Sylvester roughs it up for autumn/winter 08

AUCKLAND:New Zealand designer Kate Sylvester has crossed over to the dark, tall and slightly dishevelled side.

Following on from the success of her eponymous womenswear line - which is now stocked in leading boutiques throughout Australia, USA, Europe, Hong Kong and Singapore - the Auckland-based designer is now set to venture into the menswear category for autumn/winter 2008.

While the designer said she saw her new market as "male versions of [her] womenswear customers", she admitted the process was not as clear cut. 

"The biggest challenge was getting the shapes right," Sylvester said. "It was a real challenge to start from scratch again and creating the basic pattern blocks took months before we could get to the fun part. We've had great feedback about the cuts, especially the trousers so it was definately worth taking the time to get it right."

She said the line aimed to bridge the gap between streetwear and corporate menswear, with directional pieces that still maintained a sense of masculinity.

"It's a capsule collection of all the key pieces a male needs. People have always asked about menswear because the Kate Sylvester aesthetic lends itself very easily to menswear - designing this initial collection was really easy as I had literally years of ideas stored in my head."

The line includes a wool duffel coat, a parka, tailored jackets, trousers, t-shirts, knitwear and even a pair of tapered, skinny track pants. Entirely manufactured in New Zealand, it is produced using wools, linens, organic cottons and merino and retails from $95 to $995. The colour palette is muted and subtle with hues of camel, grey and black.  

Sylvester said her inspirations for the range were broad and the final look is "dishevelled artist meets dapper, Margritte surrealist meets Clockwork Orange".

"It's for intelligent, stylish individuals who appreciate fashion but aren't slaves to it. People who appreciate the balance of workmanship, timelessness and integrity of design."

Sylvester is currently in talks with Australian stockists with a "trial" drop expected in March and a full launch set for spring/summer 2008.

By Assia Benmedjdoub