Cadet (Q3999)
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Cadet is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Cadet |
Cadet is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
A jersey top in Cadet’s Spring collection readAmor vinci omnia, which translates to “Love conquers all.” “It’s our way of being slightly political,” said designer Brad Schmidt. Why in Latin? “Well, the overall collection is inspired by Rome, specifically a private tour we had of the Vatican,” said partner Raul Arevalo (the two are also, in fact, a couple). Schmidt then added, “In the past we’ve been criticized for being too ‘military,’ so this collection is something new, while still nodding to Roman cavalry.” Additional sloganized pieces boreBono malum superate(“Overcome evil with good”) andPer angusta ad augusta(“Through difficulties to greatness”).They were salable high notes. Others included “our version of the bomber jacket, which we call an aviator. This time they’re oversize,” said the designers. The best in show in that category was made of black plaid merino—fabric that would normally be cut into traditional men’s suiting. There were also a couple of draped and loosened trenchcoats that looked more Roman modern-day weekend warrior versus Roman gladiator, but, hey, military can be what you make of it.Where Arevalo and Schmidt ran into trouble was when they veered afield of their comfort zone. You have to applaud them for changing their tempo, but open shoulders held together with metal clasps on a T-shirt and shoulder zippers on another tee were both overthought. Also, pleated shorts and trousers are generally hard to pull off, and in some cases today they felt heavy and clunky. Yet, no doubt, it’s encouraging to see the guys trying new things.
13 July 2016
Every season,Cadet’s Raúl Arévalo and Brad Schmidt pick one wartime photograph for inspiration. This season, it was a snap taken during WWII of, straightforwardly, Morse code. “Long and short signals,” said Schmidt. “So we did a shorter jacket and a longer pant.”The latter is of the greatest interest; Cadet makes a truly killer trouser. A couple here had an athletic cuff—somewhat of a house signature—while others came in charcoal wool, with button-closure ankles that marched up to the mid-shin (the effect provided the slightest humorous relief to the show’s austere styling and moody soundtrack). A closing flight pant—matched with a coordinating trenchcoat above—boasted a cool “smoke-screen” motif on a nylon-wool blend. Said Arévalo: “The print is from radio waves carrying top-secret messages.”Military is forever the label’s modus operandi. And the rigidity that comes with militarism is sometimes overwhelming; you want to see these clothes live, breathe, and not look as though they’re part of a roll call. Perhaps that will be achieved when they are de-coupled and worn IRL. On a high note, a ray of street savviness and approachability presented itself in Cadet’s latest collaboration: high-tops, in black-on-black or silver foil, with Greats, a Brooklyn-based footwear startup. A plus? They go on sale tomorrow.
4 February 2016