. These are one of our favourites and probably the best selling jean we make.



You have kind of a strong relationship with mega brand-store Barneys. How did that come about?

Ha! It is kind of a crazy story.

Sarah and I had a small workshop in Raleigh and we were making custom jeans for people. Through a  friend of a friend, we got a meeting with the buyer and drove up to New York in my dad’s minivan and showed them the four styles we had out of my soccer bag. It was late in the buying season for them and in the middle of the recession, but they gave us a try in two stores. Sarah and I made every pair in our little shop with no heat through the winter and sent them off. The jeans sold well and they ordered for a few more stores. They have been amazing and their support has allowed us to grow and maintain the integrity of our process and product. We are now in 17 Barneys Co-op stores and will be launching the full men’s ready to wear collection with them for Fall 2011.

Primarily, you are a men’s denim company but I have heard and literally have seen quite a few women purchasing Raleigh jeans. Is it demand that triggered the expansion in womenswear for spring 2011?

Yes, people have been waiting for women's denim from us for a long time.  We are so excited that they are finally ready!  Women's jeans are quite different from mens, and we needed to take our time developing our fits.  In the meantime, lots of women wore the mens line, which is awesome.  Now there are so many more options - the full woman’s jeans line will be on the shelves for Fall 2011.

Is it true that you sign each pair of jeans personally after it is handcrafted? One by one? Every pair? By hand?

Yes it's true. Every pair by hand. The jeans are our designs and our craft.

Raleigh Denim is available now at The Bureau in Belfast and Son of Stag in Bricklane, London.

By Andreas Menelaou Features Assistant