Michael Ball, founder and creative director of the denim line Rock & Republic, had a brainwave last winter: 1970s supermarkets. Not the most obvious design inspiration, perhaps, but for Ball the generic packaging that lined the aisles back then – those white boxes with simple black lettering saying “dog food”, “beer”, or “chips” – could be used once again, this time in a more fashionable form. “I thought it would be fun to do the same thing with clothes,” he said.
And so began Plain Wrap, a diffusion line (prices start at $35) alongside Ball’s main autumn collection, consisting of a series of black and white pieces emblazoned with large labels that proclaim their identity: “jeans”, “sneakers”, “hoodie”.
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| Under.Ligne basics |
But there’s one problem. When you can buy a white T-shirt from Gap or H&M with simply the coins left over in your pocket, why invest in the more expensive designer version?
“There’s no way I could compete with Gap,” admits Chung, the designer whose secondary line, Under.Ligne, hit stores in August last year (prices start at $125). “To be basic, something has to be under $50. So I’m not going to do a basic tank or T – I’m going to do a basic tank or T with an extra design detail.” In other words, it’s the little things, such as the angle of a seam or the placement of a pocket, that differentiate the new super basics from the basic basics.
Alexander Wang, whose “T” line of T-shirts (prices range from $74 to $118) made its debut last spring, agrees. “Even though something may look basic to the average eye, there is a lot of attention and effort involved in developing special fabrics, washes, and colours.”
Jasmin Shokrian, the LA-based designer favoured by Michelle Obama, has a second line, Draft nº 17*, which is made up of various interpretations of a slip dress (prices start at $250). She says designer basics make more sense than their cheaper counterparts, and maybe emotionally, too. “They’re really your investment pieces, because they’re the ones you wear every day,” she says. “Putting on something beautiful makes you feel good, now more than ever.”
For consumers who were able to indulge in high fashion when credit was flowing, the thrill of designer clothing, even of the T-shirt and leggings variety, is not so easy to relinquish now times are tough. The desire to keep quenching the thirst for fashion – even in a more basic way – has translated into good news for designers: Wang reports that sales increased by 50 per cent between T’s launch and its second season. Chung says Under.Ligne has grown by more than 25 per cent.
Even more than an immediate bottom-line boost, however, the new basics lines may indicate a new dimension in fashion. Chung notes that Under.Ligne has a much faster turnround time than her main collection. While it can take months to conceptualise, design and produce the more expensive line, Under.Ligne can go from sketch pad to sales floor in a few weeks.
“It’s immediate, and the Under.Ligne customer is more immediate, too. She has a blog mentality, not a magazine one. She wants instant gratification. The old idea of reading a magazine and planning ahead, that’s not something that younger customers do. It’s a different world and designers have to adapt.”
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Simple style: French are latest to embrace the Uniqlo look
The longest lines in Paris last week during the women’s ready-to-wear collections were not, as one might expect, for Peter Copping’s debut at Nina Ricci, or to get pop star Rihanna’s autograph as she left a show, but rather on L’Avenue de l’Opéra, to get into the new Uniqlo store. Uniqlo, a Japanese company, has become the go-to brand for the ultimate in basic perfection. This is down to a combination of great prices (you can get good quality cashmere, starting at £59.99, in an array of Pantone colours that change each season), aesthetic discipline (everything is kept as simple as can be), and the creative input of Jil Sander (the German designer who is doing a special line for Uniqlo called +J).
Consider, for example, the following cheer-leading commentary from shoppers outside the London flagship at 311 Oxford Street one recent afternoon. Alexandra Church, a 66-year-old retired lecturer, says: “It provides good cuts, good colour and good quality for the price. The jersey material is great for travelling as it doesn’t crease. Before Uniqlo, I felt that many high-street shops did not cater for woman over a certain age.”
Mia Flower, a student in her twenties, says: “I find it the best value for things such as vest tops and camisoles, and great for leggings that don’t lose their shape. Also, I think their men’s checked shirts are great and bang on trend, and am surprised that their smarter clothes suit younger people too.”
Nina Roberts, a reflexologist in her 40s, says: “I come here each season. I particularly shop for the cashmere sweaters as they are such good value for money.”
No wonder like-for-like sales were up by 130 to 135 per cent in September, according to Simon Coble, Uniqlo UK’s chief executive.
And no surprise, then, that the French fashion flock is so excited. Inès de la Fressange, model and brand ambassador for shoe company Roger Vivier, says “I like [Uniqlo] especially for V-neck sweaters that are tight, inexpensive and in colours that aren’t usually easy to find in cashmere such as fuchsia, yellow or bright blue,” she says, adding that she has also bought jeans from Uniqlo. She wears these short and teamed with ballerinas by Roger Vivier or loafers by Tod’s. “My accessories are more expensive than my clothes,” she says, with a smile.
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Details
Rei Kawakubo at Dover Street Market, www.doverstreetmarket.com
www.alexanderwang.com
www.doori-nyc.com
www.jasonwustudio.com
www.jasminshokrian.com
www.marcjacobs.com
www.rockandrepublic.com
www.staerk.com
