Feature Label: Wayne Hadly Fall 2008

Who is Wayne?

The man behind up and coming brand, Wayne Hadly is in fact Wayne Joffe. Joffe was born in South Africa and moved to Los Angeles when he was eight. He still resides in Los Angeles, but travels frequently for work. Joffe feels that “LA in general has some pretty cool street style.” However he feels that Los Angeles is not a strong source of creative inspiration. It does, however motivate him to “show people we can do more than jeans and t shirts.”

Inspiration in Media?

Joffe often avoids visiting or reading a particular core base of websites and magazines, especially while developing collections. “I’ve come to learn to go with my gut feeling. When you start looking at what other people are currently doing, you begin to second guess yourself. So I try to keep everything pretty organic.” However, Joffe does frequent Perez Hilton, although “purely for entertainment reasons.”

What is the thought process behind Wayne Hadly?

Joffe did not receive a formal fashion education, but has always loved fashion. He was inspired to start his own line out of the desire for productivity and change. “I was miserable with my life and knew I needed a change. After I finished my first collection, I knew I was at the point of no return.” Joffe’s collections are almost “for the Jekyll and Hyde of [himself]…I am a very laid back dresser, always in flip flops and a t-shirt, but I am drawn to the classics. I’m not gonna re-invent the ‘jacket’ but I like taking classic fits and giving everything sleek silhouettes with a modern edge. Most people spend months designing collections. For me, its all about finding the best fabrications from around the world. Since the start of the Wayne Hadly brand, we have had three sayings: FIT, FABRIC, and QUALITY.”

How do celebrities relate to the fashion industry?

The current media is saturated with images of celebrities and stories follow their constant move. Joffe thinks that “some celebs have great fashion sense and others great stylists.” Along with the public’s fascination with celebrities, has developed a particular interest in what clothes celebrities wear. When it comes to the relationship between designers and celebrities, in Joffe’s opinion, “the sad truth is [that] people don’t care [about a line] unless a celebrity is wearing [it] or talking about a certain designer/product. I’ve never played into that game of favors or chasing people to wear my stuff. If somebody has ever worn one of my pieces, its because they asked. They are just like anybody else, I will say that Pete Wentz is probably one of the nicest people I have ever met in my life and has been so great from the beginning.”

What are the benefits of celebrity and designer colliding?

Marc Jacobs is the pinnacle of designer success. Main label Marc Jacobs, and the diffusion line Marc by Marc Jacobs, along with other divisions, ground breaking fashion, and celebrity appreciation has propelled Marc Jacobs into his own celebrity. For Joffe, being in a position like Marc Jacobs “would be great.” In a similiar position, he would be able to to be able to “solely concentrate on developing [his own] ideas and making the collections the best they can be”, without having to juggle “nine jobs at the same time.”

Are you a Wayne Hadly man?

When asked who he imagines wearing his clothes, Joffe imagined, “a man who can recognize something special, a man that has appreciation for detail, originality. A man with appreciation for true craftsmanship, and always looking for new and exciting things.”

Current stockists?
Scout Los Angeles, Isetan Tokyo, & Loveless Tokyo

What can we look forward to in the near future?
“This SS09 started out as a kinda 60’s lost in Italy (best reference would be the movie “the talented Mr. Ripley) I played with bright colors and classic fits to revamp and modernize that traditional look.”

Like what you see?

For more information, visit the official Wayne Hadly site.

Many thanks go out to Wayne for the interview!

I’ve had a preview of the spring 2009 collection and it is excellent.  I can’t wait to post it.  You’re all in for a treat!

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