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I have no problem admitting that I’m a Michael Bastian fanboy. This obsession goes back over a decade when I first read about him on some long-defunct blog that obsessed over Japanese style that obsessed over old American style and was written by an American who was obsessed with the way another country obsessed over his country’s sartorial glory days. It felt very snake eating its own tail, but in a really nice, stylish way. Bastian was years ahead of everybody obsessing over JFK Jr.’s 1990s looks, but also fired some of the first shots at the old, stodgy Muffy and Chip at the country club LARPing preppy looks by injecting a little fun into the look. He’s the natural bridge between Ralph Lauren and today’s stars like Rowing Blazers, Noah and Aimé Leon Dore. He understood that the whole preppy thing should balance refined and fun. Because, that’s what is really attractive about a lot of that stuff, right? The Ivy Style obsession is really based off of a handful of young white guys from probably well-off families enjoying freedom for the first time on their respective college campuses, wearing whatever they wanted, however they wanted, and that’s sometimes overlooked.
Over the last decade, whenever Bastian’s name was attached to anything, I got immediately excited. His stuff with Gant was especially exciting. I had this sweater for a time and misplaced it. The moths found it and went to work, but I dream of replacing it nearly every single day.
There is a point to all of this, of course. And that point is that, last year, Bastian took on the role of Creative Director at Brooks Brothers just a few months after the brand declared bankruptcy. It felt, to me, like a Hail Mary. A long pass thrown by an old, Hall of Fame bound quarterback, to one of the best wide receivers in football. I usually hate the sports metaphor, but it feels about right. Brooks Brothers needs a win, and Bastian feels like the sort of person that can deliver that.
With all that said, I’ve obviously been pretty, pretty excited to see what Bastian had in store. And yesterday, the first glimpse into the new era for the old Golden Fleece made its debut. I was quite pleased.
Bastian and Brooks Brothers posted a few glimpses of the Autumn / Winter looks. There’s a real sense of refinement at play here that I love, but there’s also a little room to play. I like it when I see images from a collection and it looks more like characters from a novel or play I’d really like, and less, well, a collection of clothes. That makes me as interested as the items the photos are intended to sell. I want to know this person’s backstory as badly as I want to see somebody walking around in this outfit:
The looks are all traditional at their roots. There’s the guy that looks like he’s going to get in his MG and drive down to “the Village” to see some jazz in 1958, and the woman dressed like an updated Sloane Ranger. None of these things are especially new or original, but Brooks Brothers looks to understand what makes these specific vibes appealing and that the brand doesn’t need to cling so tightly to one idea of “tradition.” Playful, but never coming close to being cosplay. If Aimé Leon Dore is downtown, Brooks Brothers is reclaiming its spot as this distinguished but cool brand. The Elaine’s to ALD’s Odeon, if you will.