William Rast : Justin Timberlake's new clothing line

[GalleriaResident]

Very Well Put Mutterlein. As for Justin he is joke his event is just gonna be another tacky celebrity filled event who will arrive in tshirts an jeans, former nsync members,ashton kutcher,Lindsey Lohan,some former american idol contestants.

 

[sasseestefanie]

I think everyone needs to realize that there are people in this world with different tastes in style than your own

People may actually like LA fashion week better than NY fashion week. It all depends on what a person likes.

 

[Swati]

Yes there are celebrity designers in NY, but in porpotion to those who are seriously invested and have actual recognition (not just commercial appeal but real design merits) it's inconsequential.

There is a lot more to American tastes than celebrity spectacles and I'd hate for anyone to think otherwise.

Agreed with your last statement. And let me put in a caveat that there's more to Los Angeles than celebrity spectacles, and as a resident of the city, I'd be sad for you to think otherwise.

However, since you mentioned the NY fashion week, I decided to check out the Olympus Week schedule. And from the Fall 2006 line-up I found two celebrity design lines, Baby Phat and Sweetface. Alright, so far so good. However, as for commercial appeal vs. real design merits, I was able to identify about 20 labels that I can safely have displayed little design merit (in a creative way) , including Custo Barcelona, Nicole Miller, Max Azria, Kenneth Cole, Heatherette etc. If you feel that I've erred in marking these brands as thoroughly commercial, do let me know.

That's 20 out of 82 total shows, which is not terrible, but not inconsequential either. Of the other labels whom i did not include in my list of explicitly commercial 20, I'm not aware of the design merits of many. I hear mixed things about Zac Posen, and whatever little I saw of Luca Luca online left me unimpressed.

I'm certain that there is plenty of design talent in NY, as I am convinced that there's plenty of it in Los Angeles as well. Perhaps a lot of them don't find their way into these fashion shows? If there are any particularly stand out design talents among the Fall 2006 line up, I'd appreciate if you could point them out to me. I'm a lay person with an interest in fashion, so may not always be the best informed.

Speaking of being ill-informed, for some reason I was under the impression that Rick Owens was NY-based. Turns out he was an Angeleno

 

[Kora]

all those celebrities are starting to make me sick!Perfumes, clothing lines, accessories, housewares,uuggh. they should leave that to the professionals, and real artists.I would be imberrased to get into a business without any prior knowlege.

 

[indie]

Well it's not like Justin Timberlake would desing all the clothes by himself

 

[liberty33r1b]

another celeb with his own collection.....how sad.

 

[softgrey]

point-
THIS does not take ANYTHING away from FASHION DESIGNERS...
it is NOT the same market...or 'customer'...
and he HAS the money-so it's not like he is taking any investors away from young designers or anything....

*plus he 'knows his place' and is staying close to home in LA...

i don't see the reason for all the drama really?......

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Agreed with your last statement. And let me put in a caveat that there's more to Los Angeles than celebrity spectacles, and as a resident of the city, I'd be sad for you to think otherwise.

However, since you mentioned the NY fashion week, I decided to check out the Olympus Week schedule. And from the Fall 2006 line-up I found two celebrity design lines, Baby Phat and Sweetface. Alright, so far so good. However, as for commercial appeal vs. real design merits, I was able to identify about 20 labels that I can safely have displayed little design merit (in a creative way) , including Custo Barcelona, Nicole Miller, Max Azria, Kenneth Cole, Heatherette etc. If you feel that I've erred in marking these brands as thoroughly commercial, do let me know.

That's 20 out of 82 total shows, which is not terrible, but not inconsequential either. Of the other labels whom i did not include in my list of explicitly commercial 20, I'm not aware of the design merits of many. I hear mixed things about Zac Posen, and whatever little I saw of Luca Luca online left me unimpressed.

I'm certain that there is plenty of design talent in NY, as I am convinced that there's plenty of it in Los Angeles as well. Perhaps a lot of them don't find their way into these fashion shows? If there are any particularly stand out design talents among the Fall 2006 line up, I'd appreciate if you could point them out to me. I'm a lay person with an interest in fashion, so may not always be the best informed.

Speaking of being ill-informed, for some reason I was under the impression that Rick Owens was NY-based. Turns out he was an Angeleno

Your point? My original comment was about L.A. Fashion week, which is just not as good as New York. I don't feel like I need to argue that.

New York sure does have it's share of stinkers (Babyphat, Heatherette) but you have an exceptional amount of new and young talents being supported, that's not so common in L.A. Rachel Roy, Rodarte, Thakoon (from L.A. I think?), Mary Ping, Proenza Schouler, Doo Ri, Patrick Ervell etc. The only L.A. designer I have any fondness for shows in New York anyway (Jasmine Shokrian). New York has a lot of diversity and even Heatherette can be appreciated for bringing that to the table. And I'd take Luca Luca over anything out of L.A. That's just my personal opinion.

New York simply has the infrastructure to produce good high fashion. I don't know all that much about L.A. but it seems better for making movies and music than clothes.

And if you were wondering, Rick Owens is now based out of Paris. There's a reason he had to leave L.A. in order to grow his business and gain any recognition. In fact he cites his first show in New York as being a major development in his career. Not trying to knock L.A. here, I just don't think it accurately represents American fashion.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

point-
THIS does not take ANYTHING away from FASHION DESIGNERS...
it is NOT the same market...or 'customer'...
and he HAS the money-so it's not like he is taking any investors away from young designers or anything....

