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Mackage and Bradley Theodore intertwine the worlds of art and fashion

By Kristopher Fraser

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Fashion

There's no denying it, the worlds of fashion and art are eternally married to each other. Mackage, the edgy and chic label lead by Elisa Dahan and Eran Elfassy, realizes how beautiful this marriage is, and have collaborated with street artist Bradley Theodore for a one month long art exhibition at Mackage's Soho location at 123 Mercer Street. Theodore's major claim to fame is a mural he did on a building facade in 2014 of living design legend Karl Lagerfeld and iconic Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour.

Beginning last week August 19 and until September 25, customers at Mackage's Soho boutique will get to enjoy the works of a selected a group of artists curated by Theodore. The fashion brand's idea behind this exhibit was a simple matter of business: bring in a new set of clientele into their stores. "We wanted to bring a different crowd into the store. Letting Bradley Theodore curate an exhibition at Mackage Soho in NYC allowed us to introduce the brand to a more artistic crowd," Elfassy said.

As a contemporary fashion label, Mackage has to work to stay ahead of the curve. What helps make contemporary labels so successful nowadays is their quality styles at more approachable price points. With price points ranging from 590 dollars for a light wash leather jacket to 950 dollars for a fur hooded park, Mackage is more affordable than luxury brands like Burberry where a leather jacket can cost upwards of 2000 dollars.

Bradley Theodore curates selection of art for Mackage's Soho boutique

The secret to the company's success is their approach to perfection. "We balance a modern, edgy aesthetic with technical functionality. We’ve been doing this since 1999 and we only expand to a different category once we know we’ve perfected the existing one," Elfassy explained. For the design duo, this artist collaboration marks a historic first for the company.

It's the first time they have ever collaborated with an artist in such a manner. For Dahan and Elfassy, it's all about keeping up with their customers, but the Mackage customer is one who demands two things above all else: high quality and good design. "In 1999, outerwear was a piece you took off as soon as you walked into a party. We were the first brand to mix leather with other luxe fabrics and it was groundbreaking. We had to bring swatches of leather to different factories and teach their patternmakers and sewers how to stitch the two materials together," Dahan said.

In terms of what they ultimately hope to accomplish with this exhibit, Dahan said, "This exhibit is part of our second annual Mackage Soho Store series. The Soho Summer Series is a time when we collaborate with our favorite artists and brands that evince Mackage’s lifestyle and sell them in our Soho store for a month. We love using this series to highlight and support creative talent we respect and are passionate about. This month we wanted to make the series feel more experiential and thought Bradley would be the perfect partner. We have been following Bradley’s work since his Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld mural back in 2013 and this opportunity was a very special way for us to celebrate the arrival of the Fall 2015 collection."

A celebration it is indeed, as Mackage's Soho boutique looks more artistic and opulent than ever. For the next month when you head to Mackage as you build up your outerwear collection with fall coming, stop to enjoy the incredible art Theodore helped to curate. It'll make your shopping experience that much more incredible.

Photo: Courtesy of HL Group

Bradley Theodore
Mackage