The Midwestern Menswear Designer Looking To Break Through The Yeezy Wall

For stylist and emerging menswear designer Terrence Haynes Jr., creating his second ready-to-wear brand without a team fuels his desire to build a successful indie brand and lay the foundation for a line consumed by a “clean” ethos. The debut T+H (pronounced T plus H) collection is titled T.E.A.M. which stands for Time, Energy And Money. “Who you spend your time, energy and money with is the importance of this collection. If you check out the lookbook, each piece is shot in a corner, and I wanted people to understand that currently, I’m still able to create something beautiful and real without a team,” says the recent North Carolina A&T graduate. Adding that although he took two years off from producing clothing in-between his two lines, he figured out his new label’s current creative direction after living in Atlanta, assisting a stylist in Los Angeles and working at Mr. Porter in New York City. Deeply inspired by streetwear, the Spring-Summer offering, which just wrapped pre-orders online, has a functional-meets-Yeezy-like vibe with it, and is filled with plenty of upgraded basics in monochromatic hues, athletic stripes, and hand-sewn embroidery. “My aesthetic is finding that perfect middle ground, between streetwear, high fashion and contemporary wear,” says the 25-year-old. Other garments from his nine-piece collection include a black satin bomber jacket with a collar ($400), a French terry cloth gray hoodie with a continuous white stripe from sleeve-to-sleeve ($250) and drawstring track pants available in navy, gray, or white ($225). Read more at Billboard.