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"FacebookPinterest\n\nIt's an oft-tested formula: menswear designer hones his skills on the inside at one of the big boys, and then when either his creative differences interfere, he outgrows his post or the line suffers for one reason or another, said designer ventures out, guns blazing, to create a vision of his own. Meet Ian Velardi, who was part of a group of guys who brought Hickey Freeman a younger, more fit-focused customer with the now defunct Hickey. We were hanging at (capsule) earlier this summer and, after a few laps around the room, kept returning to Velardi's booth. His stuff is infectious: it's wearable, it's beautifully constructed (read: made in Italy). It's effortless, staple-driven clothing for a modern dude. So, naturally, we were stoked when Velardi asked us to premiere his spring 2012 lookbook. Our one request? The man himself grace us with an intro...\n\n\"Spring 2012 is lu essentials with a lot of attitude and character: reinterpreting the classics for a modern guy. I tried to balance classic roots while still pushing innovative ideas. There's a lot of focus on fit, proportions, construction, and finishing. The fit is definitely modern: everything is slimmer, shorter, with higher armholes etc. We're about clean and fresh lines with a lot of detail, but not over designed; which gives that understated kind of effortless sensibility. I want to make truly wearable stuff that a guy is always comfortable in, physically and mentally. Pieces that transcend time.\"\n\n\"Inspirations? There's some safari in there, and some exploration notes seen in pieces like the Panama hat: the traveling man is a running theme. 70s tennis and 60s Formula One racing also came into play; an overall sense of being active and transient. I suppose it can be summed up as a traveling man of substance and sport, with a bunch of attitude. I don't really like to think of the collections as \"seasonal inspiration.\" I would hope that the things that influence and inspire me are inherent traits with longevity, and elements of these ideas will always be seen, season after season.\"\n\nFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterestFacebookPinterest"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.gq.com/story/first-look-ian-velardi-spring-2012>