Silent By Damir Doma

[Sombre]

I never said he can't do it, or even that he shouldn't. What I was very careful not to say, but what was I was thinking, so I'll say it now, is that diffusion lines are often a cheap marketing trick to sell more clothing and earn more revenue - something I'd like not to associate with Damir Doma.

EDIT: Faust, thanks for clarifying the issue.

[Faust]

Silk, I find your statements dubious.

First of all, in my opinion, there are two price ranges for tshirts - $10 and $300. Every single diffusion line I have seen in my life is there without a doubt to capitalize on a designer's name and not to introduce a new concept. It is done with poor materials and the profit margins are most probably much higher than those of main lines.

Second, do we really need Damir or any other talented designer to make jeans and tshirts? Really?

Third, if, as you claim, one aims to make a clear separation between a designer's aesthetic and the final product, a natural question of integrity on designer's part must and will arise.

[ProfMonnitoff]

Looks/sounds kind of like Coming Soon. Seems best to reserve judgement until more is known, but my expectations aren't particularly high.

[delphine]

Silk, I find your statements dubious.

First of all, in my opinion, there are two price ranges for tshirts - $10 and $300. Every single diffusion line I have seen in my life is there without a doubt to capitalize on a designer's name and not to introduce a new concept. It is done with poor materials and the profit margins are most probably much higher than those of main lines.

Second, do we really need Damir or any other talented designer to make jeans and tshirts? Really?

Third, if, as you claim, one aims to make a clear separation between a designer's aesthetic and the final product, a natural question of integrity on designer's part must and will arise.

I think there are some pretty decent diffusion lines out there - sure the materials are not the same as the main line but I don't think you could consider them poor when compared to the real mainstream.

And, know it or not, although we do not need their jeans and t-shirts, we do sometimes need them to sell those things so their main line can remain in existence.

I don't see the problem with designers doing diffusion lines.

The sneakers look okay.

[Silk]

Well not that we need DD jeans, but I would like to see his iteration of some basics that aren't included in his line. I'm just interested to see if the label will match well with his mainline, regardless if its his mainline or some diffusion line he wants to do, I like his aesthetic design and ideas.

Lets be honest, there aren't that many brands out there that make clothes we want to buy, and if he is successful with this line, then whats the problem with one more brand making good clothing. I think its a little early to compare it to other diffusion failures, because the whole concept(sustainable fabrics I think he mentioned?) could take off in its own right, never know. He seems to have a good eye for quality materials and great colors, so I trust he will make this line presentable.

I don't think he is trying to cash out on his name as he is still extremely unknown to most of the world. He still hasn't even shown a women's line, has only 1 boutique, and is sold in only a handful of stores, he is far from mainstream.

I didn't claim he aims to make a clear separation between his aesthetic and product, what I said was just my interpretation of what he has said in some interviews and I may very well be wrong about him wanting to make basics for the diffusion line while being more experimental in the mainline. Keep in mind his mainline has never really offered plain trousers, button-ups, etc. that are more wearable to a wide audience, that other designers include in their mainline from season to season. Sure he has trousers, but they always have some design quirks, like strings, zipper pockets, drop crotch, interesting material mixtures etc. which you couldn't wear in a formal setting the same way you can wear some cotton trousers, cotton button-up, and plain derbies(no zipper down the middle).

[zamb]

it is difficult for me to comment on this because I don't know if this is a diffusion line, an extention of the mainline, or a line unto itself, and since I've only seen this one sneaker, which I dont paicularly care for, there is nothing to judge really.
However, I am always of the view that a dseigner should only do a secondary line after the mainline has been well established and there is a demand for products outside of the market and customer base of the mainline's reach. this only comes by the brand having a strength, appeal and identity that transcends its reach.....................
the problem here is DD hasnt gotten to that point as yet, so I am unsure of how it will work......................"It" here is the great unknown as I dont know what this new line really is

[Sombre]

"It" is an expletive!

(really bad nerd joke in a second reading)

[casem]

This doesn't have much to do with Damir in particular, but Zamb's point about a designer being established made me think of it.

I don't understand why more designers don't treat diffusion lines as a way to re-release favorites from collections past, at reduced prices since the design/runway costs have already been made. I know CDG does it with Evergreen and Ann does it now too, but it seems like it would be a good way to cash in on favorites and customers would be happy that the piece they loved from F/W 04 isn't gone forever.

The only downside I can see is knowing that something will be available again takes away the exclusive cachet that luxury relies so heavily upon to make us do irrational things. If there's not the "oh shit, this is going to be gone FOREVER if I don't buy it NOW" then designers might have trouble moving units at such high prices.

[Chant]

[Chant]

I don't have time to browse through the thread, and I'm not DD's defender (only his pedagogic spruiker, you know me) but :

- some members (how many ?) had some issues with the quality of some isolated products and with isolated parts of them (stitchings ?) from an isolated season.
And suddenly the (internet) rumour started to grow and became an urban fashion legend : "DD is shit and it's overpriced !".

- IF Silent will promote organic basics, how could it be that cheap ?
As far as I know, there will be tees and LS, of course, but most of the members here are buying tee/LS from the main line, so what's the problem to get tees for less ?
But shouldn't we wait to see what the Silent line will look like exactly before trying to judge it ?

- I'm quite new here (my high post amount is only due to speed posting, also known as the HDGsyndrom), but i don't really understand this other fashion commandment : "Thou shall wait for years before thou shall open a diffusion line".
If a diffusion line is cheap tasteless crap to make money, then no one should ever launch one. and the other hand, if it's something different, with quality and nice pricing, why should one wait to launch it as soon as possible (in condition, of course, to take into consideration Faust's Fashion Theorem n°1 : "Overexpansion will kill you, motherfucker !").

[stereophobic]

I'm quite new here (my high post amount is only due to speed posting, also know as the HDGsyndrom)

I lol'd

[lowrey]

haha, pure gold Christian

I can understand both views, on the other hand I'm not sure if this line brings much of anything new, but if the quality will be good and the pieces good looking, I don't see it as a very negative thing. judging by how it looks in pictures, it seems to have his aesthetic in it, in the silhouettes, colours etc. but its also clearly basic.

anyway, for some reason there are only pictures of two shoes in this thread?

[Faust]

If a diffusion line is cheap tasteless crap to make money, then no one should ever launch one. and the other hand, if it's something different, with quality and nice pricing, why should one wait to launch it as soon as possible (in condition, of course, to take into consideration Faust's Fashion Theorem n°1 : "Overexpansion will kill you, motherfucker !").

Damn straight!

[Faust]

This doesn't have much to do with Damir in particular, but Zamb's point about a designer being established made me think of it.

I don't understand why more designers don't treat diffusion lines as a way to re-release favorites from collections past, at reduced prices since the design/runway costs have already been made. I know CDG does it with Evergreen and Ann does it now too, but it seems like it would be a good way to cash in on favorites and customers would be happy that the piece they loved from F/W 04 isn't gone forever.

The only downside I can see is knowing that something will be available again takes away the exclusive cachet that luxury relies so heavily upon to make us do irrational things. If there's not the "oh shit, this is going to be gone FOREVER if I don't buy it NOW" then designers might have trouble moving units at such high prices.

Good question. I think it only works for certain designers who have a cult following. Such is the case with CDG and Ann. I can't name too many designers whom it would work for - probably Margiela (Rosso, I hope you don't read SZ) and Raf.

[editevening]

I had no interest in the black, but the color/texture on these is dope.