Faith Connexion opened a store in New York last month. The French fashion collective is recruiting local graffiti artists to do custom work on army jackets at the shop and on the first weekend even enlisted Parsons School of Design students to do some on-the-spot embroideries. Faith Connexion is a global brand with hundreds of points of sale, but the way it goes about its business is distinctly unconventional and non-corporate, which burnishes its appeal with the young people who respond to the look of its clothes.
The Faith Connexion aesthetic exalts the DIY, with a side dish of French savoir faire. If its DIY feels more legit than that of most other brands, it’s because FC engages in so many collaborations with young designers and artists. The doodled-on jean jackets are the work of NTMB, a collective from Naples, Italy, whose initials stand for Never Too Much Basics, and the cool tie-dye-effect jeans are the creation of the 20-something Austin Blaisdell, who’s made a habit of bleaching clothes on a sunbaked Los Angeles rooftop.
FC’s new Spring collection relied heavily on a nude couple depicted in silhouette, the kind that you used to see on the hubcaps of unevolved truck drivers. As for the side dish of savoir faire, it was a small helping this season, showcased best in military jackets with vertical zips that arched over the shoulders. Unzipped, the sleeves can be pulled partially off for a look that’s much sexier than those obvious nude silhouette prints. The label’s first-ever bags, modeled after an unstructured vintage style Kate Moss has carried with major brass hardware, will be customizable in store, just like their best-selling army jackets.
