Hasta La Ideas

Portland, OR outerwear company designs classic hunting and camping styles for the big city

Clothing designer Erik Prowell originally named his outerwear company La Merde. “We wanted a name that was fancy, and yet…wasn’t. Then Nordstrom refused to carry the line because of the name,” he said when we recently visited his Portland, OR studio. After a moment, he reflected, “If there hadn’t been a recession, we probably would’ve kept it.”

Now known as Bridge & Burn, Prowell’s sleek, yet warm wool coats and waxed cotton jackets are suitable for both city-dwellers and hikers alike. Bridge & Burn provides a solution to that perennial Portland quandary—where to find a decent-looking rain jacket. Prowell grew up in Bend, Oregon and was inspired by his father’s and grandfather’s camping and hunting gear. “I loved to wear my father’s Woolrich and Filson jackets and my grandfather’s old military uniforms from WWII. It’s great to see the resurgence of all the heritage brands. At the same time, I spend most of my time in the city and don’t feel a need to dress up like an outdoorsman,” Prowell said.

Prowell has no background in the fashion industry. His schooling was in computer science, and his introduction to the business came through an avenue that most of us can relate to—making funny T-shirts with a college friend. That project, with Josh Hindson, eventually became No Star, which still bills itself as “A Funny T-Shirt Company.” After a good friend gave the pair a crash course in apparel design, they formed La Merde. But when managing their combined projects became too complicated (Prowell also runs a photography-based T-shirt business called Oh, Snap!) the two agreed to part ways and companies. The Boise-based Hindson handles No Star, while Prowell decided to take Bridge & Burn in a different direction.

“In my mind, La Merde was a little flashier. Bridge & Burn represents my passion for clean, classic and functional design,” said the multi-talented entrepreneur, who also created the branding, shot all the photography, designed their print materials, and programmed the website. For the Fall ’10 season, he branched out from outerwear into button-ups, and Spring ’11 will see shorts for men and dresses for women.

Prowell’s clean, laid-back live/work studio and apartment, near bustling Burnside Street, embodies his holistic approach to life and design. The bedroom, lofted above the work and studio areas, lends privacy, while tall windows let plenty of light and air into the vaulted space. Despite an apparently frenetic work schedule, Prowell remains unassuming, relaxed—and astonishingly tall. “I made a couple of jackets custom-fitted for me, and then decided to get rid of them,” he said, referring to a recent sample sale. “They were XXXL, so I didn’t think they were going to sell. But both did! Just the right people walked in.” Prowell’s success in a downtime economy is due to a distinctive vision, a determined work ethic, and maybe just a little bit of luck.

Bridge & Burn sells online, and across the country in stores such as Mini Minimarket in Brooklyn, NY; Frances May in Portland, OR (the boutique who gave Prowell his start); and Molte Cose in San Francisco, CA. For more updates on future products, check Bridge & Burn’s blog.

Utah natives’ debut collection introduces their own twist to classic outerwear

If you’ve ever wondered what fashion critics mean exactly when they say clothes have “energy,” the new menswear label Highland from a trio of Utah-raised family friends might give you some idea. Drawing on their shared outdoorsy past, designer Lizzie Owens explains they not only turned to Arcteryx, seventies Patagonia and their dads’ closets but that “it involved ransacking my garage. I looked at a lot of backpacks and sleeping bags and tents—actual equipment.”

The resulting debut collection (just hitting stores like Assembly, Steven Alan and No. 44) shows hints of such a resourceful process—climbing rope will be a trademark stand-in for pull-cords and emergency blankets feature prominently—without getting too weighed down by all the clever details. (See detail shots here.) While the light touch may seem unexpected from a designer best known for her work in costumes (she’s known for outfitting MGMT, The Killers, Chairlift and others), her skillful blending of influences suggests Owens intimately knows both sides of how clothes can obscure, protect and express the wearer’s personality. Of course formal training at RISD and years at TSE designing knitwear might have something to do with it; Highland at its core is what happens when artistic interpretation meets technical capabilities.

