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The Guys Have It
The Russian-born designer is tall with ivory skin and rosy cheeks. He speaks slowly compared with the rat-a-tat pace of the typical New Yorker and considers each word, not because he is cautious or because his English is uncertain but because he is precise.
His background is as a patternmaker for designer Marc Jacobs and he once had a bespoke business in Chicago. Plokhov is a man trained to obsess about the details.
  "I don't kid myself thinking everyone loves it," says designer Thom Browne of his signature slim-fitted silhouette. (Helayne Seidman for The Washington Post) Photos
The Guys Have ItAfter a decade of dormancy, young menswear designers have emerged with strong points of view, enamored with style rather than trends. Preppy formality, tailoring and Ivy League tradition are key to their new looks. |
His Cloak label is inspired by the military, by rock-and-roll and by the idea that a man's clothes should be serviceable for more than a season -- which is why he chose a career in menswear in the first place.
"The lasting quality is what was attractive for me," he says. "Guys don't change their entire wardrobe in a season. It's not about length and silhouette but about minute changes."
Plokhov compares the process of designing menswear to the typically male pastime of working on a car: "You're constantly in there poking, constantly tinkering."
"The changes are so minute you can tell the collection by the shoulder," he says. The signature Cloak shoulder has a subtle curve, like a barely perceptible wing. The sleeves are narrow and the armhole is set high. He chooses shades of gray and black for the majority of his work. He uses signature wolf-head buttons and favors skinny jeans and longish coats that skim the body. During his five years in business, he has avoided creating clothes that fit only the most emaciated young men. His work is fashionable and pleasantly macho.
"I want to keep that 'guyness,' " he says.
The Lauren Factor
Earlier this year, Ralph Lauren put his menswear collection on a New York runway for the first time in 30 years. (When he wasn't debuting the collection in Europe, he was presenting it informally in his offices.) The show was billed as a last-minute decision, and it was one that made other menswear designers practically giddy. The bulk of Polo Ralph Lauren's $3.3 billion in revenue comes from the sale of men's clothing. So when the designer speaks, mumbles or even whispers, the industry listens.
"Ralph is one of the biggest figures in menswear, not in America, but in the world," Plokhov says. "If he felt like he should put his clothes on the runway, God bless him. "
Lauren's show had the panache and glamour that one would expect. The models were so attractive and meticulously groomed, they looked like they'd been flown in from Gattaca.
The clothes painted a nuanced picture of Lauren's painstakingly crafted lifestyle of 20-room cottages and gentleman ranchers. And the audience had a fine sprinkling of glitter: New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, talk show host Charlie Rose, comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Lauren's return, it seemed, was a celebration of New York men and their panache.
Afterward though, Lauren wouldn't discuss the new generation of designers, the state of American menswear or his leadership role. If the industry thought it had found a public voice in Lauren, it was wrong. Lauren, his spokeswoman Maria Prorok explained, doesn't participate in stories that are not solely about him.
Menswear is "coming onto the radar screen," says the CFDA's Herman. But the industry continues to search for a Ralph Lauren-size designer who will not only give its motley schedule of shows razzle-dazzle and stature, but also serve as an ambassador and anchor.
The industry buzzes with creativity, but rising talents struggle daily with the less glamorous elements of fashion: manufacturing, distribution and financing. Bergdorf Goodman remains Browne's sole significant retail outlet. Plokhov's clothes are not widely available either -- limited to a few specialty stores, three branches of Barneys New York and a handful of Japanese retailers.
"It's still really hard at the department store level to get any kind of business," says Bartlett, who sells to Saks Fifth Avenue. "They're very focused on large brands."
The sky-high prices need to come down, too, says Herman.
After all, if the ideal customer was selling pot at recess, fancies himself a slacker musician or invests all his money in limited edition sneakers, he won't be in a position to buy a $3,000 suit.
