At a time when the world of menswear is undergoing an invasion of such famous women'swear names as Calvin Klein, Geoffrey Beene and Halston, we thought it would be timely and informative to reintroduce you to three designers who first won their spurs in the field of male fashions--and who, we predict, will continue to be in the vanguard of menswear for many years to come.
They are Ralph Lauren, head of Polo Fashions (Lauren also has several licensing operations under the Chaps label and expanded businesses in women's wear and the fragrance field); Bill Kaiserman, founder and designer of the European-produced Rafael Fashions, Ltd., and also now into women's wear; and Alexander Julian, a young designer who began with suits and sports jackets and now is creating sweaters and sportswear. All three are Coty Award winners. And all three share another similarity--their creations are often quite expensive.
But can fashion, with its inherent relationship to (text concluded on page 204)Designing Trio(continued from page 149) change, afford to be expensive? Haven't the couturiers in women's fashion increasingly gone into less expensive ready-to-wear garb for this very reason? Haven't men traditionally been willing to pay high prices for quality garments because they've known that their purchase would be serviceable for many years without regard to the whims of fashion changes? In short, who needs designers in the menswear field?
The answer, of course, is that we all do--and for a very good reason. Designers ensure that fashion will continue to be evolutionary rather than stagnant or too revolutionary. Bill Kaiserman also thinks that the designer "can provide the confidence that the consumer needs and wants in his approach to dressing." And he's quick to point out that "a designer can provide a total coordinated look for a man more easily than if he has to select all the various components himself."
Ralph Lauren sees the role of a designer somewhat differently. "I don't design to package a Polo look for my customers," he says. "The man who buys my line is not looking to be too fashionable, but he likes well-made, individual clothes. He has his own sense of how to dress. I offer today's man the elements to use with his own sense of style."
Alexander Julian, however, perhaps sums things up best: "The well-dressed American male is as well dressed as any man in the world; the problem is that there just aren't that many American guys who really are well dressed. We are sorely lacking in the training of our children in the aesthetic appreciation of all areas of good design. Cultures such as the French and the Italian have more exposure to style and taste. This tends to make them more self-confident in their dress. It is an accepted way of life."
Regardless of how Lauren, Kaiserman and Julian perceive their function in fashion, all are aware of their leadership roles. Lauren, for example, started slightly more than a decade ago with a line of wide ties at a time when two and one half inches was the limit. Things changed fast. (A word to the wise: Lauren wore a relatively narrow tie for this feature. Cravats are slimming down.)
It all boils down to this: What separates the top menswear designers from the run-of-the-mill manufacturers is the fact that while top designers are good businessmen, their first love is still the clothes themselves. They really dig spreading the gospel of good fashion design. And if you are also willing to buy what they create (yes, at necessarily high prices), so much the better.
