When thinking of understated, minimal men’s and women’s clothing with that hard-to-define effortless something, the name Atelier de Production et de Création, or A.P.C., is one that immediately springs to mind.
Jean Touitou started the label in 1987 as a reaction to what he saw as the loud, money-focused, gaudy mood of the ’80s. An idealist and revolutionary who had fallen somehow unexpectedly into fashion in the late ’70s, Touitou, born in Tunisia and raised in Paris, was looking for a movement and couldn’t find one, so he decided to create an alternative to what he saw around him.
Relying more upon his gut instincts and amalgamating his genuine interests (such as music) and friends into the mix rather than following a more traditional business approach, Jean Touitou’s A.P.C. has established a somewhat timeless chic that has continued to resonate some 25 years.
One of the brand’s most popular products is its raw-denim selvage jeans. Their jeans are quite popular among denim enthusiasts, as they are high-quality Japanese selvage denim but are also, unlike the products of many companies who use denim of this quality, slim cut and fashionable. The denim also fades quickly when used, allowing denim enthusiasts to achieve a lot of wear and fading quite quickly if they wish.
Now with a whole new generation appreciating the brand, and Touitou’s distaste for the loose-fitting clothes, new stores have opened in New York and Paris just last year.
With such a strong grasp and involvement in many different disciplines, we’re excited to see what’s on the horizon beyond fashion for both A.P.C. and Jean Touitou.