Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas will collaborate with Antik Denim to design a fashion line called 'i.am. Antik' initially consisting of premium jeans and denim apparel. The clothing line will debut August this year and will be available in upscale stores. He says: "I produce and write my own music, and the same creativity, energy and imagination I put into making music is the same creativity,energy and imagination I put into designing clothes. I am excited to collaborate with Antik to create a fresh remix of denim."
"I fuse genres of music and I will fuse eras and styles of fashion,” he explains. “I want to launch and market the clothes in a way that has never been done, combining music and fashion. I want to design the line and score it the way a composer scores a film and tour the collection like a band will tour an album. I want to make a fresh stylistic collection that everyone wants but limited and special to keep them looking for more."
Black Eyed Peas ( Taboo, appl.de.ap., Fergie and will.i.am )
No stranger to fashion, Will.i.am. launched i.am. clothing in 2005. The exclusive, limited edition brand's website which is not yet launched ( iamclothing.net) is a good indicator of his eclectic style as seen in the interim intro to the site. The i.am. clothing line is produced in partnership with with Lor-e Philips, head stylist for the Black Eyed Peas.
The complaint has often been that celebrity clothing lines have no input by the celebrity and said celebrity has no design background or design skills. But Will.i.am, prior to forming the Black Eyed Peas, attended L.A.'s Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. That combined with his dapper sense of style makes the denim line one I am looking forward to seeing.
From the Black Eyed Peas website.
"i.am clothing is aiming to fill the gap created in an industry where mass production consumes each person's need for individuality. The idea is to create items that no one else is currently wearing. They will start with 10-15 styles in which each piece is handcrafted under the critical eye of both designers. Each approved piece will then be numbered and signed personally by Will.i.am. The maximum number produced of each style will not reach over 500, making each piece in the collection a must-have."
picture: nymag.com