Swedish Designers for William Rast Return to N.Y.
After a brief stint in the land of sun, designers Johan Lindeberg and his wife, Marcella, have moved back to New York.
The Lindebergs were the creative force behind the William Rast label, the hip casual apparel line created in 2005 by actor Justin Timberlake and his Memphis boyhood friend Trace Ayala.
Lindeberg and his wife, who moved full time to Los Angeles at the end of last year, have been designing the William Rast label for three seasons now, having signed a contract in November 2007 with People’s Liberation, the William Rast parent company, to be the brand’s creative directors. The contract paid them a minimum $2 million a year.
Colin Dyne, chief executive of People’s Liberation, said the Lindebergs’ full-time contract ended last year, but the couple continue to consult for the label even after moving back east a few months ago.
“We never had an exclusive deal with them,” Dyne said, noting the husband-and-wife team also worked for other labels. “They did a really good job of positioning the collection and helping with the DNA of the brand. It is pretty common to put in an effort and the role diminishes a bit. It wasn’t necessary for them to be here full time.”
Dyne said William Rast still has a team of designers working on the label with the Lindebergs’ help.
Before moving to Los Angeles, the couple maintained a New York design firm, Paris68, which still exists. In June, they announced they would launch a new line called Paris68.
Not only did the European designers join forces with People’s Liberation on the William Rast brand, but last year they partnered with People’s Liberation on J. Lindeberg USA LLC.
The venture, half owned by the J. Lindeberg AB company, which Johan left in July, and half owned by People’s Liberation, markets and operates the J. Lindeberg label in the United States. That line of high-end men’s casual apparel and golfwear was founded by Johan Lindeberg in Sweden in 1996.
William Rast has been going full steam with the help of Timberlake and Ayala, who have been active in pumping up the line. Timberlake even showed up at the William Rast booth at the Bread & Butter show in Berlin last July, garnering tons of media coverage and publicity.
Recently, People’s Liberation announced it would open three William Rast stores in California in November.—Deborah Belgum
