Timo Weiland (Q9340)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Timo Weiland is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Timo Weiland |
Timo Weiland is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
It’s been three-and-a-half years since Timo Weiland was on Vogue Runway. The brand took some time off, and it gave Weiland and his cofounders, Alan Eckstein and Donna Kang, a chance to explore other creative outlets: Weiland still DJs and launched The Lead Innovation Summit; Eckstein designs furniture; and Kang cofounded a women’s eveningwear brand.At the same time, they were witnessing significant shifts in the fashion industry: Department stores were closing, more brands were going direct-to-consumer, and the brands that managed to get ahead were the ones with narrower, more focused assortments, sometimes zeroing in on just one thing. It got them thinking about a modern version of T.W., and fall 2020 was their relaunch of sorts. They’ve adopted a modern business model: The trio has partnered with Groupe, a platform that lends infrastructure and shared resources to emerging designers and gives them a physical space to meet with customers in its Bowery showroom. The new Timo Weiland also has a more 2020-relevant concept: gender-fluid, wear-anywhere cotton-twill suiting in a rainbow of colors.Don’t call it uniform dressing, though. Weiland and Eckstein both wore varying twists on the tailoring: Weiland in blush trousers and a striped T-shirt, and Eckstein in a black double-breasted suit with sneakers. Thanks to the heavier cotton twill, the suits could go low-key or dressed up, punkish or straight edge, depending on how they’re styled. Models at the brand’s New York Men’s Day presentation wore button-downs over T-shirts, clunky Dr. Martens, and mashed-up colors, from turquoise and brown to shades of pink and red. Weiland says they’ve already been making a few bespoke suits for celebrity clients, including the Jonas Brothers, who have made bold, monochromatic tailoring their signature look. He’s hoping people will buy a few and mix and match the colors, then add their own personal flair with accessories and footwear. Even better, he reported that a jacket and trousers will come in under $1,000, considerably lower than some of T.W.’s peers. You can’t beat the price per wear of an excellent blazer.
5 February 2020
It’s been three-and-a-half years since Timo Weiland was on Vogue Runway. The brand took some time off, and it gave Weiland and his cofounders, Alan Eckstein and Donna Kang, a chance to explore other creative outlets: Weiland still DJs and launched The Lead Innovation Summit; Eckstein designs furniture; and Kang cofounded a women’s eveningwear brand.At the same time, they were witnessing significant shifts in the fashion industry: Department stores were closing, more brands were going direct-to-consumer, and the brands that managed to get ahead were the ones with narrower, more focused assortments, sometimes zeroing in on just one thing. It got them thinking about a modern version of T.W., and fall 2020 was their relaunch of sorts. They’ve adopted a modern business model: The trio has partnered with Groupe, a platform that lends infrastructure and shared resources to emerging designers and gives them a physical space to meet with customers in its Bowery showroom. The new Timo Weiland also has a more 2020-relevant concept: gender-fluid, wear-anywhere cotton-twill suiting in a rainbow of colors.Don’t call it uniform dressing, though. Weiland and Eckstein both wore varying twists on the tailoring: Weiland in blush trousers and a striped T-shirt, and Eckstein in a black double-breasted suit with sneakers. Thanks to the heavier cotton twill, the suits could go low-key or dressed up, punkish or straight edge, depending on how they’re styled. Models at the brand’s New York Men’s Day presentation wore button-downs over T-shirts, clunky Dr. Martens, and mashed-up colors, from turquoise and brown to shades of pink and red. Weiland says they’ve already been making a few bespoke suits for celebrity clients, including the Jonas Brothers, who have made bold, monochromatic tailoring their signature look. He’s hoping people will buy a few and mix and match the colors, then add their own personal flair with accessories and footwear. Even better, he reported that a jacket and trousers will come in under $1,000, considerably lower than some of T.W.’s peers. You can’t beat the price per wear of an excellent blazer.
5 February 2020
Sometimes the fashion industry is criticized for being too exclusive, but theTimo Weilandgang is all about celebrating the friends they’ve made since starting the label in 2010. With each new collection, Weiland and his codesigners Donna Kang and Alan Eckstein tend to nix a specific reference and instead find inspiration in their inner circle. They noticed the stylists, DJs, and creative types in their lives were channeling the ’90s, so today’s collection—presented at the new Samsung store in the Meatpacking District—was big on graphic animal prints, slip dresses, and wide-leg trousers. The models even wore satin scrunchies in their hair.This wasn’t the grunge aesthetic you might associate with the ’90s, and there was a little bit of the ’80s in the pink, blue, and orange giraffe-spotted and zebra-striped tops and trousers. Team Timo insists they design for New York women, but it’s hard to picture many of them wearing those vibrant pieces. In such a neutral-inclined city, bold colors and notice-me prints tend to feel tired quickly. More grounded were the extra-long silk shirts—worn open like trench coats—and a polka-dot maxi dress layered over a knit polo.Retro suede jackets are also becoming a Timo signature, first introduced in their Spring ’17 men’s collection and seen here with leather patches and ring-pull zippers. The designers would do well to include more souped-up basics like that in future collections—they make for better investments than zany prints or trendy silhouettes.
