British Men’s Label Represent Adds Its Street Flair to Women’s Wear
LONDON — Men’s street brand Represent, founded in 2012 by George and Mike Heaton, has its roots firmly planted in British subculture, and now it’s stretching that aesthetic to women’s wear.
The Manchester-based label has built a dedicated audience for its accessibly priced street aesthetic, infused with references like Nineties Brit Pop, British working men’s clubs and the U.K.’s history of sport and plans to re-create some of its signature fall 2018 men’s pieces for women.
Looks include puffers and fur bomber jackets reworked in cropped silhouettes, plaid pants that have been made to fit closer to the body and plenty of denim and cotton T-shirts which have formed the foundation of every Represent line to date.
The new line will be stocked in 20 of the brand’s retail partners, including LuisaViaRoma and Tom GreyHound in South Korea, as well as on the brand’s own e-commerce platform where collections are split into several drops.
“We made a decision two years ago to really focus on building the brand through wholesale, which was definitely the right idea. Having your collections in the best stores in the world is a goal for any designer and our wholesale business is further on the rise with new partners and projects planned,” said George Heaton. “This has allowed us to go back to basics and refine our e-commerce with more capsules and releases, aimed to keep a steady retail [flow] throughout the year. The brand’s foundation is affordable luxury product, which the customer could receive directly and quickly.”
The brand has been growing its offer since its 2012 debut, with women’s wear being a natural next step to its evolution.
“I like to use the phrase ‘constant progression.’ We’ve built the brand from a run of 25 printed T-shirts to a global collective of an aesthetic we want to display,” added the designer, highlighting British manufacturing and reasonable price points as recurring values.
The label is also releasing its fall 2018 campaign to coincide with the women’s launch. It features models lounging, drinking beer and playing pool at a typically British working men’s club, wearing the sporty shell tracksuits, oversize tartan jackets and fur bombers from its fall range.
“We looked back to our upbringing, growing up in Manchester with the working class lifestyle. We are always delving into the rich U.K. history of music, subculture and sport and the campaign is an ode to all of those inspirations — our way of mixing heritage with a technical feel,” Heaton said.
The brand plans to continue showing as part of Milan Fashion Week Men’s, as it feels at home in the city’s burgeoning street-style scene, where the likes of GCDS, Marcelo Burlon, Palm Angels and previously Off-White have all been thriving. Other projects in the works include collaborations with British heritage brands Admiral sport’s wear and Walsh’s footwear.
Related stories
EXCLUSIVE: LuisaViaRoma Launches Online Beauty Section
L'Autre Chose Taps Alice Carli as CEO
Alberta Ferretti Teams With Luisa Via Roma on Holiday Sweater
Get more from WWD: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
