Help finding.....

[sbw4224]

Yea but there's a problem with Rick being more expensive; It's that it's the same shit!
I've never really had a problem about it before but when pricing goes through the roof on something you've been manufacturing for years, it's kind of absurd, no?

Also, for example, Yohji's prices went down this Spring (probably attributed to cheaper materials, meaning, cheap than wool).

That's weird but good to hear that Yohji is cheaper in some other stores. At the YY store the prices have definitely gone up - Y's and YY. I'd say at least a 10%-15% increase in price. Shirts are around the $800-$1000 mark, and the blazers I looked at were all 2k+. Materials and construction looked as good as ever, though.

[Casius]

Ouch. Shit, I guess A, even despite being in a bigger place now, is still able to have relatively good pricing.

Sounds to me like it's mainly these flagship stores that are charging these prices. Like those drop crotch shorts from Rick can be had at Barneys for $200 cheaper than the Tribeca store.
*sigh*

[khiev]

I hear you and I agree to some extent because it's definitely hard to swallow the fact that the moto leather jacket was less than $2k a few yrs ago but doesnt it suck that articles from many designers had similar price increases, because what, they merely did their job and experimented or evolved? If price increases were to be based on such merits, or if designers thought in those terms, then shit we'll all be screwed over till the price ceiling shatters.

I'm no pricing manager but what I'm saying is that I think Rick Owens' price point went up prob for the very same factors that dictated those price increases found in other businesses regardless of innovation or experimentation or whatever. Of course, Rick could have offered a little more but I remember him saying in a video that he didnt want to play around too much because he didnt want his clothes to be subject to fashion trends and that his customers could rely on his clothes and aesthetics not to be outmoded in future seasons. Now, I leave it up to you to decide if it's plain laziness or sticking true to his aesthetic but I'm glad that I dont have to worry about chasing some last season item such as a tshirt, or a leather jacket... I can always tell myself that Rick's shirts will always be there next season, hopefully in new colors! But now that Rick has somewhat evolved with his first menswear collection, would you consider his pricing (then) to be absurd too?

[Casius]

Yea, I think the pricing is still absurd, no matter what. From Rick, Ann, Yohji, etc.
I understand cost of manufacturing, materials, and labor have gone up but to the extent some of these companies make it seem, probably not.
I have no gripe about paying designer prices for designer goods but there has to be a middle ground, you can't just say we're going to charge $200 more this season for cotton pants, or $1000 more for a leather jacket when seemingly, nothing has changed. I'm all for these companies growing and I know what cost that can bear, but with that also comes more production which in turn, should equal better costs to the consumer.

Would you say, Rick is on par with the likes of CCP and there for can charge the same prices?

[khiev]

My sentiments exactly on these price increases, I abhor them.

Check your PM.

[Casius]

:)

Maybe we need a thread on this (or is there one already?). Or maybe I just needed to vent.

[cuddly]

rick probably trying to combat the recession by increasing price so that it wont get swallowed so much during the winter sales.Assuming that there wont be much sales in full priced items again this year and people will wait until prices are slashed 50% 75% to shop for bargains.

that would put me in this category.

[Casius]

Yea, except for Rick makes his money before sales ever hit.

I think it's more along the lines of, "People will buy, no matter what the cost."

[Wiggles]

FOund a more specific kind of pant I'm looking for, something like these would be amazing:
Damir Doma PFEILSTERN trousers

Any ideas on where to get a size 50 pair? So mad I slept on the pair in the market...

[Raw Edge]

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[Casius]

Raw- If you haven't seen them in person, then you are missing out on a lot of details. They're certainly not just a normal baggy black pant.
The coolest thing about those and Andrew mentioned this, is that they can be tied at the ankle to get more of a bunching effect (like FW09 Doma).
But I like baggy pants. There should be no monetary value associated with slim or wide leg, it should be in the fabric/design. Try one of the new Yohji pants this season and you'll see that baggy pants aren't so bad. :)

[Raw Edge]

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[Pinoy]

Julius jut neck leather jacket

If anyone can help with looking for a SS09 Julius jut neck leather jacket in sz 3 and black, it would be much appreciated :)

[andrewislasorad]

Thanks for explaining, and I agree about design, fabric, etc
I wasnt saying that wider leg pants should be devalued- rather that I'm sort of sick of all of the Rick-influenced designers (and Rick himself) making stuff that looks like 2$ sweatpants except in some minor design innovation. This may not apply to these pants, I'm not sure.
It's probably a broader question, but to me what is important is: style (how something looks, etc) and quality (how it feels, lasts, etc).
Doma on the other hand, while making a couple very nice items (own the shorts, would like to own the Gilet) seems to make a lot of stuff that just takes this aspect of RO further- extremely expensive sweats, but with some minor detail- tie at the ankle, for example. But to me these do still look like a pair of 2 dollar sweat pants, and from what I've heard and experienced the durability/quality is not great on most of his items. I don't think this really applies to Yohji- his wide leg pants are mostly extremely innovative looking and very high quality- they don't seem like cheaply made sweat pants for $800. Rick's ss09 stuff, on the other hand, to me fits this category, and from what i can tell designers like doma, julius, etc are going this direction, so i think its a worthwhile question to ask.
I guess I am in favor of not only saying wtf to the prices, but also asking- what's the actual merit of this item? Especially because with most Continues stuff, for example, its much more self-evident. I'd rather ask what the point of a style, fit, price is etc myself, otherwise I think I'd end up jocking a designer or innovation then realizing the fit isn't great or it just isn't out of the ordinary.

No offensive but without seeing the garments in person and trying them on for yourself, it seems hard to have an opinion on garment construction, materials and cut.

You aren't gonna see the merit of anything if you base it on tiny picture on the internet.

As far as Doma goes, I have handled much of it, and own a lot of it. The wide leg pants are cut beautifully for one, something that I couldn't appreciate till I finally gave in and tried them on. The pants are covered in Damir details, every button attachment, the pockets are always unique on all Damir garments as well. The cotton fabric has a unique weave and weight to it. I also have the said 'sweatpants' from SS08 and they are stunning, dual layered wool, a thin grey outer layer over a thicker white under layer which ages fantastically. The fabric is also boiled in portions, like the back pockets which have an awesome buttoning detail, the button is attached to a long string attached at the waist, so when buttoned the pockets appear in tension. In my eyes capturing the fragility of the garment, the tension that everything feels like it's being held together by a thread. Point being they are so far from 'sweatpants' it's unfair to call them as such, and something you would never see in a thumbnail image online.

Edit- And on the quality note, Damir's work is nothing short of incredible, it can easyily stand up to the like's of Ann and Yohji. It's just not true to say his stuff is sub-par in anyway, yes the AW08 overlock stitching was fragile on some of the shirts...but guess what so is all overlock stitching! I saw a busted overlock seam on a CCP jacket at L'eclaireur..but that doesn't mean that carol is doing shotty production.

[Casius]

Raw- I definitely hear you. I think it's just all about what you see as good design for the price. But lately, like you, I have been questioning the price increases on items that are exactly the same as ones I bought no less than a year ago which have gone up in price 10 fold.
Take those drkshdw sweatpants. In FW07 you could have bought the short/sweat combo pant for around $600 here in the states and now those SS09 sweats are $800. It just doesn't add up.
But maybe this is a discussion to be moved somewhere else. lol