11 September 2016
The trio behindTimo Weiland—Alan Eckstein and Donna Kang, as well as the namesake—poked around Grandpa’s closet, literally, to pull off their best-executed collection yet. Held in the Cadillac House, home of Retail Lab (a rotating pop-up shop, starting with Timo Weiland, in partnership with the CFDA, catering to those with a see-now-buy-now mind-set), the generational nod could hardly have been more fitting.When articulating their Spring vision backstage, Eckstein spoke of a “human movement” and “all walks of life,” referring to the inclusive, respectful nature of the label, based on what they see men actually wearing or what men actually want to wear. To that end, all the neckties—of the nubby-knit variety—belonged to his grandfather, adding a nostalgic, retro dimension to an already spiffy collection of square-cut, front-crease basics.Suede biker jackets in black and Werther’s brown, pared down to exclude the belt, were the clear standout, along with thin sweaters with chevron patterns and color-blocked reds and blues. Silk shirts, some with a subtly kitsch leopard print, others with abstracted polka dots, were modeled on ’50s bowling shirts. “Ultimately, we were thinking about what matters to families, things that are handed down from generation to generation,” said Kang. “Nowadays, electronics and devices are what people use and love, but no one is going to hand down an iPad.”
15 July 2016
Is prep making a comeback? A flip throughTimo Weiland’s new Resort collection might just convince you. Weiland and his codesigners, Alan Eckstein and Donna Kang, have had a busy year: They’ve refocused their vision (now it’s less sporty, more sophisticated), shifted their production to Europe (resulting in much better fabrics), and split their efforts between their own label and their collaborations with Banana Republic. Working with the retailer had a surprising impact on their Resort lineup; Weiland was remembering all the Banana jackets he wore with his grade school uniform, and suddenly he was designing tennis sweaters, track jackets, and pleated skirts.Classic American style has always been part of the Timo Weiland aesthetic; here it was balanced with silk slip dresses inspired by Michelle Pfeiffer inScarface. “We wanted something a little more sensual,” Kang said. The slips didn’t totally gel with the preppier, color-blocked items, but with slip dresses trending on and off the runway, what contemporary designer could resist? Weiland shoppers looking for something a bit less formulaic would be smart to pick up the ice-pink blazer or striped silk duster coat instead; both were seasonless and came with decorative ribbons that could be wrapped around the biceps or left to dangle by the wrists.
15 June 2016
For a brand to compete in the contemporary marketplace, it needs to have a unique, desirable vision that also appeals to a wide variety of shoppers. Maybe it’s known for the best leather jackets, or specializes in printed dresses or cutting-edge knitwear. All too often a designer simply churns out the same no-brainer trends and “must-haves” and ends up blending in with everything else on the department store floor.Timo Weiland’s “thing” hasn’t always been clear, but in the past few seasons, Weiland and his codesigners Alan Eckstein and Donna Kang have zeroed in on their strengths and reset their signatures. Their idea of wearable, cool-girl style is a casual mix of preppy, sporty, and feminine flourishes, best seen in their “combo dresses,” which mimic sweaters or tunics layered over skirts. What stood out in their Fall collection was a group of velvet pieces (including a navy velvet bomber) and some extra-wide trousers, which Weiland said have already been a hit with buyers. We could have predicted as much—roomy pants have quickly replaced the cropped flare as Fall’s dominant shape.All that velvet was no doubt popular with the buyers, too. The regal fabric is everywhere right now, and team Weiland used a particularly shimmery velvet for a midi dress with bows on the shoulders. To keep it light, they added strips of sheer tulle around the bottom—no one wants to feel like they’re wearing a velvet curtain. As in many of this week’s collections, texture outweighed color and print here: Velvet was mixed with pleated chiffon, a silk blouse was tucked into a fuzzy plaid skirt, and deep-V ribbed sweaters were thrown over zip-up cardigans. Some of those ideas were more successful than others—for example, a blush dress layered over slouchy pants felt a little been there, done that—but you could tell it was Timo right away.
