MA_Julius SS11

[lowrey]

the new MA collection will be shown in Paris next month, and this will also be the official international debut for the line, now unisex.

this preview is exclusive to Stylezeitgeist and Scoute.

http://scoute.org/blog/

MA SPRING-SUMMER 2011

THE CLEAN, SIMPLE, ELEGANT, MODERN ZEN INTRODUCTION TO THE VIRTUAL DESIGN WORLD CREATED BY TATSURO HORIKAWA

INSPIRED BY MINIMAL ART AND MODERN ARCHITECTURE

BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN GENDER AND OTHER EXTREMES

UNISEX AND DIFFUSION

[upsilonkng]

looks great!! does that mean that they are introducing a size 0? or is the 1 going to be shifted?

[Who?]

Every season there is less and less of a difference between MA and 7. When MA started it was all tailored wear now the difference is slight. The defining features between the 2 are really only the treatments, zipper pulls and tags; and with MA being about the same price point, same quality and now nearly the same pieces, whats the point?

[Jonn]

it will never be as cool without the freak

[dji]

I think one of the main issue is they're "blurring the lines", so to speak, by including pieces from MA and mainline in each of their respective presentations. I don't really see how they've made it more unisex than their previous collections, perhaps they've just realised it has greater potential as unisex label in the west and are marketing it as such.

[lowrey]

Every season there is less and less of a difference between MA and 7. When MA started it was all tailored wear now the difference is slight. The defining features between the 2 are really only the treatments, zipper pulls and tags; and with MA being about the same price point, same quality and now nearly the same pieces, whats the point?

I think its still distuingishable from Julius, a bit more sleek and less grunge. and its worth keeping in mind that this is just a preview, the full collection will have a lot more non-leather pieces that will be more like the MA we've seen.

like dji said, they are intentionally blurring the lines a bit, there were some MA pieces on the Julius SS11 runway for example. they were probably not that easily distuingishable from there, but if you look at the pieces themself, I think they were pretty clearly MA. for example this coat.

regarding making it unisex, I guess this we will see once the full collection is shown, but I suspect there will be some pieces that are more clearly intended for the ladies. I really wouldn't see something like this produced solely for men.

[Faust]

That black biker is the piece de resistance. The leather is good enough to eat.

[interest1]

Personally, I've always considered Julius unisex (if I'm drawn to something enough to wanna wear it, fuck it–it's unisex!). Certain things have a universal appeal which supersedes gender. If you think about it, there's reallly no such thing as a 'mens' biker jacket; I don't know one female who doesn't own some incarnation of a black leather motorcycle jacket.

It usually boils down to a preference for the unembellished and/or a desire for a silhouette not characterized by a 'female' cut (i.e. a nipped-in waist, princess seaming, etc). I personally can't stand 'girlie' details on my clothes, or sexed-up tailoring. Unfortunately, so much of womenswear continues to be betrayed by these two virtual mandates. Why do you think A has so many female clients?

So from a marketing standpoint, it's smart for Julius to begin publicizing their clothes as unisex. It essentially gives women the one thing many of them subconsciously need to feel comfortable stepping into that arena in the first place: the permission to do so.

.

[nictan]

this move ain't entirely surprising though. my gf owns MA julius pieces, and they are doing very well for her, even though she would initially question that it was a male clothing line.

interest1, like the way you put it, it gives them the permission to do so. "is this piece for men's?" "oh its unisex"

[diorowen]

don't really care whether Julius are unisex or not..but hey!they looks good on both male and female..

[interest1]

[Faust]

Indeed, very well put, interest1 (in both posts)

[Who?]

"is this piece for men's?" "oh its unisex"

Some people just need that extra push. My gf used to wear my Julius leather jacket all the time. She said it would be her favorite piece if it were her size.

A, for clarification, is MA the only line that will be marketed as unisex? Either way it's a logical step but this isn't the first time Julius was marketed as such with pieces more directed at women. After Fixed they stopped making size 0 and including women in the look book. Anyone know why they stopped then? Lack of audience within Japan?

[lowrey]

I believe MA is the line that will be specifically marketed as unisex, Julius will remain as is.

[dji]

A do you know if they'll be reintroducing a size 0 or shifting the sizing down to cater for a unisex clientele?