Fluxus: Art Meets Fashion
Last August, 2-year-old women’s knits line Flux Nouveau relaunched with a new name and a new direction. Chief Executive Officer Martin Paquette still specializes in knits, this time in more-varied yarns and elevated design.
Paquette said the name of the new line, Fluxus, was inspired by the Fluxus arts movement in the ’60s, which rejected the traditional notion of art at the time and claimed that “everything is art.” He borrows Fluxus art philosophies such as “no limits” and “blending artistic techniques” in his approach to clothing design.
Fluxus is designed with a collection mentality, though T-shirt bodies are a cornerstone of the line. A fleece hoodie is finished with shiny athletic nylon on the shoulders and pockets to separate it from the ordinary. Layer-friendly styles typically seen in woven fabric—such as a trench coat, Bermuda shorts and a bomber jacket—are envisioned in French-terry knit. In addition to the essential cotton fabric, basics are offered in burnout treatments, wrinkle washes and with graphic prints.
“By raising the bar in knits, the challenge is to make it a woven look,” Paquette said.
For Spring ’08, Paquette added a men’s division that initially originated from women’s styles, resulting in unisex and slim European-fit tees and cardigans.
“In women’s, it’s more evolved as far as, let’s say, necklines. [For] men’s, there’s a crew and a V. We’re taking a lot of feminine inspiration for men, and we’re taking a lot of men’s inspiration for women, and sometimes we find a middle ground with styles that we’re mixing for both,” Paquette said.
Because Paquette produces at his own factory, the prices for contemporary styling and quality can be competitive. Wholesale price points range from $11 for a ribbed cotton tank to $38 for a cardigan and up to $118 for a French-terry peacoat.
“You can create your own style. You can create your own look. It’s so versatile; it would contradict the inspiration of the versatility of the line if the price point wasn’t affordable or reachable for the people,” Paquette said.
For more information, call the Castillo & Co. showroom, located in suite 603 of the Cooper Design Space, at (213) 489-3364. —Rhea Cortado
