COMPANY PROFILE
Chapter: New Men’s Brand Taps Fremont’s Devin Carlson
Chapter, a conceptual new menswear line, is making its debut this fall under the creative direction of Fremont co-founder Devin Carlson.
Focused on innovative design and high-quality materials, Chapter has already been picked up by key retailers such as American Rag and Revolve as well as 12345 in Los Angeles; Machus in Portland, Ore.; and Redeem in Washington, D.C.
The new line has plenty of experience behind it. Chapter was founded in 2011 by Ambiguous Clothing founder Frank Delgadillo, following his departure from Comune. Delgadillo took time to focus the brand before officially launching Chapter for Fall ’13. Carlson was hired to create a refined approach for the contemporary market and target Chapter for distribution in the U.S., Australia, Canada and Japan.
“The vision [for Chapter] is to continue to focus on design and construction while taking a simplistic approach both in aesthetic and form,” Carlson said. “The idea beyond design is to engage our audience and give them access to what stimulates our creative process so that they may immerse themselves within the brand aesthetic and culture.”
Chapter is under the umbrella of Townes, a brand-incubator company founded by Delgadillo that serves as a creative design, sales and marketing catalyst for a portfolio of brands.
“I think establishing a presence behind the brand is the most important thing that brands can do right now,” Carlson said.
To create his debut collection for Autumn/Winter ’13, Carlson said, he was inspired by Frank Herbert’s book “Dune.” The science-fiction novel has a futuristic storyline and features multi-purpose, functional apparel. The concept reflects the ideals of the Chapter customer, who has an appreciation for design and a minimalist aesthetic. Carlson channels the functionality of its wardrobe, such as the “stillsuits” worn by characters in the book, while touching on fashion trends.
The collection has a clean aesthetic and fashion-forward edge and includes key pieces such as rayon bombers, lambskin moto jackets, wool-blend bottoms and woven shirts. The gloomy palette is the basis for the collection and reflects the book’s extreme desert environment. Dark blues capture the mirage effects of water, and prints reflect imagined vegetation. Pops of color are also modestly dispersed throughout the collection.
“A general mood of vastness (unassuming, never-ending structural patterns, backdrops, etc.) and an unspoken intensity nicely counter a loose sense of structure, which speaks to the silhouettes and fabrics,” Carlson explained in a statement.
Details are a focus of the collection and add a sense of dimension such as top stitching around snap buttons and darts that are added to sleeves to make them more ergonomical.
Other features have multi-purpose details such as a jacket with an oversize collar that rolls down to make it more streamlined and a waxed cotton raincoat that can be worn as a poncho or unbuttoned and worn like a cape. Minimalist construction is utilized for items such as a T-shirt that is made with a front and back panel that incorporate sleeves into the two-piece pattern. Oversize silhouettes for tops and jackets are made for layering while bottoms incorporate layering effects such as a drop-crotch pant that looks like shorts worn over pants.
Wholesale prices are $16 to $17 for jersey basics; $40 to $49 for fleece, sweaters and wovens; $48 to $80 for bottoms; and $67 to $270 for outerwear. For more information, contact (646) 564-3012.
