In Store for Idol Radec

In the world we live in, the supply of new and cutting edge can hardly keep up with its demand. Fashion designers like Kazuyuki Kumagai and Rick Owens were showing all sorts of modern, avant-garde designs for the Fall 2009 season, but not the clever minds at Idol Radec. The trio of designers, Nick Thomas, Scott Barclay, and David Hickman, kept things simple, resorting to classic Americana, showing looks that would make Gregory Peck jealous. Idol Radec's clothing eliminate the feverish hunt for the precise craftsmanship and authenticity of times gone by, back when things were well made and and timeless. For them, the nostalgia of their own heritage is a cornerstone for their neo-vintage aesthetic. In fact, the designers were inspired by their own old family albums, digging back to the grainy black and white pasts of generations before them- vacationing, at parties-- captured images of those long-gone lifestyles. And that's exactly what Idol Radec is all about, as Nick Thomas puts it, "a lifestyle". "We're not trying to change fashion, we're not trying to be on trend. We just do what we think looks good; what looks put together." And he has the clothes to back it up. Idol Radec took everything you love about your dad's and grandfather's vintage pieces, and tweaked them to make the fit perfect, and the details even better. The clothes are completely wearable and effortless, almost unbearably chic, but with sex appeal too, the kind of sexy that makes a girl bite her lower lip. "An Idol Radec man is a tastemaker, someone who takes pride in the way he looks," says Nick Thomas. Reviving classic Americana like shawl collar sweaters, James Dean worthy pea coats, chambray shirts, and even skinny 1950's bowties, Idol Radec calls back to the time of a simpler, more idealistic America, an escape from the daunting problems that fill our modern, cluttered lives.

"Everything is a risk; especially for what we do, wh"You just do what you think is right." Idol Radec is doing what's right all across the board, not just in their pieces, but also in their ethics. Seventy percent of their clothing isere there's no structure or formula," says Thomas. made in the United States, thus creating jobs, and reducing their ecological footprint. These boys take pride in their country, and want to see people taking pride in themselves. Their price points are not outrageous- they are trying to keep under the radar, so to speak; to remain more conservative in a time where people are sticking to necessities, to pieces that will last, and that can be worn over and over. Idol Radec's clothing is so timeless and so well made that not to buy from them would be a bad investment.

While the line is California based, where all three designers were raised, it is undeniably "New York"- in aesthetic, in attitude and in its prowess. The designers stick to their roots, choosing to stay in California in order to "take things slow" and "gain a following". Idol Radec has already gained a following in the likes of Bloomingdales, who noticed Idol Radec after the brand put their Spring 09 collection in a SoHo pop up store. Bloomie's liked them so much, in fact, that Idol Radec is now being sold at their SoHo and 59th Street locations in New York, and in San Francisco, California. So now you too can get your classic Americana fix, right after you lace up your Alden's and get your scruff shaved at Freeman's Sporting Club. Here's looking at you, kid.
The above was written by Haley Bell from Ethan James Group. Pictures are from fall/winter '09 lookbook.