Tommy Ton's 12 Favorite Clothing Brands Right Now

The photographer is just as stylish as his subjects.

August 15, 2013

Image via Complex Original

When various fashion weeks go down, people get as excited for Tommy Ton's street style as they do the actual clothing at the shows. The man simply has an eye for, and the skills to capture, the dopest style on the planet. If you ever need to get inspired by people whose living hinges on their ability to stunt, just cruise through Tommy's work and you'll instantly hit gold.

After years of snapping the world's most stylish people, Tommy has developed an encyclopedic and razor-sharp taste-level that, in all honesty, could slump the steez of most of his subjects. The Toronto native stopped by the Complex offices in between various jet-setting adventures and talked to us about Tommy Ton's 12 Favorite Clothing Brands Right Now.

12. Ralph Lauren

"Easy answer."

11. Rick Owens

"I don't wear a lot of Rick Owens, but there's no one else I've seen that's been able to create a singular look and have a cult following as he does. They show up in full-on Rick at the shows, and people in general just wear full-on Rick. He's one of the few guys that's been able to create a very distinguished look like that. Well, Thom Browne has, but it's easier to wear Rick, I find. Everybody needs one Rick jacket in their lifetime. I just think that he creates clothes that need to be worn."

10. Umit Benan

"The guy is definitely the future of menswear, and I like that he has quite a keen background in Italian sartorial tailoring. He has a passion for streetwear and street art, as well. When you go to his show and enter his world, just to be able to have someone to create like that is amazing. Also, he's just such a nice guy; It's rare to find someone like that. I think he has quite a rare vision and no one else is doing what he's doing and so that's why I definitely think he's the future of menswear."

9. Our Legacy

"If I had to put a brand out there, I think their business model is quite amazing. It's at a contemporary price point, but it's everything that you would ever want or need in a wardrobe. What's great about them is there's an emphasis on textiles, and I like that they're able to take something that's probably in the back of a pile of fabric and just put it on a pair of trainers, and it works well. I could spend a lot of money there..."

8. Raf Simons

"Way before anyone was talking about him, his ideas were just... I mean I'd like to get into his head and see the thought process that goes into everything he does. Sometimes it's way out there, but at least someone is doing it, you know? If you even look at images of his shows back then [in the late-'90s] and the concepts, that's what people are trying to do now. I can't even describe why I like Raf, because it's just such a complex thing."

7. Marni

"I just like that it's really easy to wear. It's a bit more color-blocking and graphic, but I like that. I just bought a ridiculous Marni coat. It's like a three-quarter length green nylon overcoat, and the back is completely black beaver. [Laughs] I was with Brian Trunzo and Matt Breen at the Marni store in Milan and I was trying on the coat for for shits and giggles. I was like, 'This thing is insane.' And then their PR was there and they were like, 'Do you want to meet Consuelo? [Founder of Marni]' She was like, 'Oh, looks nice! You should get it.' So I was like, 'Okay, sure! Umm, how much is it... Wait, don't tell me!' Nah, it wasn't that bad actually. With Marni I just love that you can find some random pieces and you're just like, I would never think of doing that. Just taking a simple army coat and putting black beaver on the back. But, someone has to do it."

6. Kapital

"When you walk into their shop, you just see things where you're like, 'You made that?' The amount of artisanal craft is mind-blowing. The shop is in Ebisu, a little bit south of Shibuya. They have this triangle of stores where it's three of them and each one is quite different. It's almost like an RRL store on crack. They just have things hanging all over the ceiling, and piles of socks, and piles of indigo. If you really love indigo, it's the perfect place to go. I also love how they do commissioned items for certain designers, because just what they can produce and the amount of work that's put into a sashiko piece is amazing."

5. Stefano Pilati

"He's at Zegna now, but I really like Stefano Pilati. I mean, same thing as Cristophe LeMaire, what I like about Stefano is he just able to border, you know, whether it's tailoring, or casual, or streetwear, I think there's just an amazing mix and he has such a great sense of proportion and fit."

4. Cristophe LeMaire

"I just think the man is a genius in terms of proportion. He's always done the same thing for many years. Right now, I'm on this double-pleat trouser moment. I mean, it'll probably last forever, but I just feel like he does a really elegant look in terms of menswear and it's really relaxed and it's not too button-up, so that's why I really like what he does."

3. Visvim

"What I really love about Hiroki [Nakamura, designer of Visvim], when I actually got to meet him, the man just said, 'I just want to create things that have love and happiness in every piece.' [Laughs] And you know, if you were to say that here, people would just be like 'Yo, what are you talking about?' But to hear someone genuinely and actually care about making something that comes from a place of love and happiness, I just thought, 'Wow this guy, a lot more people need to be like this guy.'

"The amount of ideas and processes and treatments he puts into everything is remarkable. The fact that he would squash a beetle to get a dye out of that to dye a sweater is really next level. I've only been wearing Visvim for about the last two years, not that long. I only got into it quite recently, but it's just one of those things when you really really like it, you let it completely take over your closet. If you can.

"Thankfully, I go to Japan a lot so I can shop for it there. I think the best places to shop in Japan are the re-sale shops. I find that people tend to go through their new clothes all the time, so after they drop their stuff off you can find things for a much better deal. Who wouldn't want a raw denim robe for 25% of the original price? [Laughs] You might see that piece in September. I kinda feel like a Jedi wearing it. I look really stupid in it. When I had it on I was like, 'I look ridiculous in this thing, but I have to get it.' You know, one of those."

2. Nike

"Today's the first day in a while that I haven't worn Nike shoes, and my feet are like [makes choking noise]. It's all about the sneakers for me. Everybody loves the Flyknits, but I think those changed my life completely. My favorite pair right now are the Racers. I would love to have a pair of the multi-knit ones, but right now I just have the black and white ones.

"It's kinda sad to say but I didn't actually wear Nikes as a kid. I think I wore Pumas when I was younger. But from now on the Flyknits are going to be glued to my feet. It's totally made my job a lot easier. The funny thing is, Nam, from Street FSN, he refuses to wear sneakers. He always wears brogues! Last season on the second to last day he was like, 'Oh my feet hurt so much!' I was like, 'Uh, go buy a pair of sneakers.' So he went and bought a pair of Nikes, and he was like, 'Oh shit, my feet feel so much better.' I was like, 'You waited 58 days to buy a pair of sneakers. Dude...' Some people just let looks take over comfort. I'm Nike all the way."

1. Dries Van Noten

"I have a deep respect for Dries, and I think that what he does is incredible. The man is an artist. He has a great sense of color and pattern, and I feel like he's a rare designer who knows how to build the idea of a wardrobe. Every season he may go in one direction, but you'll always wear it over and over again. I have quite a bit of Dries. I think, by now, about 40% of my wardrobe is Dries."