Allsaints Shop Opening in the Meatpacking District of NY. 2011.
So, when the clothiers opened their West Coast flagship in San Francisco in late October of 2010, it wasn’t a decision made on a whim. Not only does the City By The Bay play host to the kind of weather, which occasionally reflects the mild, rain-laden patterns of England, but San Francisco also boasts itself as the bohemian home of up-and-coming music, fashion, and art talents—the sort of customer which the brand works tirelessly to attract.
The strength of the brand’s aesthetic lies in both their access to quality materials and fabrics (Italian leathers and Japanese polyesters which are more luxurious than silks) and also in their design team’s foresight, many of whom have spent time working for industry leaders like Alexander McQueen and Prada.
Upon entering the store located in San Francisco’s Maiden Lane, a customer will notice there isn’t a glitzy gimmick or tacky trend running throughout the industrial space. Instead, the fashionista is met with so many options that at first it might be overwhelming—overwhelming in the “I’ve never seen so many beautiful, wearable clothes in one place before” kind of way.
For the male customer, lay to rest worries of walking out the store looking like a caricature of euro-trash. In menswear, Allsaints excels at creating a harmony between clothes that the average male customer is willing to wear, while also allowing them a certain amount of sartorial flair. This season there is an emphasis in incorporating tailored looks into everyday wear, all without giving up comfort.
Fitted denim shirts in black and indigo are worn with Seattle salt and pepper, grunge cardigans and corduroy chinos which tapper toward the ankle and are perfect for cuffing (which, if you’ve looked around San Francisco, seems to be le mode du jour). Finished with ankle-height desert boots and loafers, the end result is a much more wearable version of this lumberjack look which seems to be gripping men from 20-40 as seen on sites like The Sartorialist.
For the spring and summer season, Allsaints women’s wear has moved away from some of its more somber colors of autumn, and dived into colorful, surreal prints. Computer-generated prints , which are carried out in the same process used for Alexander McQueen, offer a woman the ability to stand out graphically, in comparison to the Plain Jane floral arrangements of her mother’s old shirt dress.
Shoes range from the comfortable leather and suede-laced sandals , to strappy shoes with a near-invisible acrylic heel for anyone looking to Gaga their wardrobe up, without resorting to latex body suits.
The true test for the flagship will be whether or not the San Francisco clients, who have been made notorious for their anti-New York interest in worldly trends and commitment to paving their own style path, warm to the brand’s price zones. For Maiden Lane, a sweater priced at $230 is considered moderate, but perhaps it will end up being one digit too long for artist types which boasts of their city’s bountiful thrift and vintage clothiers.
