Fashion Forward

As I have invested more and more time into learning the craft of fashion as a whole, and the collective efforts involved with it, some things have become quite apparent.

The market today is filled with manufacturers, owners, and other men of business who frankly, don’t get it. Making jeans and shirts that sell to JC Penny and Wal Mart might be fine for the masses, but for the new generation, my generation, our generation, there is a startling lack of understanding when it comes to what we as a whole want, and how we see the world.

The main issue that I personally feel is that, as a 20 year old male, I am being heavily marketed to like I am, A.) A hipster, B.) A 30 year old rap producer who just wears whatever gets me attention, C.) Someone who really doesn’t know what I want and therefore needs a company to tell me.

These are all mainstays in marketing, and I feel that until someone steps up and speaks out about the problem, and the solution, that this will never change. And quite honestly, I don’t expect it to change, the world is stuck on itself, so I intend to change it. But baby steps are required. So first the issues.

I am young, and I have no money. So no, I will not pay $200 dollars for a shirt.

This is the core fundamental that I kind of expected the industry to get, but they either do this too well, i.e selling cheap pieces of garbage to the consumer, or they don’t do it at all. The simple fact of the matter is this. I, as a young guy, have no sense of investment. That isn’t to say that I don’t invest, I just don’t invest into things like pricey clothing that I can’t see myself wearing more than twice a year. Buying a $3,000 ChinChilla coat may be alright for Puffy, but I would rather be shot than pay more for an article of clothing than some people’s cars cost.

In order to fix this problem, the industry needs to realize that with today’s consumer, my lint filled pockets, and the overall rise of stocks for Ramen noodles, that they need to rethink pricing. True, you get what you pay for. But at the same time, I want something with a price I can swallow, and that I see the immediate benefit of wearing it, and then later, I realize that my purchase was a wise one, therefore adding to the longevity of the product itself. I don’t think that putting a penny in a jar gets me anywhere. That’s my generation. We are built on instantaneous gratification, but we are not simple. We are captivated by the idea of something made for us, the idea of something that was once unavailable, whether that be a choice, and article of clothing, a watch, whatever, that is now present and within our grasp. So sell me something so good, that I don’t even realize how good it is.

My main goal with the collection that I am currently working on with The Elegant Scoundrel is to make clothing, that has instant appeal, lasting quality, and stylish design at an affordable price. That is the very essence of what I am looking to bring to the market, because, honestly, it’s not there. The clothing that this company makes should scream that resolve, our prices should never make you cringe, and our designs should never make you go, “Wha?”. That is our mission. Watch it happen.