In line with this month’s theme I’m continuing to explore the line between high street and high end fashion. The defining factor that demarcates the difference between these two extremes is for most people price. It’s not actually that simple of course: quality, manufacturing costs, overheads, marketing/advertising budgets and last but not least design all play a key part. But for most people the real difference is how much you have to spend. There is a certain amount of folly in paying over the odds for a t-shirt that has a designer’s name emblazoned on the front when you know the quality of the t-shirt is no different than that of any t-shirt you’d find in a high street store. Most people are however willing to pay more for clothes of better quality, after all, you get what you pay for.
When it comes down to fabrics – such as suede, leather and cashmere, you have to put your money where your mouth is. In line with this philosophy some of the key players on the high street are offering capsule collections that cost a little more than their clothes normally do, due to luxury fabrics and artisan finishes, but still a lot less than their designer counterparts. In this sense we get high street clothes that offer high end quality. is perhaps the best example of clothes that bridge the gap between these two worlds. A capsule collection made entirely of hero pieces and classic wardrobe staples in luxurious fabrics and sumptuous colour palettes. Cashmere knitwear in rich jewel tones sits alongside belted mohair overcoats and slick leather biker jackets. Real shearling aviator jackets and silk blazers represent menswear at its finest.
The Reiss aesthetic is an understated one; it’s a chic amalgamation of the most modern elements of formal wear with the most elegant features of streetwear. With Reiss Premium everything is executed with the precision and attention to detail you’d expect from designer clothes; looks like you can have the best of both worlds after all.
