Baja East (Q3823)
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Baja East is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Baja East |
Baja East is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Scott Studenberg is leaning in to his Californian lifestyle. Since most of the people that shop his brand are celebrities, or celebrity adjacent, he says, he has stepped away from trying to offer normal clothes and is giving full fantasy for fall 2022. Of course, Studenberg’s fantasy isn’t exactly the plumage and pomp of a red carpet. Instead, he’s exploring a sort of Awards Season loungewear, where everything is cozy, silky, and drapey but still trimmed in crystal.That play of serious comfort and silly motifs is what Studenberg does best and he’s amplified both with this collection. All the middling materials are taken out, leaving only 100% cashmere, 100% silk, and a few light 100% cotton pieces. “It’s about making people feel good inside the clothes,” he says from his studio overlooking the Hollywood Hills. Knit lounge pants, silk camp shirts printed with the hillside, and his popular knit anorak will surely keep the Baja babe feeling warm vibes.It’s the dresses with “for your consideration” and Studenberg’s awards print that will garner them attention. In the pattern, he honors the characters that define the Baja mood:The Comeback’sValerie Cherish,Schitt’s Creek’sMoira Rose, and30 Rock’sJenna Maroney and Angie Jordan. Studenberg imagines that his silk blazers with fringe and a glistening black poncho are for press junkets, and maybe even taking the stage to win that golden statuette. It’s a scenario that, maybe, only really makes sense in his head—or perhaps Hollywood glitz is just anathema to jaded New Yorkers. Nevertheless, Studenberg’s business is holding strong, with the size inclusive retailer 11 Honoré as one of its best doors. Studenberg should consider using models of all bodies in his lookbook to hammer home the fact that while he’s constructing a made-for-TV fantasy, his clothing really works IRL too.
27 February 2022
Scott Studenberg is leaning in to his Californian lifestyle. Since most of the people who shop his brand are celebrities, or celebrity adjacent, he says, he has stepped away from trying to offer normal clothes and is giving full fantasy for fall 2022. Of course, Studenberg’s fantasy isn’t exactly the plumage and pomp of a red carpet. Instead, he’s exploring a sort of awards-season loungewear, where everything is cozy, silky, and drapey but still trimmed in crystal.That play of serious comfort and silly motifs is what Studenberg does best, and he’s amplified both with this collection. All the middling materials are taken out, leaving only 100% cashmere, 100% silk, and a few light 100% cotton pieces. “It’s about making people feel good inside the clothes,” he says from his studio overlooking the Hollywood Hills. Knit lounge pants, silk camp shirts printed with the hillside, and his popular knit anorak will surely keep the Baja babe feeling warm vibes.It’s the dresses with “for your consideration” and Studenberg’s awards print that will garner attention. In the pattern, he honors the characters that define the Baja mood:The Comeback’s Valerie Cherish,Schitt’s Creek’s Moira Rose, and30 Rock’s Jenna Maroney and Angie Jordan. Studenberg imagines that his silk blazers with fringe and glistening black poncho are for press junkets and maybe even taking the stage to accept that golden statuette. It’s a scenario that, maybe, only really makes sense in his head—or perhaps Hollywood glitz is just anathema to jaded New Yorkers. Nevertheless, Studenberg’s business is holding strong, with the size-inclusive retailer 11 Honoré as one of its best doors. Studenberg should consider using models of all bodies in his look book to hammer home the fact that while he’s constructing a made-for-TV fantasy, his clothing really works IRL too.
17 February 2022
About two years ago, Scott Studenberg appeared at New York Fashion Week with a salon-meets-QVC-style presentation for Baja East. He stood in Milk Studios with a mic, in an all-white cashmere sweatsuit, and narrated the entire collection as models came out in fringed bias dresses and slouchy knit trousers, snapping wisecracks like a New Age Joan Rivers. Meeting with Studenberg on Zoom has been an enjoyable ride, but I miss seeing his schtick in the flesh—especially when his fall 2021 collection look book, starringRuPaul’s Drag Racealum Gottmik and reigning winner Symone, seems like such a hoot. Maybe they can all hop on an Instagram live? Just an idea.For all the campy glory of the imagery, Studenberg’s clothing is a touch more serious than usual. Not to say there isn’t a derrière-exposing ski onesie made in collaboration with Eddie Bauer or any shortage of crystal fringe, but he is more exacting about his SKUs. For fall, it’s really a loungewear fantasy for the Baja East customer, with stallion-printed leggings, billowing leopard pants, and pastel velour intimates that call back, albeit abstractly, to Mariah Carey’s generation-defining episode ofMTV Cribs. If you must stay at home, why not do it with flair?Elsewhere, Studenberg repurposed pieces from previous seasons, dip-dyeing leftover separates in his yard and finding new ways to experiment with materials he already owns. It’s definitely not the crafty aesthetic of other upcyclers, but that’s the point. The Baja Babe, as he lovingly calls his muse and customer, loves glamour and a sensuous drape. The season doesn’t really matter.
