Deep Green for Fall 2010

Don't have a photo, however just got done working with fabric mills for Fall 2010 and there is an amazing Loden Green that is back in the fabric collections. It is the deep, dark green what they are then using Purple and Lavendar stripes that really create quite a color combination.

I am headed to Hong Kong for the next couple of weeks, however will try to get some fabrics scanned so you can see what you will be wearing a year from now!

Old School

We are deep in the process of working on 3 seasons, first the current season, Spring 2010 and Fall 2010. I am in Istanbul this week, then off to China for 2 weeks, then back to Istanbul for another week.

I thought is was a great photo of doing something the Old School Way!

We were very successful with a stretch fabric for Spring 2010 and we have been developing additional ideas with one of our fabric mills. Because we are using a Polyimide fiber to make the fabric even softer (the mill calls this fabric Heaven Stretch), this gentleman is testing the fabric to make sure that Polyimide is being used. He is doing this by lighting some of the yarns on fire, then based upon the smell, he can tell if Polyimide or Polyester is being used. Polyimide is the cashmere of synthetic yarns, so many times mills will try to use polyester yarns.

So much for technology!

Giant Vending Machine

A few years ago when we first started our stores, we talked about building a Giant Vending machine. Of course through the years we have had amazing people in the stores. However, we wanted to create an environment where we could literally have Self Check Out and someone at the door checking reciepts. Basically creating a Giant Vending Machine. If we had great people working in the store, this would be a bonus.

I don't think we ever got to that point. What is interesting, the hotel industry is figuring out this model. I am staying at one of the coolest hotels that I have ever stayed. Check out Citizen M in Amsterdam www.citizenm.com , it is a very cool environment.

The place is totally wired, the rooms are some of the smallest I have ever stayed in (think Hudson in NYC). They are maybe 10ft x 10ft and that includes the shower, toilet, sink and bed. However the design is spectacular! Check In and Check out is done by the guest and I think there are 2 Employees on the premise (one of them is a bartender, smart a tremendous revenue producer).

Garment Dyed/Washed Cotton Suit

Believe it or not, we have been working on perfecting the above garments for over a year. The photo on the right, is a cotton suit in it's "Greige" state, or "Ready for Garment Dying". The suit on the left is the final result.

We have not only Dyed the suit, we have also given the suit a light wash to give it a slight Patina or what the market place will call Vintage. We love this slightly disheveled look and this suit is now something that we live in and wear practically everyday.

I remember in the 1960's and 70's going every Spring with my Grandfather to get his new cotton suits. Of course he always and a tan, then would add olive, navy and stone. Then every so often, when he felt daring he would add a pincord or seersucker.

This is the modern version of this suit that my grandfather wore. The good news, it isn't just for Spring and Summer anymore. We will have it Chocolate and Navy (plus 5 other colors), with a great woven shirt and a fine gauge cashmere sweater will be perfect for this winter!

Final samples have arrived, now it is time to put production into work. Look for them on the web by Mid August. Also more professional photo's coming soon and wait until we show you what we have done with Cashmere in this same jacket! You will flip out.

Fall 2009

I was talking with a reporter from the retail industry this morning and she wanted to know if people were calling us crazy for relaunching a brand in the economic times that we are currently in. We also had a great discussion about Fall 2009.

In our discussion about Fall 2009, I mentioned the fact that it is well reported that Retail Inventories are down significantly. The question that everyone has, will the consumer not be inspired because they don't have the quantity to choose from? I posed the question, which is more important, will the consumer recognize a shift in the quality of products?

I say this, because it has also been well reported that most major apparel brands have been developing new opening price points for their retail partners. There has been a focus from the retailers to get their current brand/supply chain to come up with an new opening price point that will keep shoppers in the store. Some would call this "trading down", of course at retail we do not like this word and we have spun this as "not trading down", because the shopper is still buying the same brand.

What has not been reported is all the Margin Guarantee money that was supplied to retailers from their Wholesale partners last Fall, after the blood bath that everyone took. This meant a major shift in margins for the wholesale community. This, coupled with these new "Opening Price Points" mean only one thing, a major shift in the quality of products hitting the store shelves for Fall 2009.

If you think about this, manufacturing got killed last year by writing the checks back to the retailers for their margin guarantee, then for Fall 2009, the retailer has also asked for a lower price point. This can only mean one thing, the manufacturer has to take something out of the product to hit this lower price point, then they have to take out more, to make sure that if the same thing happens this year, that happened last year, they have the margin in the product to write the check to cover the margin guarantee.

So, you ask are we crazy for relaunching now, I would say absolutely not. We have focused all of our energy into making the BEST products, yet achieve Retail Price points that are attainable.

What do you think, do consumers get inspired by the mass quantities, or do they get inspired by GREAT PRODUCT. We are voting on the product.

What do you think?

Web up and Running

The new site is up and running! www.skuhlman.com

Fresh styles, done in the s.kuhlman way, we hope you enjoy. Remember that the site is in Beta, however we are working on it daily to add new and improved features.

In the coming weeks you will be able to add comments on the products and we look forward to what you think.

We are bringing to the market, products that we want to wear, that have the Anglo-Italian styling that we experience in Europe, however we add our American Twist! Happy shopping.

The Jacket

Although men have always had what we have called the Suit Jacket, Sportcoat or Blazer, this item has never been more prevalent. You would think that in a more casual world that the jacket, much as the tie/cravat would go away. We believe there has never been a more important time for men's jacket.

With all of our new electronics that have become so important to us, because the "Man Bag", as much as we like it has not take off, because a fanny pack is not someone we will even consider and wearing electronics on your belt should just not happen, the Jacket is not only the last resort, it is a great part of fashion when done correctly.

Jackets today should be soft, comfortable and as the picture shows, "to the body". In the past we have called these jackets sweater coats or shackets (not a shirt, not a jacket) and although we use many of the principles of the past, today's jacket is fully constructed and uses all types of fabric. From beautiful cashmere, to fine linens and cottons, the Jacket is now the key to a man's wardrobe.

When we moved into a more casual world, every man tried to take their suit coats and sportcoats and try to wear them with Denim. We would hesitate from doing this. The proper jacket to be worn in a more casual way has certain aesthetics that a coat constructed for a Suit or a dress sportcoat, simple does not have.

Now you will ask, what are these aesthetics. Typically it starts with the shoulder. This is a shoulder shape/look that is typical of Italy. We prefer the Neapolitan shoulder that even has slight puckering (this is another blog). This shoulder is soft and round. The jacket is also light and drappy, the armhole is high and the body should fit to your body. This should not be baggy and sloppy. When cut this way, the jacket will move with you.

The other key parts to this look are then the fine gauge sweater and the woven or knit. One of the key fashion ideas that we will also start to promote, is men starting to tuck their shirts back into their pants!

Look forward to more discussion on the jacket!