Those of you who have been following Mansnaps regularly will know that I am a huge fan of Republic! I was so impressed with their A/W collection that I did a special post about the brand back in November. Since then I have been keeping a firm eye on them and often feature their hot fashion pieces in my posts.
Being such a fan, you can imagine my excitement when Simon Dawson (Head of Design Menswear) agreed to do an interview to give me the inside scoop on what we can expect from Republic this S/S.
Here is what Simon had to say...
Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do at Republic?
I have worked at head office for nearly five years. I was the first designer to work for Republic and my position here now is Head of Menswear Design.
How important is it to have an in-house design team?
Huge! We need to push newness as much as any fashion retailer, and what makes us quite unique is having several in house brands in which we do this.
Without design, it would be much harder for each brand to maintain its own level of DNA (from choice of trims / prints / wash level etc). This is vital for a brand’s longevity and reason to exist against other brands. Also it gives Republic much more creative control of what our brand portfolio should / can look like.
What trends do you think men should be looking out for in the run up to spring?
From a trend point of view I would say the three main looks to watch out for are:
Fisherman – a more rugged side to last year’s nautical
Workwear – think hand workers back in the docklands of liverpool in yesteryear.
Colour Blocking – huge trend that does exactly what it says on the tin.
From a product view point it’s all about colour, colour, colour! SS12 will see an explosion of brights; especially the bright coloured Chino. Also the Fisherman Jacket / Sweat is a good colour vehicle to carry off summer brights. Colour blocking is a massive part of this too. Also Neppy yarn; vintage is a key look which has given birth to fleck across jersey, knits and Sweat fabrics. The Crew neck sweat is a must, from printed graphic to the old worn gym look....
What can we expect to see from Republic this S/S?
A big push towards a more fashionable approach to our core pillars, two new exiting brands, and our unique take on the Olympics...
Here are some exclusive images from the new Lot 22 collection which is coming soon!
Mansnaps has loved your White Label collection this A/W. Will this line continue through S/S?
Yes, and it has improved and should be bigger and better for SS12.
What do you feel are the benefits of being a multi-branded retailer, for the consumer?
Choice! Brands can offer different trends through their own DNA and pricing structure. Also deigning for a brand instead of a vertical retailer, gives the brand the ability to graphically play and be proud of its name.
Mansnaps has seen great support from Republic when blogging about the brand, but how important do you think bloggers are to Republic and other retailers?
Massive, as far as my personal opinion goes. Blogging is the current and future, freedom of speech....the more we can connect with our customers the better we can satisfy their needs.
Lastly, what is your favourite piece from your S/S collection?
Hard to say, there are so many, and as a fast fashion retailer we still have lots of SS12 yet to even be designed ;)
For a sneak peak at Republic's S/S collection click here.
If you can't possibly wait, then check out some of my favourite items available now!