19 May 2021
“I’m a Cancer sun, but my moon and rising signs are Sagitarrius, so I’m always looking for grounding,” Scott Studenberg said over a video call. Despite the state of the world, Studenberg has never seemed cheerier. Chalk it up to a lockdown spent at a friend’s Malibu retreat. It’s easy enough to find inspiration in the balmy waves of Malibu’s cliffside beaches, but it also seems likely he reconnected with his target demo in the types of people who wait out a pandemic in a beach house with a personal chef. (Imagine a green juice–fueledDecameron.)These vibes suit Studenberg. He likes to keep a bit of distance from the chaotic center of the fashion world. His spring 2021 collection, produced mostly in California, is a return to form for his brand. The irreverent glamour Studenberg and his A-list clients love persists, in hoodies with Opulence and I Own Everything, Everything Is Mine written out in Preciosa crystals. But otherwise there is a less fussed, more natural feel to the lineup. Many of the tie- and dip-dyes seen here were done by Studenberg himself in his outdoor dye studio, and many of the cotton garments come with raw edges. Sure, satins and chiffons in a glitzy blue print feel a bit done-up for a chill day at home, but the ultrathin cotton and cashmere ribbed-knits in taupe and dusty ivory seem right for his loungewear-loving clientele.Studenberg is also making pieces for celebrity customers who like to turn their green juice runs into paparazzi moments. A long duster coat first modeled by Lady Gaga appeared here in dip-dyed blue-violet and black stripes. Another Gaga homage came in the form of a one-shoulder cashmere number inspired by the way she knots her Baja East skirt into a dress. The most obvious celebrity-destined piece was the semi-sheer golden wetsuit. “An allover sparkly wetsuit, I think it’s important,” he said. “Sometimes you don’t need all that neoprene, especially because the water in Malibu has been on fire lately.” He quoted Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun:” “It’s not having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.” Studenberg has an arrangement in Malibu that suits him. If the rest of us are left wanting, for the shoppers who have that lifestyle too, this collection will click.
22 October 2020
Fresh off breaking the internet with the fringed mechanical hat he designed with Milliner Sarah Sokol for Billy Porter’s Grammys appearance, Baja East designer Scott Studenberg was back putting the final touches on his desert disco–meets–drag ball–themed fall 2020 offering. “That hat was part of this collection,” said Studenberg of the unexpected preview of the Lurex, beaded, and crystal-fringed number—part of a collaboration with Gigi Burris and Swarovski. “Billy’s stylist, Sam Ratelle, came over and we were listening to disco, smoking a joint, and talking about the themes behind the collection, and he said, ‘That’s so Billy.’”The presentation, designed to evoke midnight in the Mojave Desert—a spot Studenberg visits often for inspiration since relocating to Los Angeles three years ago—took place at the Sunset club in the basement of the new West Hollywood Edition Hotel, which was inspired by the clubs on the Sunset Strip in the ’60s and ’70s. “I love Los Angeles. I live here now and I don’t want to leave,” he said of the decision to show outside of New York. “My house is just up the hill, so I re-created my living room with Persian rugs and disco balls down the street here in the Edition.”The palette meanwhile was inspired by the idea of midnight moving into daylight, from black to white. “I started [after former partner in the label, John Targon, moved on] with the white collection, representing all new beginnings. I’ve never done black, so I was like, ‘Let’s give ’em night,’” he said of the pinstriped satin double-breasted harem suits, vegan leather hoodies, and lace and Lurex tunics and skirt-pants.Baja’s trademark sweats and T-shirts were printed with phrases that played off the categories in theParis Is Burningdocumentary, such asopulence, high fashion eveningwearand ‘Selenas’: “Because she loved disco,” Studenberg explained. “I also created a logo for my own house after the House of LaBeija (the famous drag family founded by Crystal LaBeija and Lottie LaBeija). Everyone mispronouncesBaja, so I thought, Let’s just play with it and put Billy’s hat on it and some burning sage.”More desert references were apparent in a lamé Mojave blanket–print shirt and flared pants, reiterated in a cashmere sweatsuit; a constellation-print duster featuring the label’s signature galloping horses; and a mocha jaguar-print mini and bandeau.
Cowboy boots, designed with Aurora James of Brother Vellies, were covered in midnight desert landscapes replete with Joshua trees, cacti, more horses, and Swarovski crystal stars. This season’s sexy dress came in the form of a draped emerald green metallic knit number echoing the rich green of a dew-soaked agave plant.As guests departed they were given spray bottles of Higher Love Aura Mist, made by Fever Dream Apothecary in Joshua Tree, Studenberg’s favorite desert shop. “It’s for when your vibes need aligning and you don’t have Billy Porter’s hat,” he quipped.
