STEVEN ALAN CELEBRATES 25 YEARS WITH MAJOR REBOOT

After opening his first store in 1994, Steven Alan quickly became known for effortlessly cool shirting and has since become a fixture of New York’s fashion landscape. Twenty-five years later, he looks back. “When you hit a milestone like this one, nostalgia is inevitable,” Alan says. “Looking back at where I started this journey – that idea is the heart of the fall collection. It’s inspired by what was happening at that moment in time.”

The reigning street fashions of the early nineties embraced bold colors, exaggerated logos, oversized fits and sporty color-blocking. Alan asserts, “that aesthetic is relevant today.”But this season’s offering is no simple retread of the past.

The creative director is using the twenty-five-year mark as the impetus to radically shake up the brand with a stronger, more editorial point of view. “If you’re not moving forward, you’re not growing. It’s that simple.”

The dynamic collection is a significant departure from the brand’s trademark aesthetic. Key pieces include boxy brushed wool sweaters, abstractly printed oxfords, rugby shirts with band collars, cropped trousers, technical fabrics, pieced cocktail shirts and slouchy outerwear. His name and monogram logo take center stage as chenille varsity patches, intarsia sweaters, embroidered beanies, and screen-printed knitwear.

“I’ve always added a twist to the classics. This season we’ve turned it up to eleven. Plus, technology has advanced from where we started and we are taking advantage of that.

It’s a bolder take absolutely, but one Alan is confident will find its audience. “I have no doubt we’ll catch the eye of new customers, hopefully in a way that will still resonate with longtime fans.”Further, the new product assortment offers the opportunity to serve both. “Stores that want to buy into more classic Steven Alan can do that, while at the same time other doors and customers can be more progressive.”

Visit the Steven Alan booth in The Tents at next week’s Project trade show at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.