Everything
You have created a luxury label in Adelaide. That’s brave. What’s the strategy behind it?
“Attempting a luxury menswear label in Adelaide is totally unexpected. No one else is doing what we’re doing here. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, we’ll have to wait and see.”
How will DRE_S_D impact the average Australian’s attitude towards menswear and what market do you want to hit?
“We’ve replaced the traditional retail environment with a progressively styled dressing room in which we conduct one-on-one consultations. We’re making for rebels, risk-takers, and modern gentlemen. Ultimately, we want to encourage men to rethink how, when and where to wear luxury tailored garments.”
How do you choose who you dress/work with?
“When it comes to partners, we’re interested in unique individuals who are not afraid to be themselves and have strong opinions when it comes to style. As it takes some time to create individual custom pieces, it’s about building real relationships with cool people. We really want to collaborate exclusively with only a handful of influencers who really get it, want to wear it and are keen to experiment with our luxury tailored looks.”
Why the campaign phrasing “Is a dirty word”? What’s the meaning?
“We created a small preview collection called, ‘DRE_S_D is a dirty word?’ We got an artist to deface one of our suits with white graffiti painted on the back saying, ‘Is a dirty word?’ Some people wear suits only when it’s necessary and for most people tailored looks are made purely for a utilitarian purpose. What we are saying is, ‘Is it still taboo for men to dress up, just because?’.”
Being an underdog could be an advantage in a lot of cases. What do you think?
“Yes, because you have nothing to lose, and you have the element of surprise. In a fast paced world easily distracted by shiny new things, it pays to say BOO!”
THIS ARTICLE APPEARED ORIGINALLY IN THE OCTOBER EDITION OF ICON MAGAZINE.
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