9 February 2020
“Not everyone wants to talk to everyone,” says Baja East’s Scott Studenberg with a cheeky smile. “Some people are negative energy.” Studenberg has brought up bad vibes as a rationale for a black bucket hat dripping with glittering silver fringe that obscures the wearer’s face. He continues, explaining it would be a good thing to wear to, like, an ex-husband’s funeral. The designer has no ex-husband to speak of, but has navigated his fair share of perilous vibes since he relocated to Los Angeles and refocused his brand as a solo outfit with a more contemporary price point. Most recently, he had to contend with the fact that his pre-fall collection was temporarily lost in transit from California to New York. “The world is challenging me,” he said pseudo-sarcastically. But he’s rising to the challenge.This season’s collection is mostly a continuation of ideas started for spring; Studenberg’s goal is to provide his customers with consistency. A draped one-shoulder silhouette that has been highly popular in stores has been extended into a range of silky fabrics, lengths, and dotted with light fringe trim. It also comes, cleverly, as a wrap skirt and as a faux-wrap, all of which are multipurpose enough to be layered on top of Studenberg’s thin cotton knitwear for the shamanic look he himself prefers, or worn with bare legs and stilettos as his L.A. ladies do.Studenberg has introduced menswear into his offering this season, but it’s less a new category than an extension of his women’s collection. His Baja dudes are the type that gravitate towards lilac sunset pants and peppy cropped tops while still building out a closet of knit trousers and hoodies. Also new: the color black. “It’s black in a way that’s not depressing. It’s fun...and on purpose,” Studenberg says. What this translates to is simple graphic tees, silken suiting, and the occasional sock. The black palette isn’t a signifier of bad vibes—though should you need protection his High Priestess tarot jacket will do—but an indication that Baja East 2.0 is working and its clientele is expanding. Good vibes abound.
9 December 2019
Scott Studenberg is back! Not that he ever left, really, but just that Baja East went through some ups and downs over the past two years as Studenberg worked to refocus the label. This season marked his official return to the New York Fashion Week schedule. Studenberg decided to switch things up and host a salon in lieu of a runway show to present his Spring 2020 collection. He brought his own rugs from his Laurel Canyon home in Los Angeles, as well as his own lava lamp, and set up a vibey corner in the industrial sprawl of Milk Studios. A string quartet dressed in all white came out to play L.A.–themed songs—think “California Gurls” by Katy Perry and “Hotel California” by the Eagles—and then, dressed in head-to-toe ivory cashmere, Studenberg emerged like a millennial Ram Dass. “I’m doing the show in this format because I’ve always been backstage wishing I was out here explaining to you the dream and the journey behind it—and I’ve had ajourneythis year,” he said, stretching outjouurrneywith the inter-canyon drawl of a knowing Angeleno.That journey found Studenberg recalibrating himself at Joshua Tree for a bit, which inspired a series of all-white ensembles trimmed with crystal fringe. That fringe is priced wholesale at $60 a yard. “I’m giving you expensive, and I’m giving you a show,” he smirked, referencing Tina Turner and the Ikettes as a starting point for his loose, draped minidresses with halter necks. That away-from-the-body sexiness is Studenberg’s strongest offering, and it carried through to other subsections based on wild horses, the canyons, crystals, and tarot cards. Swingy robe knits with the High Priestess tarot card on the back and crystal-strewn tees with Studenberg’s take on a Western burger chain—his sandwich is called a Triple Triple and is, like, mostly quinoa and avo—balance his playful streak with West Coast New Age culture quite well.In addition to offering a little midday fun, though, Studenberg’s return to NYFW marks a turning point in his business. He proudly announced Baja East’s entrance to the advanced contemporary price point, having redone much of his original cashmere pieces in cottons and jerseys. The goal, he says, is to get more women into the Baja lifestyle, all being one with nature and yourself and your Erewhon groceries. Of a tie-dye leopard passage, Studenberg painted a picture of his inspiration, “This last part is like if you were doing ’shrooms on a hike in the desert thinking you saw a jaguar but it is a sunset.
” Who can’t relate?
7 September 2019
Scott Studenberg is not here to reinvent the wheel. He knows what his Baja East customer wants, and since moving to Los Angeles one year ago, he’s only become more in touch with the needs of the bougie Bohemians of Beverly Hills. His Spring 2019 collection was a loose, lively meditation on that freewheeling and fabulous lifestyle, with lots of leopard-print separates in silk and cashmere and even more of the just-fancy-enough pieces his L.A. girl loves. There were metallic bike shorts and even shorter dresses, loose grungy tees, and a drawstring-cinched trench for the woman who’s sporty but still sexily sophisticated. A favorite piece of his—and, surely, his woman’s—was a one-shoulder, bias-draped shape that was made as a top, minidress, and gown. Unbelted, it’s a goddess-y piece that Studenberg called an “all you can eat” dress. But you need the sash, you see, for a defined waist in your Insta pic. And then, maybe you make a turban with it to hold your hair up when you dance. It’s multipurpose.Even with a T-shirt graphic that featured crystals and sticks of palo santo—“because every time you walk into a house in Laurel Canyon, Topanga Canyon, any canyon really, there’s an altar”—Studenberg maintained that this was a New York–inspired collection. One tee read “executive realness.” Another was an homage to RuPaul, Scott’s ultimate NYC queen. The opening look—a double-breasted blazer dress—was one of the few worn with stiletto pumps in the lookbook. “She needs sex too, it can’t all be Birkenstocks and Reeboks,” said Studenberg. Women on both coasts would agree with that.