This balance between construction and inspiration not only helps keep the clothes functional and minimal, but lends a playfulness rarely seen in menswear. Blue (inspired by ’80s skiwear), red (“something I felt guys weren’t afraid of”) and mustard (“I’m obsessed with it. It’s so beautiful.”) punctuate an otherwise mostly black and grey palette and “pop on the inside is “for guys, like a little secret.”

A boxier cut to shirting plays on an ’80s silhouette that’s recently been making a comeback. But simple plaids and checks in Japanese fabrics, cotton and wool neatly put a spin on cliched lumberjack references for a fresh look. Sweats in coveted loopwheeler fabric (made in Japan using an intensive process) are another example of Owens’ knack for integrating technical details with modern silhouettes. And waxwear pants with reinforced legs reference Carhartt’s classic carpenter pants, but with one key difference—the loop for a hammer is actually a non-functional piece of climbing rope.

Check the Highland site for a complete list of stores or just head to Bastille to find Highland online.

All images except for top photo by James Ryang

Traditional craft and materials star in Prada’s new capsule collection

In the early twentieth century Mario Prada (Miuccia Prada’s grandfather) traveled the world in search of precious materials, exotic leathers and luxurious fabrics, but also to discover sophisticated craftsmen and manufacturers to realize his designs. The first Prada products (bags, suitcases, gloves, walking sticks, bottles and glasses) were made by Alsatian and Austrian leather artisans, Bohemian crystal-makers, English silversmiths, as well as by Italian artisans using materials such as rare ivory, tortoiseshell, ebony and precious stones and leathers from all over the globe.

This curious connoisseur’s spirit remains at the heart of Prada, and translates into a sort of antidote to homologation and globalization so often seen among its competitors. Using Mario’s original approach, Prada collaborates with many different artisans to produce its designs utilizing the traditional craftsmanship, materials, and manufacturing techniques of a specific region.

This tactic will be soon explicit in the new “Made in…” project, a series of local products with special labeling declaring the origin of each piece.

“Prada Made in Scotland” will be a collection of traditional tartan wool kilts from U.K.workshops using traditional manufacturing and weaving techniques.

“Prada Made in India” is the label for a collection of handmade garments from workshops that specialize in Chikan, one of the most ancient Indian embroidery. Items will consist of handmade ballerina flats, woven sandals and artisinal handbags.

A series of jeans produced by Dova, a leading denim manufacturer, will carry the label “Prada Made in Japan.” The trousers can be custom ordered in four different varieties of cloth and seven different washes, making every article one of a kind.

“Prada Made in Peru” is a line of alpaca wool knitwear from the most traditional workshops of Peru.

These collections will be in stores starting in 2011.

Dancehall tribute tees from a new London label

From the play on the Guess logo to the cartoon-style illustrations of dancehall stars by Daniel David Freeman, the debut line from the new t-shirt label
Ranks hits all the right ’90s pop culture marks. “Born out of an urge to create garments that we wanted to wear, but simply weren’t available,” these first three tees imagine idealized tour shirts of favorite reggae artists.

New releases every 10 weeks will follow, pick them up for £20 each (you’re not paying for t-shirt or printing quality) from the
Ranks online shop.

Bekväm Clothing, named for the Sweedish translation of the word “comfortable,” is meant to be easy to wear, with simple lines and pretty, feminine details.

The cuts are classic, yet contemporary; scalloped details and Peter Pan collars dominate its spring lookbook. The garments are crafted with natural materials, relying heavily on organic cotton, linen, silk and hemp.

Hannah Elise, a college student and self-taught clothing designer, is the woman behind Bekväm Clothing. Based in McMinnville, Oregon, she makes dresses, separates and accessories by hand and posts them online in small batches. Each batch sells out within days. She informs her customers of new items through her blog and mailing list.

To purchase items, visit her online shop. For updates on what items will be available, sign up for her mailing list by contacting bekvamclothing [at] yahoo [dot] com.