Perhaps our favorite silver lining of the recession, the proliferation of designers creating additional lines at lower prices is flooding the market with a wider range of creative styles and accessible price points. The latest to cave: rag & bone, Richard Chai and Thom Browne, hooray!
rag & bone, building upon the success of its universally simple and wearable collection, will introduce rag & bone/JEAN in three styles in eight colors and rag & bone/SHIRT in seven styles in three colors. The side-lines will go for $70-$80, as opposed to the mainstream collection for $60-$860.
Meanwhile, Thom Browne's new CEO is making room for the tentatively titled Thom Brown "classics" and Thom Brown "red/white/blue" alongside the brand's venerable full-price line, with plans for the new additions to eventually comprise 50% of the total collection. At an estimated 30-40% cheaper, classics will include gray suits, oxfords, navy-blue blazers and khaki pants, whilel red/white/blue will outfit more casual outings (read: unemployment) with polos, cardigans and outerwear.
Richard Chai will also be designing new items that are not only affordable, they're for girls! Chai's new women's contemporary line exploded into 40 pieces for the Spring/Summer 2010 collection after a successful test run at Chai's brother, Eddy's downtown shop Pas de Deux. Characterized like their counterparts for men, Chai's ladies' duds are both subtle and sublime, impeccably made and totally cool.
All we've got to say is, keep it coming.
