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It’s not about one season’s output, but rather the work you put in to becoming a brand. And below you’ll find the stories of five menswear designers that have arrived as proprietors of their own labels. Of late, almost everyone is eager to try their hand at producing a few pieces, picking out a font and calling themselves a brand, but these five have developed organically into fully-fledged labels over time – and they’ve relished the process. While the accolades have started to manifest, these five brands are far from finished. With that, here is the second in a series of seven features made possible by the new Heineken Star Bottle.
Public School
With five seasons under their belt, Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne of Public School are burgeoning stars on the cusp of superstardom in the menswear arena. Having been born and bred on the New York City public school system, their name was decided upon before there was a brand on which to attach it. Synonymous with grit and hustle, the term Public School has become a badge of honor for the two that bleeds into each collection. After a stint at Sean John together, the two decided to blaze their own trail and were adopted early by the CFDA and selected for their inaugural incubator program. After mentorship from Nick Wooster and Diane von Furstenberg, the two debuted at New York Fashion Week to critical acclaim. Now five years in, their brainchild spans the gamut from a robust denim offering to tailored formalwear, and is sourced and produced stateside.
Tim Coppens
While Tim Coppens is a relative neophyte when it comes to his eponymous brand, his pedigree in menswear is robust. Formerly the senior designer at adidas and more recently the design director at Ralph Lauren’s technical arm, RLX, it hasn’t taken Coppens long to rack up accolades for his proprietary label. After debuting his first collection in 2012, his tailored, athletically infused label was immediately picked up and exclusively sold at Barneys. Since then, he’s been picked up by multiple doors and has taken home menswear rising star honors from the Fashion Group International. Blending the line between high fashion and sportswear, Coppens seeks to achieve athleticism tempered with sophistication in each collection, and industry analysts and consumers alike have taken notice.
Todd Snyder
When one thinks of a hotbed for budding menswear designers, Iowa isn’t exactly top of mind. But that’s precisely where Todd Snyder hails from. After studying textiles at Iowa State University, Snyder set sail for New York to intern at Ralph Lauren. While he was there, his penchant for sporting his own handiwork in the form of deadstock fabric caught the eye of a Ralph Lauren menswear designer who took Snyder under his wing. Before setting off on his own, Snyder helmed the menswear department at J.Crew and is credited with the brand’s revamped cachet, as well as their heritage collaborations with Red Wing and Alden. Drawing inspiration from traditional military tailoring and classic Hollywood style, Snyder’s eponymous label includes dressed down tank tops and dressed up one-button tuxedos, and has continued to garner acclaim in what is now his third season.
Battenwear
Based in Brooklyn, of Japanese descent and inspired by 1970s and 1980s surfwear, Shinya Hasegawa is detail driven. In what is now his third season, he’s developed a reputation for simple silhouettes with the utmost attention paid to detailing, fit and the manufacturing process – all of which takes place in the U.S. A graduate of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Hasegawa’s knowledge of the vintage clothe trade landed him an internship under the venerable Daiki Suzuki of Engineered Garments. Hasegawa credits Suzuki with his real education and indoctrination into menswear. It was also with Suzuki’s blessing that Hasegawa launched Battenwear, the manifestation of his lust for vintage and passion for surf. With simply stated, well-crafted jackets, vests, t-shirts and bags, Battenwear continues to pique the interest of menswear and surf enthusiasts alike.
Highland
Lizzie Owens, designer and proprietor of menswear line Highland, is multi-faceted with respect for her craft. She treats each season as a narrative, and designs clothing based on a specific character. As a costume designer for the likes of The Killers, The Cool Kids and MGMT, one can see from where her creative process stems. Hailing from Salt Lake City, Owens breathed life into Highland in 2009, and describes her design process as that of dressing her ideal man. Judging from her initial collections, her dream dude wears a lot of patterned stripes, thick wools and has a penchant for the outdoors. Like her collections, each one of her lookbooks explores a different narrative theme, and she continues to illicit praise with each passing season.
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The Arrival series is made possible by the new Heineken Star Bottle.