The Republic of cool

MANILA, Philippines - It is autumn in New York. Leaves fall in an orange drizzle of sorts, and New Yorkers in leather and trench coats clutch their bagels and coffee as they walk the many fabled avenues of NYC under; meanwhile all is bright and sunny at The Waterfront (reportedly a former night spot in the ’90s called The Tunnel) in the über-hip Chelsea district as the minds behind Banana Republic prepare their spring/summer 2011 global fashion show in the early evening.

“New York is the greatest place on the planet, in the entire universe,” gushes Banana Republic creative director Simon Kneen, a Brit designer who has worked in Italy, France, Spain, all across Europe. For Simon, living in the Big Apple is like being in the wrong relationship. “You could compare it with an old girlfriend or boyfriend you don’t always get along with.” He says she or he treats you badly, doesn’t look that great anymore, gets older, gets smellier — but from time to time you look at it and it takes your breath away. “New York can be so ugly yet so amazing.”

Before watching the goings-on at the runway, we journalists — from Moscow to Manila — meet Rosemary Young, Gap and Banana Republic public relations director, at the Banana Rep flagship store on Fifth Avenue, near the Rockefeller Center. 

“This is the visual expression of the brand,” Young explains, as we take a tour of the store, adding that they want to present the items in a fun and happening way. We are, after all, on Fifth Avenue: it can induce consumerist orgasm with everything from Saks to Best Buy to everything in between. Can’t just walk the avenue and not get the desire to enter a store, any store. And Banana Republic offers the best of both worlds: It is a luxury brand that won’t cost customers an arm, a leg and half the Knicks lineup (or even superstar-bust Amare Stoudemire). Aside from clothes (and what clothes they are), the store offers “elevated essentials and sophisticated seasonal collections of accessories, shoes, personal care products and intimate apparel.”

I heard before that — since Banana Rep was founded in 1978 as a safari- and travel-themed clothing company — the original stores boasted special effects such as fog and foliage. Very Indiana Jones, well, even before Raiders of the Lost Ark. When Gap acquired Banana Republic in 1983, it was re-imagined to become the lifestyle brand we know today. Under Gap Inc., Banana Rep is one of five brands — Gap, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta.

We learn from Young that last year, the spring/summer fashion show was held at Cedar Lake in New York. “(This year,) The Waterfront is such a unique space that provides the attendees lots of opportunity to view the collection, the looks.”  

Great looks we all have as we prop down our seats at the cavernous Waterfront while the models meander down the runway in their Banana Republic best.

The show is short, sweet and, well, showy.

Airy whites are key (the warm ivory sometimes accentuated by the cool ecru), as exemplified by the white cotton eyelet patio dress, the white chunky tie-waist vest, the white knit lace dress, and (lest I forget my gender) the white metallic blazer for men. Breezy fabrics come to the fore: linen, silk and cotton. More key colors are watery blues (reportedly Kneen’s favorite) and slate grays. Subdued, yes, but head-turningly subdued.

The ensembles are never about just one definitive thing; they are about how the pieces are put together. The spring of surprises comes in terms of accessories and shoes: cases in point, we see a Tucan tribal bracelet, a straw fedora, an Ibiza shoulder bag, metal bird’s nest necklace, the Johnny Wayfarer sunglasses, and (my favorite) the brown suede Clarks boots for Banana Republic. You almost feel like Paul Weller or Ian Brown in those. 

The outfits are summery, looser-fitting, and offer that little bit of freedom, so women need not necessarily be impish or waif-like (the Amy Winehouse of proportions) just to be able to pull them off.  

The utilitarian and the adventurist — heck, they both rule. Military jackets look great in indigo (not the usual olive green). Guys in Manila would go for the canvas pants paired with the garden-green ethnic-print shirt. And wearing those orange ethnic-print shirt along with vintage straight-fit chinos would make one look like a member of Vampire Weekend, so start singing The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance.

The latest collection was inspired by the travels of the modern wayfarer. One pundit calls it, “Safari chic meets preppy Americana.” Not entirely inaccurate. Kneen, during his after-show chat with the press, points out the seminal effect of the safari, the military look, but qualifies his collections as “very modern.” 

“If you think about it, we’re all a bit of Indiana Jones,” he says. “We make sure we have our cell phones, our messenger bags, our umbrella. It’s an adventure in everything that we do. People going to work sometimes can be an adventure (in itself). That’s what I am inspired by — the modern-day Indiana Jones.” He need not be looking for lost arks (or eating monkey brains with Kate Capshaw in the sequel), but braving the New York City rush-hour traffic or the gridlock on EDSA.

Kneen says, this man is the new hero. And the Banana Republic woman is the new heroine.

“She is a very modern soul, knows what she’s looking for. She’s very smart, very savvy: she’s not just looking for a deal, but for value. She doesn’t want to be talked down to. Banana Republic never tries to dominate from a fashion point of view, but takes trends, interprets them and makes them right for her or for him. We never want to just be a fashion brand. We want to have the passion, the right price, the right proportion. That’s the DNA of the brand.”

He harps on the potential of Banana Rep items such as the white shirt, the cardigan, the trench coat, and the eternal black pants one always needs. “We make sure we always have them, and we do.”

Bestsellers are black pants and khaki chinos, the great separates, the outerwear, and the fabulous accessories (which won’t “break the bank”).

For Simon, the essential item in a woman’s wardrobe is a great white shirt. “You can wear it in so many ways. It looks phenomenal with a great pair of jeans. You can wear it with an evening skirt, (put on) some (pieces of) jewelry, and go to a black-tie event. I’m a big fan of the white shirt.”

He notices how men have become more fashion-oriented. “Before, these men didn’t participate. Maybe they forgot (laughs). But things change. That’s what fashion is all about. Maybe one day he looked at himself in the mirror he said, ‘God, I need to get with it!’ (laughs).”

Airy safari: The models meander the runway wearing their Banana Rep best at The Waterfront in NYC.

While women are, dress-wise, loosening up; slimmer silhouettes are in for men. Well, not exactly “slimmer” but much more precise. The tailoring element is a big part of what Banana Rep does: tailored jackets, tailored pants, tailored shirts — I saw them in the racks in the New York store.

“I grew up on those vintage black-and-white films… the Carey Grants, the Fred Astaires, the Randolph Scotts, and all those iconic Hollywood actors. But when I design and work with my team, I think about the customer. It’s never about my own personal taste; it’s about working closely with the brand and what I can with for the brand.”

For Simon Kneen, it’s all about discovering the DNA of the brand.

He concludes, “Never let fashion get in the way. It’s about that feeling that everybody has about Banana Republic, to know that it’s Banana Republic. To work with that — and make it relative, actual and forward-moving.” 

* * *

Banana Republic is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Casual Clothing Specialists Inc. (CCSI), a subsidiary of Stores Specialists Inc., and is available at Greenbelt 5 and Rustan’s Department Store Makati.