11 September 2018
Scott Studenberg is flying solo at Baja East. His longtime partner, John Targon, has moved on to his own “creative pursuits,” as Studenberg put it. You might have been able to predict the creative split, with Targon getting, and then unceremoniously leaving, a post at Marc Jacobs while Studenberg moved to Los Angeles in August, but you probably would not have guessed that this bit of change would help center Baja East’s vision. But that’s just what happened with Baja East’s Resort collection.Instead of amping up the graphics or clinging to a strict theme, Studenberg used Resort to refocus on the unfussy, easy pieces that made Baja East popular in the first place. There are tracksuit and knit top-and-bottom sets as well as an expanded range of easy jackets, now in silks and lamés, to keep the Baja East woman looking glam while she’s lounging. Menswear was presented separately for the first time, not that there’s anything really different about the men’s and women’s lines, but more to encourage buyers to consider these raw silk tees and cashmere sweatpants as true menswear.Baja East’s tongue-in-cheek spirit remains. The blonde heroines ofBeverly Hills, 90210andMelrose Placeserved as loose muses, and while their catty spirit comes through on slogan tees that announce “Donna Martin Graduates,” their ’90s version of dressing up is rethought in several more easygoing day-to-night options. Take a snakeskin-print silk blazer that, with palazzo pants, is pure poolside, but sans bottoms, is suited for an evening jetting around the hills in a Porsche. With a lower price point—one of those easy wrap dresses rings up at $395—Studenberg’s new collection has legs. And the women who wear it will have plenty of options for how to show off their own legs.
12 June 2018
“Not everyone wants to talk to everyone,” says Baja East’s Scott Studenberg with a cheeky smile. “Some people are negative energy.” Studenberg has brought up bad vibes as a rationale for a black bucket hat dripping with glittering silver fringe that obscures the wearer’s face. He continues, explaining it would be a good thing to wear to, like, an ex-husband’s funeral. The designer has no ex-husband to speak of, but has navigated his fair share of perilous vibes since he relocated to Los Angeles and refocused his brand as a solo outfit with a more contemporary price point. Most recently, he had to contend with the fact that his pre-fall collection was temporarily lost in transit from California to New York. “The world is challenging me,” he said pseudo-sarcastically. But he’s rising to the challenge.This season’s collection is mostly a continuation of ideas started for spring; Studenberg’s goal is to provide his customers with consistency. A draped one-shoulder silhouette that has been highly popular in stores has been extended into a range of silky fabrics, lengths, and dotted with light fringe trim. It also comes, cleverly, as a wrap skirt and as a faux-wrap, all of which are multipurpose enough to be layered on top of Studenberg’s thin cotton knitwear for the shamanic look he himself prefers, or worn with bare legs and stilettos as his L.A. ladies do.Studenberg has introduced menswear into his offering this season, but it’s less a new category than an extension of his women’s collection. His Baja dudes are the type that gravitate toward lilac sunset pants and peppy cropped tops, while still building out a closet of knit trousers and hoodies. Also new: the color black. “It’s black in a way that’s not depressing. It’s fun...and on purpose,” Studenberg says. What this translates to is simple graphic tees, silken suiting, and the occasional sock. The black palette isn’t a signifier of bad vibes—though should you need protection his High Priestess tarot jacket will do—but an indication that Baja East 2.0 is working and its clientele is expanding. Good vibes abound.
9 December 2019
Scott Studenberg is flying solo at Baja East. His longtime partner, John Targon, has moved on to his own “creative pursuits,” as Studenberg put it. You might have been able to predict the creative split, with Targon getting, and then unceremoniously leaving, a post at Marc Jacobs while Studenberg moved to Los Angeles in August, but you probably would not have guessed that this bit of change would help center Baja East’s vision. But that’s just what happened with Baja East’s Resort collection.Instead of amping up the graphics or clinging to a strict theme, Studenberg used Resort to refocus on the unfussy, easy pieces that made Baja East popular in the first place. There are tracksuit and knit top-and-bottom sets as well as an expanded range of easy jackets, now in silks and lamés, to keep the Baja East woman looking glam while she’s lounging. Menswear was presented separately for the first time, not that there’s anything really different about the men’s and women’s lines, but more to encourage buyers to consider these raw silk tees and cashmere sweatpants as true menswear.Baja East’s tongue-in-cheek spirit remains. The blonde heroines ofBeverly Hills, 90210andMelrose Placeserved as loose muses, and while their catty spirit comes through on slogan tees that announce “Donna Martin Graduates,” their ’90s version of dressing up is rethought in several more easygoing day-to-night options. Take a snakeskin-print silk blazer that, with palazzo pants, is pure poolside, but sans bottoms, is suited for an evening jetting around the hills in a Porsche. With a lower price point—one of those easy wrap dresses rings up at $395—Studenberg’s new collection has legs. And the women who wear it will have plenty of options for how to show off their own legs.
