[ºê·£µå ´ÙÅ¥¸àÅ͸®] A.P.C (¿µ¹®)
¡á About the Issue Welcome to the 78th issue of B. I like to go shopping quite
frequently. It is one of the few daily activities that can instantaneously
restore my attention and enthusiasm. But sometimes, of course, it becomes
exhausting—having to constantly think about what to buy and whether I will like
it in the face of a myriad of products. And one day, I started to wonder: Why
do so many fashion houses stop enthusing over the beauty and charm of their own
creations so prematurely after crafting these beautiful items? Why do they
hastily retreat even before the afterglow of success shows any hint of winding
down? These questions become more mind-bending when it¡¯s hard to understand how
a certain mega trend swallows up many brands some particular season. Although
reproducing the same fabulous dress or sandals from a prior season might look
uninspired—and almost lazy—the pieces can still exude a timeless beauty. It
seems as if I¡¯m not alone in feeling like this, either. Recently, a growing
number of Instagram tribute accounts starting with the word ¡°old¡± have soared
in popularity. Chock full of content about the days when Phoebe Philo was the
creative director of Céline and Nicolas Ghesquière was at the helm of Balenciaga,
these image archives celebrate the beauty of bygone days in their own way. Relatively speaking, French fashion
brand A.P.C. has also deftly dealt with this issue. Distancing itself from high
fashion, where trends shift from moment to moment, the brand has independently
established its own domain and marches to the beat of its own drum. In fact,
its way of business has remained so steadfast over the years that even the term
¡°A.P.C. spirit¡± came into being. Anyone who has visited an A.P.C. store would
probably agree that their apparel is neither aggressive nor overstated.
Whenever I step into a location, I fall into the world of A.P.C. that feels
like a rare breath of fresh air amid the highly competitive fashion. ¡°If you have to do a coat, you have
to do a coat.¡± This statement by A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou sums up everything
about the brand. Rather than focusing on creating a ¡°scene¡± to be uploaded on
social media or leaving an indelible mark on the fashion history, A.P.C.
devotes itself to producing clothes that can survive in closets for a long
time. That¡¯s why the brand puts basics at the center of its collection each
season such as selvage denim pants, floral print dresses, cotton T-shirts,
sweatshirts, and leather handbags. And the brand possesses a striking
individuality that stands apart from others in that its pieces stay true to
their inherent functionality: Its jeans are jeans, its shirts are shirts, and
its jackets are jackets. In an era when core functionality is often neglected
in the name of creativity or to adhere to some concept, A.P.C. continues to
invest in meaningful explorations sinceits debut in 1987. In light of this, The
New York Times declared the brand¡¯s clothing to be ¡°defiantly normal.¡± A.P.C. clothing is often defined as
¡°basic¡± for these reasons. If ¡°basic¡± means a pure white T-shirt void of even
one percent of a statement, A.P.C. is far from basic. In reality, A.P.C.¡¯s
¡°basic¡± is the result of meticulous calculation that is decorated with what
could be called ¡°tricks.¡± Just like a food that has a simple, yet mind-blowing
taste. Jean Touitou himself calls A.P.C. ¡°edited reality.¡± I adore and support
the ¡°complex individuals¡± who create easy, comfortable goods. I also hope more
creators put their talent and skills to use for simple things in the future
because the world is sure to become increasingly multifarious and rollicking. Eunsung Park Content & Editorial Director
[Ãâó] ¸Å°ÅÁøB (¿µ¹®ÆÇ) Magazine B, ¸Å°ÅÁøºñ
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