Michael Bastian launching women's wear collection

Michael Bastian will finally be entering the world of women's wear. When Michael Bastian originally launched in 2009 it was strictly a men's wear label. While men's wear seems to be the creme de la creme right now, Bastian thought it an appropriate time to enter women's wear.

Bastian, who previously served as men's fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, told WWD, "“We took our time getting into women’s. But our women’s collection is very much an offshoot of our men’s wear. It will share the same fabrics and factories.”

Bastian saw the extension into women's wear as logical given how many women already buy his men's wear offerings, such as sweaters and shirts. For his women's wear line, Bastian is going for luxury basics that won't be too logoed, just like his men's wear offerings. According to Bastian, the capsule will consist of 27 pieces, and will heavily feature shirts and sweaters.

The collection will also include jeans, shorts, a knit dress, and a shirtdress. Several pieces from the collection will be shown at his men's week fashion show at NYFW: Men's in July. Bastian's experience comes heavily in men's wear, he does have experience with women's wear from his Gant for Michael Bastian collaboration. Gant for Michael Bastian also began as just men's wear, but in 2010 the began offering women's wear as well.

Michael Bastian entering the world of women's wear

After nine seasons, his Gant with Michael Bastian collaboration ended in 2014. Bastian intends for his own women's wear collection to be targeted toward an older woman than the one he targeted with Gant by Michael Bastian. “It’s a different girl,” he said in his interview with WWD. “With Gant, she was the equivalent of the guy — just out of college, in her 20s. For this collection, she’s in her 30s, 40s or even 50s and likes classic, American sportswear done at a luxury level.”

The line will be carried on Michael Bastian's website, and he is also hoping to get it into a few department store doors and websites as well. Currently, Michael Bastian's collection is carried at Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys New York, Mr. Porter, matchesfashion.com, and Jeffrey. For both his upcoming men's and women's collections he will be looking at Bel Air and Beverly Hills for inspiration.

He plans on creating a more "dressed up interpretation of California style." Some of the material offerings for this collection will include linen blends for suits and shirts, lightweight cashmere, unwashed pressed indigo denim, and banana-leaf camouflage patterns. While many men's wear brands have attempted to enter the world of women's wear and failed, Bastian is confident his women's wear line will be a success.

“In our nine years in business, we’ve established a recognizable brand aesthetic and niche in the market,” he said. He has plans for eventually expanding into outerwear, accessories, and tailored looks. Ladies who have long loved Bastian's clothing now really have something of their own to look forward to.

photo:Paper Magazine