Comfortable is the new fashion

The rich really are a different breed of people. When they like a certain outfit, they buy a dozen of it in different colors. Not rocket science, but I read this bit of trivia in a book on retail and consumer behavior many years ago.

Now here’s a thought on Facebook the other day:  “The richest and most successful people strive for simplicity in appearance and don’t think for too long about what to put on each morning.”

By sticking to easy and simple clothes, “time is saved and stress levels are reduced. Your energy isn’t used up. You make fewer decisions about things that aren’t important.”

Think Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder, who always wore a black turtleneck and denim pants. Think Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook co-founder, in his signature plain T-shirt and black hoodie. And both in rubber shoes. Think French woman of style Ines de la Fressange typically in white shirt, blue jeans, cardigan and flats. Think cultural critic Fran Lebowitz in black blazers and white blouse.

What’s happening? Is there a new dress code among the rich and successful?

Judging from what’s selling these days, yes. What’s hot now are simple and comfortable — yet stylish — clothes by global brands like Cos. And locally, those well-cut clothes by Harlan+Holden, matched with comfortable Camino shoes.

I recently attended a dinner in Rockwell — the first of its kind in fashionable Manila — where Manila’s most influential people wore Harlan+Holden clothes and Camino shoes. No, it wasn’t a case of uniform dressing, because each woman gave her own interpretation and personal touch to each outfit.

Only maverick retailer Eman Pineda, the creative person behind these two brands, can wake up the city from its usual predictable fashion events. Special guest that day was Caroline Issa, the Wharton-educated beauty with brains, the Tank magazine editor and style star who is one of the people now shaping the global fashion industry.

Here are excerpts from conversations with Eman and Caroline:

PHILIPPINE STAR: What was on your mind when you envisioned Harlan+Holden?

EMAN PINEDA: Harlan+Holden was the first to call its products “easy,”  “comfortable.” These words go against fashion’s lingo. We even coined the term “uniform dressing,” which some pundits had advised us against using because it’s a strong anti-fashion statement. But we know what our brand has to offer.

Harlan+Holden is an approach to dressing. It is not a style or silhouette or trend. The brand offers its clients beautifully tailored clothing that works for them.

Our lives are not getting simpler nor easier with modern technology or advancements; in fact, our world has become more difficult and complicated. ?The brand? wants to offer people a clothing line that would simplify getting dressed. 

H+H has become such a big hit here. If it were launched during another decade, would it have been a success? What does that say about today’s women? And now, men?

As we know from books and films, people historically took pride in all the ceremonies around getting dressed. The corsets, petticoats, gloves and hats were part of everyday life. In older societies, they had ladies-in-waiting and valets and a full staff to dress them even for simple dinners in their own homes.  But that was 100 years ago. Through the decades, cultures have become more and more relaxed and casual — sometimes too much. What Harlan + Holden wants to offer is the ease in putting things together, but without ever sacrificing the way you look. We no longer have the time to sit and plan and lay out what we will wear to each occasion. Not only have the number of occasions increased, we also have become a lot busier.

Harlan+Holden is a response to the times. We have recognized that “time is the ultimate luxury.” That is not a new phenomenon or a bold statement. We simply cared to address that a smart modern woman (and man) of today, and maybe also of a decade ago, will want to have their clothing work for them. Women and men today are savvy shoppers. They want the most for their buck and they are not afraid to be practical.

Sneakers and rubber shoes are also now the choice footwear of fashionable women worldwide, even with dresses. Even men wear rubber-soled shoes with suits. How did this happen? Was Camino a response to this trend? Or it was always part of the DNA of H+H?

Comfort is part of Harlan+Holden’s DNA. So whether we translate this into shoes or accessories, or homeware or even a car, comfort? (i.e. saving our customers time)? has to be a driver. ?Louis Vuitton may come out with their version of a plimsoll, but they will also produce mink-lined sandals, while we will never come out with stilettos.

Caroline, what exactly is going on in the fashion world today? And where do you think it’s headed? Care to make a forecast?

CAROLINE ISSA: The fashion industry itself is going through a major upheaval — but I always believe that through change comes so much opportunity. I think brands, both big and small, have a window of opportunity to question everything they do, and how they communicate both with the press and their end customer, to figure out what works for them in terms of creating loyal, excited and authentic engagement. I believe that niche brands will be more and more important in a very unified luxury “high street” while the big luxury brands will have the most honest and authentic way of redefining luxury and the value that holds on to their fans. I think going direct-to-customer physical stores will become more important, not less, in the digital age, where customers crave an experience they won’t forget. Exciting times!

Is a light and comfortable flat shoe, like Camino, really something that a fashionista would be caught dead wearing?

Ha-ha, good question! And absolutely! Have you seen the dominance of the great sneaker and slip-on on the runways of Fashion Week? With Chanel, Roger Vivier and Celine all doing luxe versions, it’s the perfect time to get a comfortable, affordable and very stylish version from Harlan+Holden! You had better start embracing it, and your feet will thank you for it!

Eman, you’ve always been a maverick fashion visionary/retailer. Did you have to test the market before you fully launched H+H?

EMAN: Yes, retail is a discipline and we still need to test? the product, just like everything we do in our company. Our bi-annual collection? is also comprised of tried and tested essentials, and so with Caminos, we absolutely needed to R&D this for more than 18 months. Innovation is a key value to our company, and innovation needs testing.

In a way it is the antithesis of so-called trendy brands and designer RTW that fashion faddists and brand-conscious women go for.

What is unique about Harlan+Holden is its obsession with time. If Harlan+Holden is able to save you 10 minutes dressing up, then the mission is completed. It’s less on the aesthetic, and more on the function. It speaks to a specific customer who is so busy with their many roles in one day, and if the brand is able to save them 10 minutes, then that time can be used for something else more important in their lives.

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Follow the author on Instagram and Facebook@milletmartinezmananquil. Email her at mananquilmillet@gmail.com.