Colovos (Q2816)
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Colovos is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Colovos |
Colovos is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Launching a brand is a high-risk proposition. What if you land a big department store, and then that department store goes belly up? Even more daunting: How do you get your materials out of China when the whole country is on lockdown due to a novel coronavirus? Nicole and Michael Colovos, like other small companies, have faced their fair share of challenges lately.They’re not short on drive, but their experiences have put them in a pragmatic state of mind. For fall, they were talking about a “new uniform” and the “ultimate wardrobe built around denim,” and they put those ideas into practice in many ways. A sharp blazer was designed with a convertible lapel that can be removed; it’s basically two jackets in one. They also reproduced the wool check found on their suiting as a print on silk. The dress it was cut in will be much easier proposition than the same silo in the menswear fabric.The Colovoses were early believers in the importance of sustainability, and this season they doubled down on their efforts. Their new sweater program uses merino wool from the sustainable Australian farm they sourced for their Woolmark project last year. And the coolest-looking denim in a collection that was well-stocked with the stuff was made at a mill that combines virgin fibers with recycled material woven from post-production waste. There’s an even more ambitious project in the pipeline. These two are undaunted.
9 February 2020
Nicole and Michael Colovos have stopped doing runway shows and moved to a pre-season schedule for sales purposes, as a handful of other New York brands have done. This can have the unintended consequence of removing a label from the fashion conversation—out of sight, out of mind. It’s especially unfortunate in the case of the Colovoses, because their new lineup is one of the best we’ve seen this season: keyed to real life with its focus on denim, but drawing the eye forward with new silhouettes, with the added bonus of being as sustainably made as possible.The Colovoses won the International Woolmark Prize in February. They did loads of research, sourcing innovative, ecologically made materials from around the world. The resulting capsule collection will be sold at Barneys this August, and they’re incorporating some of the learnings from that project into their main line. They proudly noted that their labels and hangtags are made from recycled materials. If that sounds low stakes, consider the billions of garments sold each year and all the plastic bits that come attached to each and every one of them.About those new silhouettes: They lean sort of 1980s-ish with their blouson volumes, elevated waistlines, and full tapered legs, though they don’t look retro. A pair of baggy jeans with side-cinching belts were a sell-out for Pre-Fall, so they redid them in a more formal, office-ready fabric for Resort. Other key fabrics were the silky cupro of a jumpsuit and an oversize, robe-like trench, and the washed-cotton poplin of easy dresses. Denim is their obsession, though, and it’s safe to say they’re making the most directional, yet wearable styles around.
7 June 2019
Nicole and Michael Colovos are digging into jeans in a major way for Pre-Fall. Denim was their first project together—their Habitual line won them a runner-up position in the first CFDA/VogueFashion Fund—so this is a full-circle moment for the pair. That mutual history shows in this collection. The Colovoses are experts in denim minutiae, as in where to add a hip seam to enhance the figure, and more technical details about washes and hardware. They’re keen to make their production process as “green” as possible these days, so they’ve started using recycled metal for their button closures, and are investigating cleaner washes. All this would be irrelevant if they didn’t also have an eye for cut and fit, but they’re definitely not short in that department. At the moment, they’re liking the look of a higher rise and a roomy, almost baggy leg that tapers above the ankle. They’ve done a lot of interesting waistband treatments.Another clever exploration: the denim-print silk they cut into a shirtdress and super-high-waisted pants. (These reminded of a brilliant Martin Margiela collection from 1996 in which he made photo prints of sequins to create a series of fancy/not fancy trompe l’oeil frocks.) From a distance, the Colovoses’ denim-print silk looks like the genuine article, but the material is lightweight, so it’s more or less humidity-proof. Take it from this New Yorker, there’s nothing worse than jeans on the subway in an August heatwave. And that’s not all they did for denimheads this season; there’s also a dark rinse trench and a sharp blazer with rounded sleeves. The black silk dress with a micro-print of clasping hands is very Nicole C—chic yet understated. It’s the kind of easy-to-wear dress that could make you feel pulled together all summer long.