12 June 2018
The Baja East boys are, to put it in their parlance, thriving. Sure, you might have heard rumors of division following John Targon’s appointment at Marc Jacobs, but at a preview of their Fall collection, Targon and Scott Studenberg were all smiles. Their new collection is worth smiling about, too. Not only have they got their haute-stoner aesthetic back on track after a couple of seasonal falters, but they’ve also reached new agreements with their manufacturers to reduce costs. That’s a win for their branding and a win for their customers.So let's talk about the pieces their customers will love. Targon and Studenberg were on a pseudo-’70s bent this time, introducing some Deadhead tie-dyes and brassy, golden colorations into their already pastel and cozy oeuvre. The duo also made about one zillion incredibly overt references to getting high, from a Mastercard logo that read “Puff Puff Pass” with the cardholder’s name as Mr. Budd Clouds, to a sweatshirt printed with an image of Studenberg’s dog simulating smoking a joint. While people bicker over whether this is in bad taste or not, Baja East are taking the profits from these tongue-in-cheek graphics straight to the bank.An element you can’t argue against is the brand’s dedication to making incredibly easy unisex pieces. Fall’s silhouettes were even roomier and cozier than before, except for a miniature stretch denim LBD. Their velvet suiting, chambray tunics, and cashmere track pants all had a genderless appeal, being the kind of things you might see an It girl wearing to grab a latte in stilettos or a dude wearing curled up in first class. What Baja East are really selling, more than cashmere cardigans or funny logo tees, is the idea that effortless loungewear can actually be fun. They do it well.
16 February 2018
John Targon and Scott Studenberg’s Baja East is evolving in what appears to be the right direction. Preshow, the duo spoke as we walked down Broadway (side note: it was kind of different and definitely energizing to do a mobile interview) of making parts of their line more affordable. There will always be the “wealthy Miami and Aspen types” who go for the label’s now well-established lush cashmeres et al., but for Spring they augmented their offering with increased price-tag diversity. Think denim in collaboration with Hudson, a full swimwear package, eyewear done with Haze and footwear in partnership with Melissa.And in that process, Targon and Studenberg ended up amping up their design factor. This season promises plenty of variety, from ’90s lamé dresses—worn squared at the neckline and slit up the leg by the perma-flawless Karlie Kloss—to lace oxford shirts to off-the-shoulder wrapped tops to very-cool, very-smart athleisure pieces, including hoodies and track pants featuring palm trees lifted from the duo’s own tattoos as racing stripes. “We like the nimbleness,” said Targon, after referring to the collection as a take on a kind of faulty paradise. (There were airs of São Paulo, where they’ve taken over the Galeria Melissa store in addition to the company’s New York City outpost.) At times, the collection was scattershot in range, but in the end it congealed well—a Baja bouillabaisse of downtown edge with luxe-but-more-attainable petaling. (Speaking of flowers, there was also a series of printed marijuana blooms—not the leaves—which recalled, partially but very distantly, Givenchy’s Spring 2012 collection.)Targon and Studenberg, as always, proposed “gender obsolescent” pieces, too; an XXL crushed-velvet blazer in lilac and a python-mimicking knit jumper were notable takeaways. With all of the above, they still effectively mixed in their signatures: aBElogo, a stampeding-horse motif, and the wordthrivingprinted on a one-piece maillot. It wasn’t 100 percent, but it wasn’t meant to be. “It’s a loose utopia,” said Studenberg. “But it’s not perfect. Because being perfect is fucking annoying.”
12 September 2017
There are designers for whom fashion is a gated estate, to which only the elite are invited. And then there are designers for whom fashion is a party that everyone’s invited to.Baja East’s John Targon and Scott Studenberg are among the latter. The presentation-cum-party they threw tonight had a guest list, natch—needs must—but you get the sense that Targon and Studenberg, given their druthers, would have liked to have thrown a rave, open to anyone with the savvy to get their hands on a flyer. There’s a genuinely egalitarian quality to Baja East clothes, despite their high prices and occasional high-flown gestures.Less formally ambitious than last season’s outing, this collection emphasized fashion-as-attitude, mixing together durable streetwear with luxe affectations and dressier items with a devil-may-care vibe. The prices were accounted for in the fabrics—sumptuous silk velvets used in dishabille slip dresses and sweats alike, and nightclub-ready metallic lace and a shimmery gold silk Lurex in a handful of tailored items. That these looks seemed of a piece, more or less, with the collection’s bullion-trimmed tracksuits, slouchy check flannels, and fringed denim was a testament to both Targon and Studenberg’s generosity of spirit, and their talent for uniting disparate aesthetics under the umbrella of their clothes’ knockabout mood. Anyone can feel welcome at a Baja East party—as long as they’re cool.
