By Donna Freydkin,
USA TODAY
They already know Justin Timberlake. And on Sunday, fashionistas get to meet the singer's stylish alter ego, William Rast.
Timberlake and his business partner, Trace Ayala, make their New York Fashion Week debut with the first East Coast William Rast show. It'll be held at the Roseland Ballroom. "It's our intro to New York Fashion Week. There won't be people flying around from the ceiling," Timberlake says. The 9 p.m. invite-only show "is really about introducing the lifestyle we come from. It's our opportunity to say, 'This is who we are.' " Timberlake and Ayala founded the William Rast line in 2005 and named it after the first and last names of their grandfathers. Initially, the childhood friends with deep Tennessee roots focused on denim. Hoping to expand the brand, the duo tapped husband-and-wife design team Johan and Marcella Lindeberg of the Swedish brand J. Lindeberg to help create a full ready-to-wear men's and women's collection for fall. The Lindebergs signed on to help Timberlake and Ayala expand both their vision and their business because they all clicked on a personal level.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Tennessee | Swedish
| Justin Timberlake | Nordstrom | Neiman
Marcus | Saks Fifth Avenue |
New York Fashion Week | Johan | Roseland Ballroom | T-shirts | Trace
Ayala
"We connected with both Trace and Justin and saw how engaged they were in building a solid brand with long-term intentions," Johan Lindeberg says. "We brought a more European, more modern tweak to the whole thing. (Justin) is very engaged." And working with Timberlake has its perks, Lindeberg says: "We are very, very connected. My daughter was out hiking with (Timberlake) the other day. It feels like you're a band. We're all members." The fall William Rast line ranges from $66 for T-shirts to $560 for a leather jacket and is carried at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. Ayala says he's a big fan of the line's new distressed chinos. As for dapper dresser Timberlake, he's into the tuxedo jacket. "I love some of the new jeans we're putting out. I love the shirts and blazers. I feel like we're definitely Tennessee first," Timberlake says. "We've been around the world, both of us, and we've seen so many different types of styles, but I think we're a Tennessee brand first and we're trying to create a modern Southern heritage. We want to make it as modern as possible, but there's a certain type of heritage we consider quality." |
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By RAAKHEE MIRCHANDANI
Last updated: 4:57 am
September 5, 2008
Posted: 2:19 am
September 5, 2008
The tents are up and the ringmasters are ready - New York City's semi-annual fashion circus is in session.
So hold the carbs, bring on the champagne and wear your sunglasses indoors, even in the dark. You might not have a ticket to the shows, but here's what you need to know to feel like you're part of the action.
BIG TENN
Co-designers, besties and Tennessee natives Justin Timberlake and Trace Ayala bring their blend of Southern hospitality and LA flavor to the Big Apple with their first NYC William Rast runway show.
"We're looking forward to our debut of the line and to showcase what we all worked so hard on for the past year," Timberlake tells The Post. He says people can expect "a good show that will focus on the brand's DNA" and adds, it's "a good opportunity to showcase who we are. They can expect true Southern heritage in a modern-day setting."
Thanks, J.
The duo's runway debut - Sunday at 9 p.m. at Roseland Ballroom - will feature both men's and women's wear and was developed and designed in collaboration with Johan and Marcella Lindeberg of Paris68.
"We're both freaking out," Ayala says. "Justin said to me, 'Do you realize we are about to do New York Fashion Week?' He looked at me and was like, 'Now it's serious.'
Ayala describe his partner's personal style as part Sinatra and part hip-hop. "People ask me, 'What makes your shirts different than so-and-so's shirts?' Not one thing. The only thing that makes mine different is the lifestyle we sell. The one we live. It's heritage meets Hollywood."
Ayala describes his own style as "Southern gentleman": vintage jeans, T-shirt, boots, baseball hat.
"I feel like right now we have the DNA of who we are. The past couple seasons we have been struggling. We are two guys, and even though we are from the same place, we have different style," he says. "But since we created this character, William Rast, it's the fusion of us two, if you put our lives together. It's the sleekness of a Southern gentleman."