23 January 2019
Nicole and Michael Colovos have a long history with denim. 17 years long, to be precise. Their first label, Habitual, preceded the designer denim boom in 2001, and they spent nearly a decade as co–creative directors of Helmut Lang after that. So it isn’t surprising to hear that jeans are among the best sellers in their newColovoscollections. They have the wear-every-day appeal you expect from jeans, but with special details like topstitching, split seams, and low-slung pockets. Nicole describes them as “easy and comfortable, but with a little more finesse.”When retailers and fans kept asking for more, she and Michael delivered (and then some!): They didn’t just whip up a few pairs of jeans and jackets; they made an entire capsule of denim trenchcoats, denim button-downs, and denim dresses, plus a few signature Colovos pieces reimagined in denim, like a button-front wrap skirt and a slouchy blazer. “We see it as a ready-to-wear collection, just made in denim,” Michael said.Like their “actual” ready-to-wear collections, each piece has a refined yet relaxed feeling. “I like things that are elevated, but can still work downtown,” he added, pointing out the raw edges of a crisp olive and cream trench. Other examples of that uptown-downtown equilibrium: a drop-shoulder denim blazer with clever ties in the back, so you can cinch it at the waist or leave it slouchy; dark-rinse jeans with black denim pockets and (super-flattering) darts at the hips; and chambray button-downs with XL contrast pockets. They’re simple but singularly cool. The Colovoses’ take on colorful denim checked that box, too: a brick red jean jacket with generous sleeves, plus matching ivory and red color-blocked jeans.All of those pieces will be available this month. While other designers are combining their Resort and Spring collections, the Colovoses see pre-collections as an ideal opportunity for capsules and experiments like this. “It doesn’t feel modern to us to make huge collections anymore,” Nicole said. “We always wanted to keep things small and spend more time on [fewer pieces], rather than just making a big collection because it’s Spring or Fall. We felt ourselves getting pulled back into that situation, but we’d rather just focus on what people are really responding to and wearing.”
14 November 2018
Nicole and Michael Colovos were runners-up in the very first CFDA/VogueFashion Fund competition 15 years ago with their denim label Habitual. To see them take their bows together on the runway this morning after an invigorated Fall outing for their eponymous brand, Colovos, was cheering in all sorts of ways. Let’s give it up for adaptability, for steady evolution, and for love.Love, as it happens, is very much at the root of their new collection. Backstage, the designers explained that they’ve stopped using leather and fur in favor of faux varieties and have sourced a fabric from an Italian mill made from plastic bottles recycled from the sea. “We can’t ignore what’s happening in politics, or in the world,” Nicole said, nodding as their three young boys zipped around on a half-day furlough from school. “We’ve been asking ourselves: What’s our impact? And what is it we can do?”The soul-searching seemed to energize them. This was a wardrobe-building collection with an accent on real-life wearability. They made the point by enlisting veteran models like Kinga Rajzak, Alana Zimmer, and Ajak Deng: women, not girls, who might have need off the runway for the relaxed suiting and who would likely appreciate the inventive denim with its handmade detailing. Outerwear that was equal parts utilitarian and statement-making was a focal point. In particular, the softly structured trench in that recycled-bottle fabric caught the eye.
8 February 2018
Nicole and Michael Colovos launched their new label out of their Tribeca kitchen. You hear a lot about labors of love, but this is the real thing. Spring is their first runway collection after several warm-up seasons during which they re-established their fashion bonafides; the Colovoses were creative directors at Helmut Lang for eight years (a label that is also getting a runway rebirth today at the hands of Hood By Air founder, Shayne Oliver). Those who’ve been watching and wearing the Colovoses’ new collection know it to be minimal with an arty streak, very much in Nicole’s own image. They make relatable clothes, not runway statements: leather sweatshirts, dark-rinse jeans, asymmetric shirtdresses—the kinds of things a busy downtown mom who’s spent her adult life in fashion needs on a regular basis.So how did they respond to the pressure of the runway? Quite gracefully. The show-opening loose-fit trench set an easeful silhouette, one which extended to their tailoring: Jacket volumes were lightly gathered in back. Dresses layered over pants, a look that can tend to feel contrived, conjured instead a nonchalant can-do quality. Webbed nylon shoulder straps on dresses were likewise evocative of utility. You’ll never sell this mom on the needfulness of a corselet worn on top of a button-down, but that was their only obvious nod to trendiness. The Colovoses are jean experts from the early days; Habitual denim was their first love child. They showed their denim head to toe today, and the jeans had a baggy-but-tapered fit that looked current.
11 September 2017
Fall 2017 marks a year since Nicole and Michael Colovos launched their eponymous label. This time around they rented a Tribeca gallery for their presentation; when Michael Instagrammed a photo of their logo on the front door yesterday they received a slew of comments congratulating them on their new store. While they’re not quite there yet, the line is growing nicely, recognizable from last February to this one—they still like the look of a waisted silhouette; they still love their denim, they’re still doing seductive things with sweatshirt material—but with newness, too.Making it as an independent brand is no easy task in today’s marketplace. The Colovoses have a better-than-even chance—first because of their years in the business (they headed up design at Helmut Lang and launched and ran their own denim line, Habitual, before that), and second because they’re a team. Nicole brings a no-nonsense sense of chic to the label (she’s a mom of three, she’s Australian, she worshipped Martin Margiela). Michael is the tinkerer; he’s happiest when he’s in the factory fixing mistakes or signing off on them because he likes the way they look better. Together, they’ve come up with a collection that’s minimal but warmly so. You don’t have to suffer for their fashion; see the aforementioned sweatshirt material, cut most winningly into a nipped waist, full-sleeved knee-length dress.The newness came in the form of an expanded, earthy color palette; a navy matte jersey accented with a Kelly green overlock stitch that they used for a Jean Muir–ish dress and an asymmetric neckline top; and a cool, yet grown-up pair of patchworked jeans.
