December 11, 2017 |
Amid the relentless carousel of the fashion calendar, designer Josh Goot and Vogue Australia’s Fashion Director, Christine Centenera, sought a different approach. After months of incubation, that approach has arrived in the form of WARDROBE.NYC, a new label that seeks to suspend the frenetic consumption cycle endemic to the industry. How? WARDROBE.NYC will operate direct to the consumer, offering modern essentials for men and women in a ready-made “wardrobe” – which, according to its founders, will offer an honest, conscious and liberated expression of what luxury dressing can be. And word has it the brand already has some famous fans – including one Virgil Abloh.
Following their first ever release, Release 01, consisting of beautifully made basics – for men, a blazer, shirt, T-shirt, trouser, hoodie, coat, knit, and pant; and for women, a blazer, shirt, T-shirt, skirt, blouse, coat, knit and legging available as either a four-piece ($1500) or eight piece ($3000) pack, and as they reveal their Jackie Nickerson-shot campaign, we spoke to Josh and Christine to find out a little more about the venture…
FINN BLYTHE: What’s new about WARDROBE.NYC? How did the whole concept of this “ready made” wardrobe come about?
JOSH GOOT: The concept came up when I was living in Sydney and spending time in New York. I had the chance to observe the energy in the city, the pace, and way people live and work. I was also thinking about the state of the fashion industry. There has been so much talk about a broken model and a changing landscape. Applying my personal experience of having a ready-to-wear brand, I wanted to think about how to continue to do what I love in fashion, but in a way that made sense in a changing world.
FB: Why do you think people want to shop clothes this way? How do you think modern dressing has changed?
JG: I think people appreciate quality and design, but have limited access to great clothes at reasonable prices. I think our generation also wants to identify with a new type of label – one that understand our values.
CHRISTINE CENTENERA: I think people are becoming more aware of how much they consume. This is anti-fast fashion because it provides pieces that people will have forever.
FB: How did both of your respective backgrounds – as stylist and designer – play into this collection?
CC: When Josh approached me about the project, I liked the idea of providing a solution for people. Working in the industry, I think we often take for granted how people find it challenging to get dressed in the morning. From my experiences as a stylist, I’ve noticed there are always different options and combinations of clothes to try. Sometimes I may be stuck, but there is always a rack of safe and classic pieces that I know that I can rely on to pull an outfit together. That was the starting point of this capsule.
JG: There’s a big difference between this approach and designing your own collection. With WARDROBE.NYC, the clothes are not intended to make a statement – they are pure essentials – almost generic, but fabricated and manufactured at the highest standard. We have a much deeper development cycle compared to a collection business, allowing us to perfect the cut and performance of every piece.
FB: How would you describe the brand’s aesthetic? Who is the WARDROBE.NYC man/woman?
JG: WARDROBE.NYC came from an honest and real place for me and Christine: These are clothes that we want to wear and this is how we want clothes to fit. I suppose you could call the brand’ aesthetic, ‘practical urban minimalism’.
CC: Everyone we know in New York City has a an active lifestyle so we knew that we wanted the clothes to be practical. We envisioned how people, including ourselves, can wear the clothes and weave them into their lives.
FB: Why monochrome?
JG: I think monochrome is easy, versatile and classic. It doesn’t make a statement, and can stays relevant.
CC: We looked to monochrome suiting as the starting point for any wardrobe. I personally wear these pieces together, but these pieces are the staples to my wardrobe. I love fashion and I love to mix things in, but this helps keep an elevated foundation to any look.
FB: Tell us a little bit about working with the incredible Jackie Nickerson on the campaign – what do you think she brought to the project?
JG: Jackie brought a truth, freedom and urban spirit to the pictures. We were really lucky to have the opportunity to collaborate with Jackie on this project.
Scroll through the lookbook above, shot by Jackie Nickerson