15 February 2017
John Targon and Scott Studenberg are on their way to big things—not only in terms of creative success but in the scale of theirBaja Eastoperation. Just look at their past few shows as a precursor to today: Spring ’16 was a buzzy but intimate affair at Milk Studios; Fall ’16, a clubby outing in a considerably larger space at Moynihan Station; and tonight, an ambitious takeover of a Lower Manhattan car park for a faintlyFast & Furiouseffect.“Let’s show this deliciously luscious, tropical collection in this sweaty, dingy, parking garage in the Financial District,” said Studenberg backstage. Little did the pair know just how sweaty things would get, with their presentation falling at the tail end of one the steamiest days in recent memory; attendees fanned themselves valiantly with their show notes while waiting for things to kick off, and at least one man in the second row doffed his shirt altogether.The clothes on the runway, though, felt perfectly suited to a sweltering September night, with their slouchy tropical tenor. Models sported damp-looking hair and dewily kohl-rimmed eyes, courtesy of Guido Palau and Diane Kendal, respectively, stalking out in easy, ultra-cool silhouettes from the word go. Opener Irina Kravchenko walked in a softly frayed pin-striped jacket, worn tucked into a pair of polished cream trousers finished with a tuxedo stripe of bugle-beaded fringe. That fringe story and palm-frond prints, as seen throughout the collection, served to heighten familiar shapes from the brand, but nowhere was the tenor of luxury quite so palpable as in a simple floor-skimming shift dress, paneled in a wide stripe of tawny python.There’s something pretty ingenious about the Baja East approach to fashion. The highs so unapologetically high (e.g., Spring’s python dress and coat; Fall’s alligator coat); the lows never low, but always bearing in mind the brand’s aspirational customers, like those who scooped up its Fila slides collab. Targon and Studenberg even got in on the merch game, printing their likenesses partaking in certain herbal refreshments, on crewnecks. What’s more: Among the big-ticket names in on the affair (Intel, et al.) was Illumination Entertainment, the company behind the blockbusterMinionsfranchise, with whom Baja East has partnered. Iman Shumpert cradled one of the plush yellow dudes while sitting front row alongside wife Teyana Taylor, and guests were able to purchase BE x Minions branded tanks, hats, and earrings on-site.
You’ll find them at the label’s e-commerce store as of this evening, too.
10 September 2016
TheBaja Eastguys were feeling themselves this season, and can you blame them? There was a buzzy, almost clubby energy to Scott Studenberg and John Targon’s Moynihan Station show tonight (Solangesat front row), sales are strong, andLady Gaga’s been sporting their wares like it’s her job. They are, to quote a sweatshirt sleeve that went down the runway,thriving. That’s especially noteworthy from a label that launched a little over two years ago on the niche basis of ambisexual wares and seriously premium cashmere ponchos. Fall brought one of Baja East’s most swaggering, streetwear-tinged shows to date. The label has forged on with its Pre-Fall m.o. of rounding out entry-level wares in terry and graphic styles, Fila collaborations, et al.Nineties hip-hop got a generous nod in the form of a new, sporty logo (it came in a blinged-out chain, too, one of the duo’s odes to Missy Elliott). Even this season’s accessories brimmed over with things dear to the guys’ hearts: unofficial BE mascot Bala the French bulldog, ganja leaves (Alexander Wangwasn’t the only talent to bring 4/20 to the runway today)—even a couple of the designers’ tattoos: a palm tree and the wordsDon’t Panic.Expanding the Baja lifestyle brand has taken on a distinctly modern-day gypset vibe. There are none of those ubiquitous Talitha Getty snaps on their mood board, but Targon and Studenberg are acutely aware of the work-hard-play-hard, jet-setting lives so many of their clientele enjoy. Here was a heady mix of clothes to take their customer from Joshua Tree to Gstaad to Chelsea: beautifully draped satins, Lurex-flecked velvet, and cosmos-printed chiffons. Oh, and there was alligator: a long, creamy, undyed coat; and a shorter, glossy black shearling–lined jacket trimmed in fox. In the most opulent direct-to-consumer bid yet, both of those will start shipping in early March with a one-week turnaround time. If you hurry now, you can tell that special someone you got your order in onValentine’s Day. It’ll pay better dividends than a box of Russell Stover.
14 February 2016
Everyone’s definition of a luxury buy is different. Some are prepared to splash out on a pair of Scott Studenberg and John Targon’s too-plush-for-words cashmere harem pants or hoodies; for others, that’s not in the cards. Bearing both of those customers in mind, theBaja Eastdesigners are hard at work rounding out their offerings. There will be plenty of their signature luxury leisurewear, of course, but also pieces that fall on the far other end of the spectrum. Consider entry-level items like graphic hoodies in French terry or convincingly “well-loved” faux vintage tees. Those are savvy, to be sure; with celebrity #BajaBabes like Lady Gaga, plenty of aspirational customers are sure to flock to the brand. But the biggest news here was the loftier buys.The “obsolescence of gender” is of chief interest to Studenberg and Targon, and one of the distinguishing points of their label, but the bulk of their business lies with women. This lineup skewed toward the distinctly feminine: the return of their best-selling cutout jumpsuit (as spotted onHailee Steinfeld); diaphanous pieces in what the duo call Moroccan fringe (the luxe fabric is in fact from a French mill); and deliciously draped tops and jumpsuits whipped up from satin back crepe. Even the dressiest styles bore a certain sporty flair in twist-back details and spare lines. Both guysandgirls will fall hard for the buttery calfskin raver pants and a shearling astrakhan parka; what’s more, where else can you confidently turn when in the market for a “chunky fuck-you cashmere”? Baja,bien sûr.
