Lee Alexander McQueen has always been an inspiration to us at elc Mens. Partially because of his visionary design, but more so because of his irreverence towards the industry and the rebellious and dramatic flair that embodied his runway shows.

For the record I am not a student of fashion and I don’t spend my time following the careers of big name designers. Maybe that is why McQueen’s passing has touched me. I remember seeing some of the early-ish collections of the Alexander McQueen brand and thinking that it was all too theatrical and flamboyant.  I dismissed McQueen as another high brow concept designer that I lacked the understanding to truly appreciate.

As we began working on the elc Mens line my understanding of design and tailoring increased and with that knowledge came a reverence for Lee Alexander McQueen. I saw a review of one of his runway shows where  a fashion critic described him as an engineer and said something like – even his silk dress seem to have some type of scaffolding.  Whether or not I loved the things he would create I began to see the genius of McQueen; he would make simple things look amazing and amazingly grand things look simple.

Obviously our fashion enterprise and desires are much more humble than that of McQueen’s but he serves as an inspiration in so many ways. Whether it is the impeccable tailoring that would be a worthy goal of any clothing manufacture or his sense of story telling and showmanship that he brought to the garments he created.

Whether you are a designer, or someone who appreciates fashion, or just someone who is a fan of those among us that push the boundaries of creative vision you can’t help but to feel the loss of Lee Alexander McQueen.

I for one tip my cap to the rebel with the incredible fuck you attitude of a young tailor who spent weeks making a suit jacket for Prince Charles only to inscribe,  “ I am a Cunt” in the lining! RIP Lee Alexander McQueen you will be missed

Westcliffe Colorado

Back in early December Denver had a pretty brutal cold snap with 7 days under 10 degrees. During that week we drove to Southern Colorado to check on our secret t-shirt experiment and I realized what a lack of proper hand wear I have.

After checking in our project we spent a good 20 min trying to thaw our hands back in the car and the idea for building a tough ass pair of winter gloves was born.

They would have to be rugged and warm, and fit with the Colorado inspiration of the collection. A proper lined leather glove born from the ranching tradition seemed to suit our aesthetic perfectly.

Since the very early days of elc Mens we have been inspired to create clothes that fit our lifestyle, incorporate our unique design perspective, and showed a personal craftsmanship.

Tanning experiments

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Here's to the new website!

Early in the fall the boys and I at Elc Mens being a bit disenchanted with the status of things in our world of fashion, felt the need to take things in a new direction. Thus the birth of the 100 days, our answer to the problem at hand. We got into the business of making clothes out of a love of design and fashion, to see our ideals and aesthetic come to life and share them with the like minded. Although the design and process has proved rewarding in its own right, to have racks of your designs that never make it passed the dismissive eyes of buyers and showroom staff not the desired result. We want to have our wares available right now to those of you that drink of the same water, to bring life to the lifestyle we work to define. So, yesterday morning, the engine of the 100 days burst to life and we celebrate the birthing the best way we know how with whiskey and High Life’s, and feverishly working on the next 100 days. So drink up me hardy’s and set to the seas with us as we continue to chart our own course

www.elcmens.com

This initial offering inspired by our Rocky Mountain roots is part of a series of limited edition collections released every 100 days. Each individually numbered garment is designed and constructed to the highest standards of quality and shipped in hand crafted packaging.