As a New York born and bred company, rag & bone has seen some serious growth since their inception in 2002. Designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville launched a company (with no formal design training) based on their British heritage and fused their aesthetic with modern sensibilities and the loyalists started coming in droves, propelling these two young men to contemporary fashion royalty. Their success, while not an easy recipe to create, is a multifaceted one nonetheless— they’ve captured the ‘model off duty’ look to a T, have created clothes, shoes, and accessories that fit proportionately yet sexy, and most importantly, they’ve incorporated a strand of NYC DNA into every piece they create. At the core, plain and simple, they’re inspired by the 5 boroughs and the art scene; they’ve even taken over a downtown institutional restaurant and transformed it into an off-kilter boutique.
Their latest Fall/Winter collection delivers too— mixing cross-cultural inspirations (Indian and British) into a solid range that delivers to what girls and women alike both need and want— chic clothes, modern sensibilities, and flattering silhouettes. The collection also posed strong outerwear with an emphasis on layers (and more layers) in patterns, boiled wools, and ombre textures. Belted bohemian park-ette jackets, leather lining as well as rich burgundy and brown created a concise and rugged collection.
It’s clear; the rag & bone boys are showing no signs of slowing down. They recently unveiled their line of handbags – a slew of carryall’s inspired by the helmet carriers found in the Air Force – which they aptly called ‘The Pilot’. And there’s more. For their recent Craig McDean shot campaign, they scored none other than Ms. Kate Moss to rock their duds. Proving yet another reason why these boys are clearly taking over. Need more reasons? Didn’t think so.
The rag & bone Fall 2012 ready to wear collection is available now at Holt Renfrew. Their debut handbag collection launches in October exclusively in Canada at Holt Renfrew.
Video by Laura Lanktree
By Yale Breslin
Tags: Behind the Seams, Rag & Bone
