Approaching two decades in the menswear business (women's came along more recently), Engineered Garments is something of a holdover from the days when New York brands actually produced in New York—in Manhattan, no less. Back in the mid-'90s, designer Daiki Suzuki's minimal, non-Western cuts and shapes made them among the most interesting clothes around. You know what? His label hasn't changed a bit.
The Spring collection began with fabrics, as does every collection at EG. Materials are not only created from scratch or painstakingly sourced (sometimes from forgotten '80s warehouses), but also laundered and hung to dry, giving the finished product a signature crumpled effect. A denim-like blue dungaree fabric reappears each season, favored for its workwear look; this time it was coupled with a navy dolphin camo print and beachy bucket hats. Suzuki has recently discovered surfing, hence the sea motifs, but he hasn't abandoned his strict work ethic or his tight four-block radius. "I oversee production," he maintains, "so I have to be close to everything." It's a mystery why he wasn't contacted by the organizers of the new men's fashion week, but he says he's on the schedule to stay.
