Image via Perry Ellis America
There are few brands with the history of Perry Ellis. Since the brand was founded in the late 1970s, they’ve been selling their founder’s vision of America to people all over the world. “Everyone here knows Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger as the Americana brands,” says Michael Maccari, creative director since 2014, “Perry was up there at that time.”
In 1984, Perry joined forces with Levi’s and Perry Ellis America was born. According to Maccari, this new label was “the answer to the casual portion of the line, it was just relaxed sportswear and then this was the cottony weekend wear component to that.” At this point, Perry Ellis America was one of the most famous and interesting brands from that side of the Atlantic. It’s aesthetic tied in to a whole movement that was going on and came to include “hip hoppy kind of anoraks and logo vehicles and things like that”.
Just two years after the launch of America, though, Perry Ellis died. According to Maccari, “the brand continued for a little bit, and then America went away for a little bit.” Even though Americana brands thrived through the 90s, without it’s founder and namesake, Perry Ellis America lost its place at the forefront of that wave of US icons.
This summer, though, Perry Ellis America made its European debut with its first collection on these shores. “We decided to bring it back and nod to the heritage a little bit, really look at an American line with a future forward view,” said Maccari of the European launch. Following that collection, Perry Ellis America dropped a collection for Autumn 2016 and have now announced their third European collection for Spring/Summer 2017. The collection features “easy pieces, basics, but then updated fashion pieces as well.”
For a brand with the history and legacy of Perry Ellis America, it’s important to build on that heritage and make sure it remains relevant for a new audience and a new generation. The inspiration for the new collections comes from that legacy and from the brand’s iconic founder, or as Maccari puts it: “I think we always think, or I do anyway, what would Perry do if he was here now?” The most important influence from their past isn’t just in the details and cuts of the collection though, but rather in “the spirit of what he was about at the time, which was colour and print and classic, but just a little bit off. There was always a bit of fun and clarity and honesty to the product.”
The European focus of Perry Ellis America’s recent relaunch is built around that legacy and makes up “a different kind of Americana, but for a European market.” The Spring/Summer 2017 drop is mostly a relaxed, casual collection, featuring performance wear and classic shapes like tees, sweats and polos. As well as that, the collection includes some more sophisticated pieces, like jackets andsweater polos. The resulting collection embodies the sportswear luxe aesthetic that the brand has become known for, something that Maccari puts down to its styling. “When we put it together, its about mixing these pieces in with a smarter trouser or a lovely overcoat, really working it in to your wardrobe. That makes it a little more luxe.” Perry Ellis America’s Spring/Summer 17 offering is a clear example of that mix, and of the middle ground between casual ‘go-anywhere’ versatility and sophisticated, high-end pieces.
With the two 2016 collections showing that Perry Ellis America is ready to make waves in Europe, this collection shows how the brand has come back. The brand’s history and heritage put Michael Maccari and the creative team in an enviable position, but it’s not just about reminiscing about the early days. That original work “wasn’t really about producing fashion for fashions sake, it was more about wearing the clothes and how they feel. That’s what we keep throughout, and we talk up the heritage as much as possible without going back there. Really, it’s about going forward.”
