Bowie, for a song
KEANAN DUFFTY may not be a household name, but he’s dressed some of the world’s coolest rockers, including the Sex Pistols, Aerosmith, the Smashing Pumpkins and the Stray Cats.
And now, he’s bringing his Britpop aesthetic to Target, with a limited-edition men’s clothing line inspired by another famous client, David Bowie.
Available today through Christmas Eve, the 16-piece collection includes Brit rock- and punk-influenced tuxedo jackets, vests and pants, skinny jeans, button-front wovens and knit T-shirts, all in black, white and shades of gray.
Despite the punk vibe of the smaller collars, skinnier pant legs and zip-front hoodies, the collection has a surprisingly dressed-up feel with thin ties in gray and black, and a tuxedo blazer that clocks in at the unheard-of price of $59.99. It just might be the kind of clothing to convince the skate rat skulking in the back of your mini-van to kick it up a notch.
Several pieces directly reference the Bowie canon, including the tuxedo offerings (a nod to his days as the Thin White Duke), a trench coat inspired by his wardrobe in the 1976 movie “The Man Who Fell to Earth” and a lightning-bolt design riffing on his Aladdin Sane face paint. A gray dress shirt has the lyrics to “Let’s Dance” screened onto the bib front, and black-and-white cuff contrast taping that includes Bowie’s visage.
A sporty, retro-looking puffer vest has a surprising amount of detail for the price ($29.99; $31.99 for XXL) -- crested snap buttons, lightning-bolt zipper pull and a clever quilted Union Jack filling the back. A screen-printed long-sleeve thermal T-shirt with a scattering of band pins attached feels softer and thicker than thermal usually does ($18.99; $20.99 for XXL). A tone-on-tone pinstripe vest ($24.99) has topstitched pockets and seams, and a total English rocker feel.
It’s the second menswear collaboration between Target and Duffty, a British-born rocker-turned-designer who studied fashion design at St. Martin’s School of Art in London. He launched his eponymous high-end line stateside in 1999 and became known for his use of musical themes and British iconography such as crests and the Union Jack.
Over the years his men’s and women’s collections have graced the shelves of upscale stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Maxfield and Harvey Nichols. He’s also done footwear with Reebok, a scent with Aveda and collectible toys with Kid Robot. Earlier this year, Duffty was tapped as a consultant for the Ben Sherman label, which has been working to reemphasize its musical roots over the last several seasons.
Bowie fans will appreciate an added bonus in the new Target line: an exclusive compilation CD called “Strangers When We Meet” ($4.99), which includes material from the Jean Genie that has not previously appeared on disc.