*plus he 'knows his place' and is staying close to home in LA...

i don't see the reason for all the drama really?......

No Drama here, I agree with your take on all of this. He's doing what's appropriate for him in the appropriate city. It shouldn't however be used to typify American fashion.

 

[softgrey]

i think the FASHION INDUSTRY is aware that it doesn't represent AMERICAN FASHION...
i don't think most of them would even call it fashion.....
just clothes....


i don't much care what anyone else thinks......

 

[Deleted member 7575]

i think the FASHION INDUSTRY is aware that it doesn't represent AMERICAN FASHION...
i don't think most of them would even call it fashion.....
just clothes....


i don't much care what anyone else thinks......

Good point, I get a little defensive sometimes.

 

[stilettogirl84]

i think it definitely belongs in LA...
it's a different kind of 'show'...imo...

and i think that is already setting this apart from all those other wannabe fashion designers....

i don't think he's pretending to be on that level....and he is appealing to a completely different market than the designers who show in NYC...

I think thats a good point- most of these celebrity designers might have a niche market to whom they can cater.

It's only irritationg when they are pretentious enough to think that they are "real" designers, and try to go up along side established, well known labels

 

[Plastic'sWife]

love Justin's music....

Kinda curious about the clothes....

 

[Swati]

Your point? My original comment was about L.A. Fashion week, which is just not as good as New York. I don't feel like I need to argue that.

No disputes there at all. New York has a far more established fashion scene, as well as more establisehd fashion houses. The New York fashion week is pretty spectacular.

And I'd take Luca Luca over anything out of L.A. That's just my personal opinion.

I don't agree, but we can leave it at that. You didn't really answer my question about the designers from the New York Fashion Week Fall 2006 line-up you consider to be of exceptional design merit. Rachel Roy, Rodarte, Thakoon, doo.ri, Mary Ping, Patrick Erwell, none of them are featured in the New York Fashion Week. Is there another fashion week I should be looking at? I mean I'm sure they do show their collections at some point of time, but they don't figure in the New York Fashion Week.

New York simply has the infrastructure to produce good high fashion. I don't know all that much about L.A. but it seems better for making movies and music than clothes.

I would have loved to agree with you, but there's the tiny little fact of Los Angeles and indeed Southern California being the centre of the American garment industry, with perhaps the highest concentration of garment manufacturing that's left in the US.

There isn't a lot of actual manufacturing that takes place (indeed little is manufactured in the US as a whole these days). But there's a lot of minor finishing, adding buttons, labels, etc. that does take place. Blame it on the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, about 40 per cent of US import goods come through the ports, and I think the percentage is a bit higher for apparel.

As for design schools, Santa Monica college and FIDM aren't too bad, and then there's the Pasadena Art Center, which though it doesn't have an apparel program, has one of the best design and fine arts programs in the nation.

And if you were wondering, Rick Owens is now based out of Paris. There's a reason he had to leave L.A. in order to grow his business and gain any recognition. Not trying to knock L.A. here, I just don't think it accurately represents American fashion.

And a very good thing it is for Rick. A lot of designers make their fame and fortune after moving to Paris, it's a credit to the places where they started, not something to be critical of.

Let me just say that even ignoring the question of design merit, merely the fact that Los Angeles is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the nation, and substantially influences American popular culture through movies and music should make it vital in any definition of American fashion. It may not be a definition to your liking, but honestly, it would be a hell lot more inclusive.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

swati, check your private messages, I don't want to gunk up this thread.

 

[telepathicgoat]

celebs going fashion designers will be USfashion's Waterloo. The celebs are influencing the overall image too much. Naturally, they get a lot of attention, which probably only works against new designers trying to start their own label, the designers who are struggling for attention.

I think that everyone has the right to start a label, but it is also important that American fashion keeps developing. And I dont think that celebs-going fashion designers help this in any way.

I remember Beyonce explaining her own line on Oprah. American fashion has much more to offer. Or not?

 

[Doctor Caroline]

People may actually like LA fashion week better than NY fashion week. It all depends on what a person likes.

LA or NY all the fashion in America is crap, mainly because of the lack of talent. Everything in the American fashion is based on image and not the real art of clothes.
How can you possibly put Justin Timberlake and Fashionable Art in the same sentence..thats just rude.

Justin maybe a talented singer, but I doubt he's any good with clothes. His line will just be another jeans/tshirt/sl*tty skirt line.

 

[sakina]

I thought Timberland was doing a fashion show! I think I would actually perfer to see that than whatever crap Justin is going to crank out.

 

[justinleaddict]

LA or NY all the fashion in America is crap, mainly because of the lack of talent. Everything in the American fashion is based on image and not the real art of clothes.

I think that saying all american labels are all based on image is sort of a huge generalization... and what is the real art of clothes?

 

[VivianL]

Ahh Justin Justin Justin...

Like most other people I'm a big fan of his music and I think he's quite talented at that. But to tackle something like fashion design is almost offensive. Celebrities can wake up one morning and decide "hey... I think I'm going to design today!" and BAM they have a label. What happened to real talent? What about the people who went to design school and worked extremely hard just to get ahead?

I'm just wondering... as for Justin and his concert-runway idea... did he decide to throw in a concert because he was afraid people wouldn't go to his show to check out the designs? Hmm... quite the predicament. I guess it's some sort of publicity stunt to attract more attention.