BOY BY BAND OF OUTSIDERS
This post should be prefaced by saying we are unfortunately not expecting any Boy by Band of Outsiders pieces for fw08. However, that doesn't make this article from the latest issue of the Japanese magazine SPUR, detailing Band of Outsiders mastermind Scott Sternberg's newest endeavor, any less interesting! Check out our translation of the article below and as always, please note this is a rough translation and quotations should not be taken literally.
"The shirt may look like a normal preppy one, but it has an especially slim silhouette, tight armholes, and darts along the back. It has a small collar and a hard washed material. The length of the shirt is too short to tuck into pants. With new inspiration, the brand is much more than men's shirts. In 2004, Band of Outsiders started with mens shirts and neckties, later adding suits, coats and knits. Finally the ladies line called "Boy by Band of Outsiders" started last year. In mode fashion, the American trad style, along with Boy by Band of Outsiders is standing out. The designer is Scott Sternberg. Uniquely, the brand started in Los Angeles as opposed to the capitol of American fashion, New York.
"Boy's concept is to adapt my own wardrobe, material and shape to a ladies line. I intended to name ladies line 'boy' because it catches people's attention. I wanted to make people wonder 'why?'"
Scott explained about the origin of the brand name. Not only mens or ladies, "I imagine a lot of different type of people and don't particularly have a muse," but the inspiration of "Boy"'s first debut was the teenage Jane Birkin. "Her youthful hair style is now becoming a new boom again. I choose the models imaging such as Birkin and her daughter Charlotte. The image of the collection itself was a French girl dressing in the boy's school uniform."
It sounded like Scott's design is not only influenced by American preppy style, but also French nuance, which is reflected in the brand's name as well. Band of Outsiders is the name of a movie directed by Jean-Luc Godard, the master of French New Wave. The title is the English name for "Hanarebanareni" [this is how they call the movie "Band of Outsiders" in Japanese]. Since Scott is a fan of 60s French cinema, it is this name which popped into his head instantly when he could not think of anything else. "The title represents my favourite movie world, the young people's life style and other things that interest me. It is rather about the movie but the title itself represents my idea of fashion."
From the street Scott's studio is on, we can see the famous white "Hollywood" sign from the distant hill. The area is West Hollywood, an area home to Paramount Studios and the factories of movie set designers; the center of the film industry. He moved here from his home in Ohio eleven years ago. Scott was majoring in economics but he could not forget "I want to be in the movie industry." As he graduated from university, he entered the famous movie actors agency called Creative Artists Agency, which is based out of Los Angeles. Five years later, he was faced with the big moment of his fashion design career. He joined to build his friend's new fashion business. "I did not want to do the agent job for a long time." Scott had decided to go in to fashion industry.
"I learned most of the fashion business and clothing industry in eight month. I was always keen on starting a new business and the fashion industry is much more democratic than the movie industry. Design is not only design alone but also to make a pattern to saw the sample. There is always a point of creativity and having to communicate to others your idea -- that is the way to create great clothing with talented workers." Martin Greenfield is the one who Scott found to be the ideal clothing maker, working out of his clothing factory in Brooklyn, New York. Greenfield has been working as a tailor for fifty years, teaching Donna Karan and Calvin Klein how to make menswear and also making suits for America's presidents such as Bill Clinton. In his factory, Brooks Brothers is also produced. Scott said, "I did not go to design school but Mr. Greenfield is teaching me how practical clothing method can be done." His jacket shows a label stating "Hand Made in Brooklyn , NY" to show his respect towards Mr. Greenfield's work.
"There is nothing sadder than seeing inferior tailoring and bad materials," Scott strongly says. In the last year, he has found a top quality cashmere production factory in Scotland. At the time, he also saw tartans which is one of his sources for inspiration in the 08-09 collection. "I wanted to express Scotland and 40s Eastern Europe's romantic yet melancholic mood." In this collection he is creating using tartan, cashmere, and tweed to make items of warmth. In this year, Scott was nominated for the CFDA's new designer award, the Swalofsky. With these acknowledgements, it seems his neo-trad style will be with us for a long time."
"Boy's concept is to adapt my own wardrobe, material and shape to a ladies line. I intended to name ladies line 'boy' because it catches people's attention. I wanted to make people wonder 'why?'"
Scott explained about the origin of the brand name. Not only mens or ladies, "I imagine a lot of different type of people and don't particularly have a muse," but the inspiration of "Boy"'s first debut was the teenage Jane Birkin. "Her youthful hair style is now becoming a new boom again. I choose the models imaging such as Birkin and her daughter Charlotte. The image of the collection itself was a French girl dressing in the boy's school uniform."
It sounded like Scott's design is not only influenced by American preppy style, but also French nuance, which is reflected in the brand's name as well. Band of Outsiders is the name of a movie directed by Jean-Luc Godard, the master of French New Wave. The title is the English name for "Hanarebanareni" [this is how they call the movie "Band of Outsiders" in Japanese]. Since Scott is a fan of 60s French cinema, it is this name which popped into his head instantly when he could not think of anything else. "The title represents my favourite movie world, the young people's life style and other things that interest me. It is rather about the movie but the title itself represents my idea of fashion."
From the street Scott's studio is on, we can see the famous white "Hollywood" sign from the distant hill. The area is West Hollywood, an area home to Paramount Studios and the factories of movie set designers; the center of the film industry. He moved here from his home in Ohio eleven years ago. Scott was majoring in economics but he could not forget "I want to be in the movie industry." As he graduated from university, he entered the famous movie actors agency called Creative Artists Agency, which is based out of Los Angeles. Five years later, he was faced with the big moment of his fashion design career. He joined to build his friend's new fashion business. "I did not want to do the agent job for a long time." Scott had decided to go in to fashion industry.
"I learned most of the fashion business and clothing industry in eight month. I was always keen on starting a new business and the fashion industry is much more democratic than the movie industry. Design is not only design alone but also to make a pattern to saw the sample. There is always a point of creativity and having to communicate to others your idea -- that is the way to create great clothing with talented workers." Martin Greenfield is the one who Scott found to be the ideal clothing maker, working out of his clothing factory in Brooklyn, New York. Greenfield has been working as a tailor for fifty years, teaching Donna Karan and Calvin Klein how to make menswear and also making suits for America's presidents such as Bill Clinton. In his factory, Brooks Brothers is also produced. Scott said, "I did not go to design school but Mr. Greenfield is teaching me how practical clothing method can be done." His jacket shows a label stating "Hand Made in Brooklyn , NY" to show his respect towards Mr. Greenfield's work.
"There is nothing sadder than seeing inferior tailoring and bad materials," Scott strongly says. In the last year, he has found a top quality cashmere production factory in Scotland. At the time, he also saw tartans which is one of his sources for inspiration in the 08-09 collection. "I wanted to express Scotland and 40s Eastern Europe's romantic yet melancholic mood." In this collection he is creating using tartan, cashmere, and tweed to make items of warmth. In this year, Scott was nominated for the CFDA's new designer award, the Swalofsky. With these acknowledgements, it seems his neo-trad style will be with us for a long time."
