11 posts tagged "BLK DNM"
Wild ’n’ Out: Gisele Goes Guerrilla for BLK DNM
At this very moment, cult sub-Fourteenth Street denim label BLK DNM is plastering downtown Manhattan with its newest “Wild” poster campaign—the company’s only form of advertising since its inception in 2011. Lensed by the brand’s founder and creative director, Johan Lindeberg, the sixth installment of the guerrilla promos feature none other than genetic Powerball winner Gisele Bündchen. But this isn’t your standard Gisele fare—in fact, all that’s shown is the model’s mile-long legs and covetable Brazilian posterior in a pair of second-skin jeans as she’s inspecting the engine of a vintage automobile.
“We drove together in that car to Brooklyn for the shoot,” Lindeberg laughed. “It’s an ’85 Mercedes!” The designer and model celebrated their collaboration last night at BLK DNM’s Lafayette Street store, where guests such as Marina Abramovic, Theophilus London, and Waris Ahluwalia perused an expansive series of Lindeberg x Bündchen imagery. In darkened gray scale, the arguably austere shots depict Bündchen in various states of undress and undulation. “Maybe it’s a little bit the dark winters [in Sweden], and both my grandparents were priests,” said Lindeberg, addressing his style. “I like that kind of deeper expression, somehow.”
Bündchen, perhaps, paraphrased the Lindeberg aesthetic best. “He sees women as real—or, he has a very real idea of women. There’s no retouching. There’s a rawness that’s just kind of who you are, you know?”
An exhibition of Lindeberg’s Gisele portraits will be on view at BLK DNM’s 237 Lafayette Street boutique for the next month.
LTHR Lover
BLK DNM may be known for, well, its denim. But over the past three years, Johan Lindeberg has built up a finely tuned collection of duds tailored to the downtown set. Vampy bohemian skirts, effortless T-shirts, smart blazers, and laid-back blouses have all become favorites. However, his leather jackets are a particular highlight. “They’re a very important part of our DNA,” said Lindeberg. Enter BLK DNM’s latest endeavor: Leather Project X. “X means collaboration,” explained the designer when asked about the name. With whom, you might wonder, is he collaborating? His customers. Today, Lindeberg launches a permanent custom leather-jacket station at his downtown New York flagship, where shoppers will be able to pick from a kaleidoscopic array of styles, leathers, and trims. For instance, you could finish a cropped silver-foiled lambskin biker with a shearling collar, top off a navy shorthair sheepskin pilot jacket with an electric blue croc-embossed back, embellish a reflective green lambskin look with purple goat hair…you get the idea.
Aside from the fact that they’re some of BLK DNM’s hottest-selling items, Lindeberg has a personal connection with leather toppers that stems from his childhood. “I bought my first leather jacket in Copenhagen when I was thirteen. It was a brown pilot style. And I actually shortened it myself after I brought it home,” he recalled.
The jackets—two versions of which debut above in Lindeberg-lensed images of model and The Wolverine star Rila Fukushima—are all made here in New York and range between $2,500 and $3,000. The project will roll out at BLK DNM’s international boutiques this month, and Lindeberg plans to launch an online version, as well as an iPhone app, later this year.
BLK DNM is located at 237 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012.
BLK LTHR, Now Luxer
“I’ve always been inspired by strong women with integrity,” says Johan Lindeberg. “And I like to surround myself with a lot of them.” Lindeberg’s circle of tough chicks inspired his most recent project: a limited-edition, super-luxe version of the BLK DNM leather jackets
that are already a house favorite. “Whenever I’d meet or collaborate with someone, like Anja Rubik or Caroline de Maigret, I’d envision a different jacket,” he explains.
Focusing on texture and intricate embellishments, like croc-stamped lapels and fur accents, the eight-piece collection features buttery green, brown, black, and purple Italian leather, as well as printed shearling. This kind of luxury doesn’t come cheap: Available from Friday at Colette, as well as the BLK DNM stores in New York and Stockholm, the jackets will range from $3,495 to $3,995, a little steeper than the brand’s usual democratic prices. “When something’s really special, it’s going to cost more,” the designer shrugs, noting that each jacket is made in New York’s Garment District.
It should be noted that Lindeberg hasn’t forgotten about the guys in his life. In addition to creating custom suits for artist Aaron Young, as well as a made-to-order shearling for The Strokes’ Albert Hammond, Jr., the designer has a similar menswear project in the works. But for the moment, this leather’s all for the ladies.
GQ‘s Best New Menswear Designers Land In The Gap
“I grew up on Gap; it’s like the thing you always think about when you think of classic American brands,” says menswear designer Todd Snyder. And now Snyder, along with five other menswear labels (including BLK DNM, Ian Velardi, Mark McNairy New Amsterdam, Ovadia & Sons, and Saturdays Surf), will be stocked in the iconic retailer’s shops. “These designers are shaping the future of menswear, and it’s an honor to bring their distinct visions to life in a way that complements Gap’s casual American point of view,” says Gap North America head of merchandising Mark Breitbard. Before the limited-edition collection (with prices starting at $20 for basics and going up to $340 for leather jackets) launches in stores September 27, Style.com has an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at GQ‘s Best New Menswear Designers and the journey through the collaboration.
CDM X BLK DNM
When model and music producer Caroline de Maigret sent Johan Lindeberg a Facebook message saying that everything at BLK DNM was “made for her,” the designer seemed to have found himself a new muse. So it was only fitting that de Maigret be the next BLK DNM campaign star, following the brand’s past faces Tanga Moreau and Stella Schnabel. “I had a woman in mind when I created the brand,” Lindeberg told Style.com, “and Caroline is somehow exactly like that.” The duo traveled around Paris to shoot the campaign, hitting 15 different locations, including de Maigret’s sister’s house and Le Marais. The chosen image, set to be plastered on the streets of New York starting next week, features a shot of de Maigret from behind, wearing a BLK DNM quilted leather jacket and jeans. Here, Style.com has an exclusive first look.