21.05.2018
We chatted to WGSN Senior Denim Editor Sam Trotman ahead of the upcoming ‘Las Casas’ collection drop.
I AND ME was founded on the concept of season-less design, with a focus on quality basics meant to last for life. How does this still manifest in the brand today?
Our strong foundation of timeless, quality product is still the basis for every design. This will always what I AND ME stand’s for.
How has the gender-neutral approach resonated with the modern consumer?
Finally, more and more designers are championing a gender-neutral approach, whether that’s through product or on catwalk schedules. This has helped raise the awareness of I AND ME, too. It has taken a while to gather pace but our customers totally get it and almost oversee the ‘unisex’ element – it’s more about the actual product than who it is for.
The latest collection has a slightly more rustic feel than previous seasons with the linen selvedge and those beautiful untreated neutrals. What was the inspiration behind this?
‘Las Casas’ was heavily inspired by the idea of working and creating within a home-studio so, to build on this, we studied and visited a number of contemporary artists residents across the globe. The idea that a home is a personal curation of objects that one can get continual inspiration from fascinates me. The fabrics and palette used in the collection reflect this idea. Breathable linen-mix denim and looser silhouette’s allow for freer movement and the raw, neutral colours mirror the Southwest American deserts where we shot the lookbook.
Whilst on set we witnessed intense hot sunshine, tropical rain, hail (all the elements!!), which is the reality in that part for the world, so the garments and fabrication need to have that softer versatility.