18 February 2016
First and foremost, Timo Weiland’s clothes are meant to be wearable. Add flattering and comfortable to the list, too.Weilandand his codesigners,Donna KangandAlan Eckstein, are very much a part of the New York fashion scene, but they aren’t about to endorse completely sheer dresses or high-concept frippery. That doesn’t mean the clothes are boring, though; it seems the goal of every contemporary label is to master easy to-wear pieces that still feel special. Over the past few seasons, the three have gotten closer to that target by sharpening their focus and embracing a new, richer vision.For their Spring collection, they were inspired by the sweet, heady feeling of a new relationship. “It’s when you want to feel really pretty, but also comfortable,” Kang explained. For example, their flowing skirts and dresses had to pass the “cross-legged” test, so you wouldn’t think twice about sprawling out on the grass with your special someone. Little cutouts and bow-tie details also managed to be feminine but not cloying; the same was true of the ballet pink, navy, white, and olive color palette. Elsewhere, the trio relied on soft textures to inject a sense of romance: see the cable-knit sweater paired with a fraying tweed skirt, or a crisp, strapless poplin tunic layered over silk pants. Either of those looks would make an ideal starting point for girls hoping to embrace the season’s breezier, less structured sensibilities without going too far outside their comfort zone.
18 September 2015
What would a New Yorker wear in the South of France? That question was the starting point for Timo Weiland's Resort collection, but don't expect nautical stripes and polo shirts. "Our inspiration is never super-literal," Weiland explained during a preview. "It's more about the spirit of a New Yorker in this really relaxed, coastal environment."The season took the label in a new direction, and the most noticeable shift was in the silhouettes. Timo Weiland is known for stretchy, body-skimming knits, but this outing included swishy chiffon skirts, tea-length dresses, and flippy miniskirts that could also be worn as strapless tops. The lookbook captured the sexier, more offhand vibe to a T; Weiland and his co-designers, Donna Kang and Alan Eckstein, shot it right in their studio, and some looks were artfully improvised, such as two dresses layered together or a mixed-rib knit twisted around the shoulders like a scarf. That thrown-together quality felt particularly fresh for the brand, which has skewed more minimalist and sporty in the past. A jungle-print chiffon dress and a chunky sweater with shirting sliced into the hem both presented endless styling possibilities. "This feels like the year of people just being themselves," Weiland said. "We love when a girl reinterprets something totally differently on her own."
18 June 2015
At any given moment, Saul Leiter's arresting photos of 1940s and '50s New York City—regular people and moments captured through fogged-up cab and store windows—are pinned up on Timo Weiland's mood boards. "They could have been shot last week," Weiland said after the show, speaking for himself and his partners, Donna Kang and Alan Eckstein. The spirit of those images, of people going about their business, was what drove the latest collection. And it felt like we were there, peeking through the window at something interesting.The clothes were based on reality and muses who walk among the rest of us: Kang herself and the label's fit model and longtime friend, Luiza Madejak, who knit the chunky hats worn throughout. Loosened-up striped bombers and off-the-shoulder sweatshirts topped pencil skirts and pajama pants that fell into a "tomboy-pretty" feel that Weiland talked about. Blink and you missed watches sewn into the sleeves of two flight jackets—a hint of a collection with Casio next year.The Timo Weiland design trio has a way of making looser silhouettes and layers seem alluring, and inviting to the girl who doesn't try (or wants to look like she doesn't). Case in point: an oversize gray turtleneck and matching hat worn over a swingy lilac mini, and a silk lilac button-down half-tucked into athleisure knit sweatpants. Doc Martens (updated as calf hair or patent booties) and shirts tied at the waist brought in a subtle '90s grunge feel that played into the real-world vibe.
12 February 2015
Designers often pull inspiration from far-flung, exotic destinations, but Timo Weiland, Alan Eckstein, and Donna Kang kept things local for Pre-Fall. Frequent road trips to Florida to visit Weiland's family inspired the collection's saturated palette, sporty details, and pared-back silhouettes. "The modern, mid-century interiors of Florida influenced the more streamlined feeling," Kang explained. Those clean lines were juxtaposed against rich textures like knife pleats, sheer panels, and thick jacquards. A blue-and-silver dot print looked vaguely feline but was actually an abstract interpretation of raindrops on a windshield. The trio describe their clothes as "preppy with a twist," adding striped piping to T-shirt dresses and incorporating lots of ribbed, skintight separates in a stretchy rayon-nylon-Lycra blend. "Sexy" is relatively new territory for them, and the body-con-averse might pass over those pieces. For girls who prefer the label's breezier, girlier side, there were flippy tuxedo dresses and minis to spare.
19 December 2014