Shades of Greige: A Staple Less Ordinary
Los Angeles–based designer Micah Cohen is hoping the third time’s the charm. Cohen—who graduated from Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif., in 2002 with a degree in film and later attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles—launched an eponymous line in 2005.
In 2006, he partnered with a Chinese manufacturer to launch Caste, a menswear line that was picked up by retailers such as Metropark and Bazaar Adriatic. With Caste’s second and final season shipping for Spring 2007, Cohen is focusing on Shades of Greige, the contemporary menswear brand he launched for Fall 2007 with partner Jeff Port. “I’m hoping this one sticks,” joked Cohen.
If the brand’s reception at its debut earlier this month at the MAGIC Marketplace in Las Vegas is anything to go by, Shades of Greige is looking like it will stick. From its corner booth, Shades of Greige lured buyers from important streetwear boutiques to high-end specialty retailers across the country. Kitson Men will carry the brand, as will about 50 other stores, some of which have supported Cohen from his days at Caste.
The brand’s off-and-running start is due in part to its broad appeal, Cohen said. “There’s a niche that can be filled by my product. You don’t see too many good menswear brands that are accessible to lots of different demographics. I find that the people who responded to the brand are not necessarily the customer I envision when I’m designing,” he explained. “My design philosophy is you need to be able to wear it without looking like you’re trying too hard, so my pieces skew toward the classics.”
For its debut collection, Shades of Greige is packed with heavy, yet fitted, wool pea coats with wide lapels and gold buttons, military-inspired jackets with removable fur collars, striped V-neck T-shirts and henleys with long sleeves or three-quarter-length sleeves, lightweight wool coats, twill pants in easy denim-inspired silhouettes, and a variety of woven and knit tops.
Small touches make the staples stand out. U-neck T-shirts and deep V-necks play with proportion and attitude. “It’s a little boat-y, a little punk. Versatility is key,” Cohen said.
A black-and-white pin-striped lining, nipped-in shapes and a subdued color palette of slate, black, oatmeal and olive add a sense of elegance that retailers responded to.
Wholesale prices for the brand range from $11 to $16 for T-shirts, $36 to $39 for woven tops, $36 to $45 for bottoms and $65 to $88 for outerwear. For more information, call (818) 767-9474. —Erin Barajas
