Re/Done founders Sean Barron and Jamie Mazur have said their woman gets dressed “from the jeans up.” That’s certainly still the case. What started out as a cultish brand of curve-hugging, reworked vintage jeans now includes the staple pieces to wear with them, like T-shirts, upcycled leather jackets, and bodysuits—nothing too trendy or overwrought. Starting with Pre-Fall 2018, Barron and Mazur are getting into the “redone” thing even more. “We want to be the authority on redoing things,” Barron said. For starters, they’re doubling down on their upcycled denim processes, which have become more refined and inventive. Instead of just refinishing a vintage jacket, for instance, they created one from scratch using two pairs of men’s jeans. Other jackets were spliced with ’40s “sweetheart pillows,” which World War II soldiers sent their girlfriends back home. The jacket photographed here even had its pillow’s fringe intact, and the whole thing was overdyed in peachy pink.
A few looks were also styled with shoes from Re/Done’s new collaboration with Bass. This isn’t the first time the label has redone a heritage product—it has teamed up with Hanes for T-shirts and Champion for sweats—but it is its first foray into accessories. The capsule launches in May and includes tweaked versions of the classic penny and stacked-heel loafers, both of which come in calf hair, studded leather, croc-embossed patent, or vintage tapestry fabric. And while Re/Done probably has the star power to partner with a range of “trendy” shoe brands, the Bass history piqued the designers’ interest. The men’s penny loafer was introduced in 1936, and when the women’s version followed a year later, it became an instant classic and was later worn by Audrey Hepburn and Michael Jackson. The story mirrors Re/Done’s in that Bass took a men’s product and made it look just as good—if not better—for women.
Pre-Fall also includes the brand’s take on logo tees, but they were a clever and refreshing departure from the logomania we’ve seen at other labels. Barron and Mazur first put their twist on classic American logos, like Budweiser, by subbing in Re/Done’s name, and a few graphic tees were based on Blondie and David Bowie album covers. Of course, the “logos” that will really get women’s hearts racing are the ones designed to look like vintage protest tees, but with modern phrases and symbols. A red, white, and blue graphic tee showed women marching with signs that read “America Is a Woman” and “Sisters of the World Unite,” along with symbols of reproductive rights. It looks like an heirloom in the making: Wear it next year and make a statement about the times we’re living in, then pass it down to your daughter, niece, or granddaughter. Here’s hoping things will have changed a lot by the time she wears it.
