Hasta La Ideas

The quirky creative’s first store opens in NYC bringing a clever take on classic garments

A year after French designer Ramdane Touhami moved his family and introduced Cire Trudon to New York with a whimsical boutique, he has since sold the company and moved on to his next venture—the eponymous store and house label Ramdane, characterized by classic garments for men and women updated with the designer’s signature sartorial twists. Using the finest fabrics sourced from well-known names in the industry, Touhami brings together high-quality and fashion at an accessible price point.

As a nod to his collection‘s playful aesthetic and attention to textures and colors, the exterior facade of the Nolita boutique has been draped in woven wool surrounding the neon orange doors; the interior space is furnished with large, custom-made stone slab counters carved from single pieces of rock in upstate New York. Inside there’s an anything-goes atmosphere—after all, the creative maestro Touhani is not only a designer, but also a DJ, director, artist and journalist—with garments hanging freely from the ceiling or folded on counters, each accented with their own unique patterns and colors—a style central to the Ramdane aesthetic.

The store will eventually carry a range of products—furniture, accessories, clothing and more. Current offerings include coats made with Mackintosh fabrics, accented with a dozen or more buttons wrapped in patterned fabric sourced from Scotland, and a motorcycle jacket constructed of the same waxed cotton used by Barbour. The women’s green bouclé jacket and contrasting-neon trenches are at once youthful and sophisticated in slim contemporary fits.

For a more subtle creative touch, Ramdane’s light-pastel sweaters feature multiple collars, while the thick angora cable knit cardigans remain true to classic form. The colorful corduroys are also well proportioned and have a fine hand. We found a favorite in the “Crisis Suit,” an ingenious design that has to be seen—or, ideally, tried on—for the full effect (Touhani put it on for us, but we couldn’t contain his exuberance long enough to get a proper shot of the suit). The three-in-one combination of jacket and vest has a base layer with suit-jacket sleeves and three different vest styles—tuxedo, double-breasted and countryside—to change-up the lapels.

In an effort to bring superior fashion to a more inclusive audience, Ramdane sells his limited-run pieces in a relatively moderate range—sweaters go for around $200, coats for between $350 and $500 and pants for $200. Also of note, Ramdane is offering an extremely unique staggered payment system for customers under the age of 25, allowing for payment to be made in three installments over time. For now Ramdane is exclusively sold through the New York flagship.

To see the collection in motion watch “The Forrest,” a horror movie directed by Ramdane and produced for $500.

Ramdane
64 Kenmare Street
New York, NY 10012
Map

A hunting inspired coat re-issued from Eddie Bauer’s archives

New from Eddie Bauer’s Fall line of heritage garments is the Camoweave Forester. The handsome coat pays tribute to its hunting-inspired predecessor first introduced by Eddie Bauer in 1965, using the same superior construction techniques and materials. The unique, shadow plaid pattern is woven into the fabric—rather than printing directly on top—using yarn in 14 different colors, blended together to create the distinct camouflage.

The 11-oz. wool and quilted lining deliver plenty of warmth for those days when your shell won’t do. When it comes to wet weather, it should be noted that the jacket relies only on wool’s natural, but somewhat minimal, water repellence—to preserve the fabric’s purity, the finish was left uncoated and untreated.

For utility, the jacket features four cargo pockets on the front, and a larger, dual-entry field/game pocket on the lower back. This kangaroo pouch style pocket is often found on traditional hunting jackets for extra storage that won’t get in the way.

The Camoweave Forester dropped today at Eddie Bauer online, and follows in select stores in early November. At $399, think of it as an investment.

Seven everyday options that double as halloween costumes

For those who prefer comfort over the whole-nine-yards costumes—or if you’re just looking to save some cash and effort this holiday—we looked to our favorite jackets and other everyday clothing to double as your get-up. Intended as inspiration, why not turn the below frog costume into a pea-in-a-pod? The black down poncho-slash-coat could just as easily be a black cat too.

Baseball Player

Everyone needs a great transitional jacket, and Nike’s Hybrid Destroyer is just about as versatile as it gets. Pair it with a few pieces of baseball paraphernalia for a major league costume this Halloween. The jacket sells from 6pm for $96, Starter’s Wiffle ball Snap back for No Mas goes for $30, Homage‘s fitted ball cap and tribute to the legendary Woody Hayes sells for $40. Round it out with the Japanese Nokona Buckaroo Series for $200 from Ball Glove Warehouse.

Detective

Clothe your crime-fighting alter ego with Zara’s new hooded trench. A great fall investment for inclement days, it also doubles as a Halloween costume to channel any favorite detective. (Inspector Gadget is our gumshoe of choice.) Complete the look with a wool fedora, magnifying glass and pipe. The double-breasted trench sells for $190 at Zara, the Borsalino hat goes for $350 at J. J. Hat Center and the vintage magnifying glass sells for $250 from Gilai Collectibles. For a touch of humor, slap on a classic fake mustache.

Bunny

As if you needed a holiday to wrap the wee one in this adorable bunny sweatshirt— Talc’s critter hoodie adds both warmth and charm this Halloween—all it needs is a carrot for the full effect. The zip-front sweatshirt sells for $78 at Sweet William, with the toy carrot for $7 at Toy Boxes.

Frog

There’s no chance of trick-or-treating chills with a down onesie from Patagonia. Pair it with a foam frog mask for the cutest amphibian in town. The Patagonia Infant Down Sweater Bunting sells online for $130 and the foam mask can be picked up for $8.

Rainbow

For a Halloween costume that combines retro Rainbow Brite with supreme functionality—not to mention relatively high performance potential for a pair of flamboyant footwear—the North Face Gotham boots do the trick when worn with any candy-colored coat or clothing on top—bonus points for a hat and scarf. The boots sell for $120 from The North Face and the ultra-light down jacket can be found for $80 at Uniqlo stores. Check MoMA for the scarf ($48) and hat ($35).

Witch

The Nau Down Stole works not only for a fall-to-winter shift, but across costumes as well. When paired with a vintage broom and a custom satin peak hat, the jacket morphs itself into a nice, warm witch’s cloak. It’s $230 at Nau. Add a vintage broom ($48) or one from your kitchen and throw on a customizable satin witch’s hat, for $24.

Bat

There’s also something bat-like about the Stole, making it the prime top layer for a slightly creepy costume. Accessorize with a bat masquerade mask or, our favorite, the Batstache.

Contributions by Karen Day, Ami Kealoha, Kelly O’Reilly, Greg Stefano and James Thorne