9 February 2017
Nicole and Michael Colovos launched their eponymous collection in February for Fall 2016. After a summer of hard work they feel that they’re out of the startup phase, where little decisions about labels and hang tags can take up a lot of time and energy. The big picture atColovosis about fairly minimal wardrobe staples—minimal but identifiable, Michael clarified.The most unique part of their offering was the denim. The Colovoses started their careers in the jeans business; what they’re doing now is different from what they were doing then, circa the very early aughts, but it remains a strong suit. For Spring, they cut a terrific sleeveless jumpsuit and a seam-taped trench in a soft, fluid dark rinse and a starchy Japanese cotton linen, respectively. These pieces will appeal to women who appreciate the look of denim but can’t pull off standard five-pocket styles while they’re on the clock. For those who can, the designers have tweaked side seams and elevated waistlines to add novelty to familiar silhouettes.Beyond denim, they’re digging into three main areas: dresses, shirting, and tailoring (without the stuffiness of traditional two-piece suits). Their cropped pants featured motocross-style seaming and snaps up the back of the calves; worn undone, they have a cool little kick flair. Shirts and shirtdresses came with asymmetrical details or drawstring necklines, highlighting a sense of ease. As a working mother of three boys, Nicole knows the value of an unfussy dress. The collection had several good ones, including a silk T-shirt style in a photo print Michael took of shredded subway posters, because, he said, it reminded him of a Gerhard Richter painting.
9 September 2016
Nicole and Michael Colovos are fashion industry veterans, having worked as creative directors at Helmut Lang and before that, running their own denim label, Habitual. The eponymous collection they launched earlier this year bears little resemblance to their jeans company of old;Colovosis a more sophisticated, elegant brand. But the “habitual” idea applies. “We want to make clothes that become part of people’s lives,” Michael said at a presentation of their new Resort collection. There’s not a lot of flash to their new proposition. Rather, the Colovoses are making considered clothes designed to be effortless and anonymous in equal measure. There are T-shirts in the lineup, but there are no logo T-shirts, in other words. Sweatshirts and jeans play important roles, too, but they boast thoughtful details, the former coming with darts for a nipped-waist silhouette, and the latter featuring engineered side seams that create a leaner profile. Beyond those staple items, the standouts include a tailored leather jacket with a blouson back and motorcycle sleeves, a wide-leg jumpsuit, and easy shirtdresses with interesting contrast stitching on the back.The new label is connecting with retailers; Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, and Ikram have picked it up. That’s a nice-looking list at a moment when all you hear is how challenging it is out there on the sales floors. Kudos to the designers, also, for producing nearly everything here in New York City.
23 June 2016
The names Nicole and Michael Colovos will be familiar to many. The wife-and-husband team were the designers behind Helmut Lang’s rebirth as a contemporary label; and before that, they had a denim line, Habitual, that won one of the prizes in the inauguralCFDA/VogueFashion Fundcompetition. After leavingHelmut Langalmost two years ago, the duo is jumping back into the fray with an eponymous collection, happy to be their own bosses again. “It’s our vision,” said Michael. “No compromises.”One way or another, ease has always been essential to the Colovos’ m.o., whether it was their early ’00s boot-cuts for Habitual or their drapey black layers at Helmut. Colovos differs from their earlier outings in its more generous but still subtle use of color, and its volume play, of which there was plenty—except at the waist, nipped by box pleats or leather cording. But functionality and wearability remain key; as parents of three young boys, the Colovoses have never valued simplicity more. In fact, more grown-up is a decent way to describe their new aesthetic, especially with regard to key pieces like a sleeveless leather dress and its buckle closure at the waist, and another dress in silk, with piercing closures down the sleeves.The designers didn’t emphasize sophistication at the expense of fun. Anyone with fond memories of the Colovos’ Habitual days will be pleased to see their new denim cuts, which ranged from a cropped and loose-fitting “ex-boyfriend” to skinny stovepipes to a wider trouser style. Leather pants with a buckle detail above the back pockets looked sharp, as did leather jackets (a slouchy, oversize bomber, a pared-down Perfecto), which were a specialty during their tenure at Helmut Lang.Paul Klee’s “Guardian Angel” series proved inspirational. One ivory sweatshirt (a much riffed-on silhouette, especially nice in navy leather) lifted the artist’s naive but confident lines; it looked like Klee’s angel was giving the wearer a hug from behind. It can’t be a coincidence that the Colovoses chose a protector for their house mascot. The fashion business is particularly tough right now, especially so for young brands. The Colovoses have the experience to make a go of it.
13 February 2016