11 January 2016
There was a buzz at today’sBaja Eastshow. Common, Miguel, and Mariska Hargitay were seated front row, and while the brand’s shows have historically been well attended since its inception (just two years ago), there was a noticeably higher showing of the industry’s top faces. ForSpring, designersScott StudenbergandJohn Targonreimagined their signature urban nomad through the lens of rave, down to the polished take on kandi seen at models’ wrists and necks.Where the past has seen the Baja East palette go sun-bleached and spare, today’s was a veritable riot of parrotlike shades, red, chiefly, but saturated blues and greens, too. Those all came to life in a punchy tie-dye print (we’ve seen a rash of the stuff at the shows already, but none so graphic as this take), spotted on silk caftans. That print was mirrored in the many, many multicolored, “bingo granny bling” Swarovski crystals covering white sweatshirts and tees. There was also a terrific multihued crochet, dappled with iridescent sequins.Backstage pre-show, Studenberg said that, ambisexual brand or not, roughly 90 percent of Baja’s business is women’s. As such, starting with Resort the designers have been increasing their focus on “proper” women’s clothes—that is to say, less loungy pieces to complement those cashmere ponchos. Here, that yielded a tuxedo-style ivory dress with a knotted belt that came scattered in more Swarovski. There was even soft tailoring in the form of a scarlet blazer with a slim shawl collar.Baja’s fortunes look promising: They’reCFDA/VogueFashion Fundfinalists, in key doors globally, and a growing name within the industry. Now, Studenberg and Targon are in the market for a key investor. The heightened commercial appeal of today’s outing was a step toward that, and from the looks of it, the designers feel good about their odds: Both they and their models took a post-show victory lap, dancing all the way.
12 September 2015
There's no doubt that the fashion establishment is at long last opening its eyes to the potential of a post-gender approach. Look no further than Selfridges' recently debuted unisex department or transgender model/It girl Hari Nef, who just signed with IMG. But where some brands undertake dressing across X and Y chromosomes with an avant-garde, editorial flair, Baja East is an ambisexual brand that's making a bid for the American luxury market. Designers Scott Studenberg and John Targon aren't just turning out hyper-luxe ponchos for urban nomads and surfer girls. They're also designing for clients who shop at stores like Bergdorf Goodman, where in a couple of weeks Baja East will make its debut with Pre-Fall, sitting alongside such labels as Bottega Veneta and The Row. While Baja East is less than two years old, Resort marked one of its most persuasive outings to date.For starters, there was a new lookbook format, in which male and female models wore many of the same garments side by side, illustrating the real-world styling possibilities for both sexes of the label's cropped skater shorts, harem pants, and wrap-style bandeau tops. The tenor of luxury was high throughout the collection, particularly when it came to the soft cashmere robes in Baja's signature tonal "ikat graffiti" print. Creating pieces like that was a savvy move from the designers (who cut their teeth in sales at several top houses), since Resort deliveries will be hitting stores just in time for holiday shopping. The customer who has the disposable income to gift one of those items probably has an evening event or two in her iCal, so Studenberg and Targon explored the possibilities of dressier fare, like a louche white jumpsuit in double-face crepe-silk. Elsewhere a citron jungle-print techno jacquard sprung to life in slouchy trousers (notably not of the pull-on sort) and a sleeveless trench. And dressing for wintertime bashes will be a chic, simple feat thanks to a ribbed turtleneck maxi dress that contained the subtlest hint of Lurex—enough, as the boys pointed out, to wink with the inevitable pop of a camera flash.
3 June 2015
How big, commercially speaking, can a label selling itself as "ambisexual" be? Pretty damn big, as designers Scott Studenberg and John Targon see it. The pair (who cut their teeth working in sales for the likes of Lanvin and Céline, respectively) are casting a wide net with their lifestyle brand, banking on the universal appeal of their luxe, beachy knits. Backstage, readying Baja East's Fall collection, they talked about trunk shows and dressing women from 20 to 70. They've sold some of their popular drop-crotch trousers (Studenberg was sporting a pair) to women across that spectrum—and to fans like Cameron Diaz, to boot. And the brand is just over a year old.Dubbing this season Baja Bedouin, the pair turned out a sun-bleached offering full of cozy pieces, such as a plush gray wrap, that one might have surreptitiously tossed on while leaving the Milk Studios presentation, given the chance. Then there were others, like a long washed-silk robe, that may be trickier to navigate in the wilds of Manhattan—nice, but arguably better suited for long weekends in Palm Springs than for the urban nomad. Pre-Fall's more structured tailoring was de-emphasized, and some of the best looks here were the hand-loomed ones, shot through with chunky whipstitch details. Standouts also included shearling pieces in the brand's ikat graffiti print and a cropped wool skate pant, nicely reminiscent of JNCO's jeans of yore.
