As the man who made Brooks Brothers cool again several years ago, Simon Kneen knows a thing or two about freshening up classic American brands. In his role as creative director for Banana Republic, he’s aiming to bridge the company’s original incarnation as a travel-themed retailer (remember when its stores used to feature Jeeps and [...]

“The East Village doesn’t need another vintage store,” says Marco Querci, who tonight opens new boutique Change of Season. Instead, Querci and his partner Clinton Curtis created a whole new retail beast: the curated outlet. As anyone who’s spent a draining day at Woodbury Commons can attest, [...]

I like Jon Hamm for several reasons: One, obviously, is the hit TV show that he stars in, Mad Men, which glorifies those lovely be-suited 1960’s hunks. The other is that, like me, he grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, sporting head-to-toe prep gear (Gap khakis for him, Banana Republic V-neck sweaters for me). Only [...]

Editors and publishers assembled in Chelsea yesterday for Simon Kneen’s debut as Banana Republic’s creative director. Kneen, who comes from Brooks Brothers and Adrienne Vittadini, worked a Mad Men vibe for the guys, from the Brylcreem-shiny hair to the ankle-exposing pants and sockless wingtips. For us gals, he fast-forwarded a decade and a half to [...]