Min Hu Dres
At 6 feet 7 inches, Los Angeles designer Waraire Boswell realized that he couldn’t change the smaller doorways or lower ceilings in the world, so he focused on the things he could change. Rejecting the styles of the traditional outlets for tall men, Boswell began designing his own fashions. And after designing custom garments for celebrities, Boswell is launching Min Hu Dres, a full retail collection for Spring 2003.
“The line came about out of sheer necessity,” said Boswell. “I had a problem finding clothes in my size—the waist would be too big or the length would not be long enough. I had to buy garments that were too large to compensate and then tailor them down.”
That was an expensive process, he said, since the big and tall items were already pricey before adding the tailoring costs. He also said that most of the fashions available for taller men just didn’t pay attention to current styles.
“When most designers do big and tall sizes, they’re just boxy and big, with no flavor,” he said. “The template they use for those bodies is an outdated template. They assume that if you are tall you are also big.”
Boswell said that he began making garments for himself that were fashion-forward and well-fitting, instead of “pants with a billion pleats on the front,” adding, “Just because I’m 6-foot-7 doesn’t mean I want to wear a checkerboard or polka- dot shirt.”
Once he began making his own clothes, Boswell said that athletes and other taller men would approach him, asking how to get the same styles in their sizes. As a result, he began designing custom garments for such celebrities as Steve Smith of the Miami Heat, Dean Cain of “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not,” Boris Kodjoe of “Soul Food” and John Salley of “The Best Damned Sports Show” before launching Min Hu Dres.
The retail collection, while still catering to the big and tall man, also includes regular sizes for average-sized men.
“The tallest person who can fit my designs will be 6-foot-7 and the smallest will be 5-foot-4,” said Boswell.
Boswell said that he paid attention to details that are crucial for proper sizing, such as making the inseams longer for taller sizes.
In addition to proper sizing and fit, Boswell also focuses on styling and specialized elements for practicality, including the “Pinky Pocket,” a small discreet pocket on the side of the pant leg, which makes small but nagging garment problems easier to deal with.
“A lot of times when the wind blows, your pants rest on the top of your shoes,” he said. “When you come inside, your pants have to be jacked. With the Pinky Pocket, you just insert your pinky and pick up the slacks to the desired position.”
The shirts in Boswell’s collection also have an implement for raising the sleeves without folding and cuffing. A zipper was added to allow the height to be adjusted to the desired length with ease.
Min Hu Dres also offers two collar variations on the shirts in the collection.
“I created a regular collar and a high collar, knowing that some people can’t wear the high collar because they don’t have necks,” said Boswell.
The designs merge classic British styles with an American cut, presenting an import look with a proper fit.
“My extra-large can fit an extralarge guy legitimately, and the small is a legitimate small,” he said.
The additional influence in the styles comes from the 1970s, updated with today’s fabrics and washes.
“I have stretchpoplin shirts with gray shell buttons, denim with an auto mechanic’s wash with tailor’s markings in the design, and linen slacks in sand and navy blue, taken in at the knee but released at the bottom to present a bell effect,” he said. “They are graded, so that if someone 5-foot-5 buys it, they can still see the bell effect.”
Boswell is a tall man who is changing fashion to fit his height, while making his business fit the world.
“You have to make the world adapt, but in business, you have to adapt to society,” he said. “If you don’t adapt, you can still have a business, but it won’t be a profitable business.”
Boswell is delivering his first retail collection in December for Spring 2003 and is launching at the West Coast Exclusive in Las Vegas Aug. 25–27 but has already placed portions of the line in Southern California stores including Traffic in Beverly Hills, Fred Segal Santa Monica, Dungarees in Los Angeles’ Brentwood section and David Rickey’s Sports in Costa Mesa. For more information, call (626) 797-2581 or (323) 373- 1848. —Darryl James