18 February 2015
How big, commercially speaking, can a label selling itself as "ambisexual" be? Pretty damn big, as designers Scott Studenberg and John Targon see it. The pair (who cut their teeth working in sales for the likes of Lanvin and Céline, respectively) are casting a wide net with their lifestyle brand, banking on the universal appeal of their luxe, beachy knits. Backstage, readying Baja East's Fall collection, they talked about trunk shows and dressing women from 20 to 70. They've sold some of their popular drop-crotch trousers (Studenberg was sporting a pair) to women across that spectrum—and to fans like Cameron Diaz, to boot. And the brand is just over a year old.Dubbing this season Baja Bedouin, the pair turned out a sun-bleached offering full of cozy pieces, such as a plush gray wrap, that one might have surreptitiously tossed on while leaving the Milk Studios presentation, given the chance. Then there were others, like a long washed-silk robe, that may be trickier to navigate in the wilds of Manhattan—nice, but arguably better suited for long weekends in Palm Springs than for the urban nomad. Pre-Fall's more structured tailoring was de-emphasized, and some of the best looks here were the hand-loomed ones, shot through with chunky whipstitch details. Standouts also included shearling pieces in the brand's ikat graffiti print and a cropped wool skate pant, nicely reminiscent of JNCO's jeans of yore.
17 February 2015
It's interesting that, despite having a label that's deeply grounded in knitwear, the guys from Baja East are pretty obsessed with day-to-night dressing. "We cover our women and guys throughout the day, but they've also been asking how they can do Baja East for evening," said cofounder John Targon. The answer? "Relaxed cocktail."Just a few seasons in, Targon and Scott Studenberg have built Baja East around the idea of ambisexual dressing—clothes that work well, but differently, on both men and women. Democratic knitwear lends itself nicely to the concept. Pre-Fall's pale pink ribbed cotton baja, for instance, could live on either side of the sales floor. (The designers said they wanted to find a pink that guys could wear, too, and there is something quite neutral about it.) To bring the concept into evening, though, is a little more challenging. A silk-lined, spangly Lurex wrap skirt, paired with an oversize chunky cashmere sweater, is a no-brainer for women, but an interesting challenge for the daring man. What clearly works both ways, regardless, is the brand's fabrications. A Japanese silk crepe, used on a simple snap-front skirt and a pair of side-pocket harem pants, felt good enough to sleep in. And sure, it's cocktail-appropriate, too.
9 December 2014
Years working in sales at luxury brands like Lanvin, Céline, and Burberry have made Baja East cofounders John Targon and Scott Studenberg smart about moving product, and they can talk for hours about what's selling best, where, and to whom. (At Forty Five Ten in Dallas, Aerosmith's Steven Tyler recently purchased a floor-length piece, while Cameron Diaz went for a pair of boxing pants at Hirshleifers in Long Island.) But they're also good about pushing their message, which is grounded in "loose luxury" that is "ambisexual." Also known as well-made but laid-back clothes that are easily worn and shared between men and women.For Spring, Targon and Studenberg wanted to further drive home their mission by staging a full-fledged runway show that illustrated how beautifully—and easily—the pieces could cross over. "We wanted to let the clothes speak for themselves," Studenberg said backstage before the show. Ideas from previous seasons were brought forward, including the signature Baja top, in navy layered over a teal dress, and the hooded caftan, rendered in distressed white jersey. Cashmere-jacquard knit sweatpants, sweaters, cutoffs, and bra tops were done in bird and ikat patterns, and antique Balinese ceremonial skirts were reconstructed into long cape dresses and cloaks. The designers displayed cozy cashmere blankets and sweaters by tying them across the body. But the newness came in a cropped silk top—daring for the male customer in particular, but possible—and a broadened emphasis on suiting. A blackberry raw-edged silk blazer, T-shirt, and shorts offered the scenester an alternative to the tuxedo. (And the white version, done with full-length pants, worked well on both male and female models. "Effortless tailoring," Targon called it.) Baja East may not be launching a revolution, but it is helping to fuel a conversation.
6 September 2014
With their recently launched Baja East line, Scott Studenberg and John Targon are carving out a new niche in the market they've dubbed "loose luxury." As spontaneous guys with chronic wanderlust, the designers sought to fill a perceived void for elevated, laid-back staples to "pack, travel, and take anywhere—from city to sand, surf to street," they said at their first Resort presentation. What's particularly novel about the brand is its ambisexual approach to dressing that blurs gender lines. Targon explained, "We've spent a lot of time with women who wanted to borrow things we wore, and we thought, Why do we have to make it one way or the other?" Backstage, the male models peeled off their tribal tunics, leopard-pattern cashmere sweats, and casual cotton separates splashed with an allover "ikat graffiti" motif, then swapped them with the girls. Some looks fared better than others in the crossover. While versatile pieces such as raw-edged trenches, muscle tanks, and intarsia hoodies featuring a cool shark graphic would fit into most wardrobes, it takes a gutsy dude (and the right occasion) to pull off a full-length spotted sarong or skimpy bikini bottoms. Other highlights here included moto jackets cut from a French terry-bonded leather, as well as Baja East's take on modern eveningwear: a transparent silk linen wrap skirt paired with a refined T-shirt. "We'd love to see more effortlessness on the red carpet," said Studenberg. With an eye toward sales (the label is currently stocked by the likes of Barneys New York, Maxfield, and The Webster), the designers were smart to expand their variety of lifestyle items such as king-size throw blankets, beanies, and eye masks ideal for stashing in your carry-on bag.
10 June 2014