A.P.C. Clothing
Company typePrivate
IndustryFashion
Founded1987
FounderJean Touitou
HeadquartersParis, France
ProductsClothing, Fashion accessories, Footwear, Jewellery
Websitewww.apc.fr

Atelier de Production et de Création, or A.P.C., is a French ready-to-wear brand founded in 1987 by the Tunisian Jewish[not verified in body] fashion designer Jean Touitou in Paris.

History

In 1987, Jean Touitou created a clothing line which would later become the A.P.C. brand. The clothes from this first menswear collection wear labels that only mention “HIVER 1987”.[1] It was only in 1989 that the labels referring to the seasons are replaced with A.P.C. labels, confirming the creation of the brand.

The brand opened several international stores including Tokyo Daikanyama in 1991 and New York Mercer Street in 1993.[2][3][4]

The first pieces of the A.P.C. collections were characterized by minimalist designs, clean lines, and simple patterns.[1] The collection would later include raw Japanese denim.[1] Touitou's co-designer, Louis Wong, has a small line of high-end jackets, Louis W., under the A.P.C. umbrella.[5]

In 2011, designer Jessica Ogden launched the first collection of A.P.C. quilts,[6][7] elaborated with fabric remnants as well. When Vanessa Seward joined A.P.C. in 2012, she was given first a capsule collection, and then eventually her own women’s wear line.[8] In 2018, the brand’s first sneaker line was launched.[9]

A.P.C. is also starting to organize parades and since 2018 they have been included in the official calendar of the Fédération française de la couture.[10]

In 2023, A.P.C. agreed to sell a majority stake for an undisclosed sum to investment firm L Catterton, forming a strategic partnership to grow the brand internationally.[11]

Collaborations

A.P.C. has done collaborations with brands and creatives including Kanye West (2013),[12] Outdoor Voices (2016),[13] Kid Cudi (2019), Suzanne Koller (2019),[14] Brain Dead (2019), Carhartt WIP, RTH, Catherine Deneuve, Charlotte Chesnais,Goop (2020),[15][16] and Lacoste (2023).

Campaigns

Past A.P.C. campaigns have been styled and photographed by Carine Roitfeld (1995), Bruce Weber (2008), Stella Tennant[17] and Collier Schorr (2016).[18]

References

  1. ^ a b c Craig, Andrew (February 20, 2018). "A Study in Simplicity: A Look at A.P.C." Grailed. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  2. ^ "Boutique APC à Tokyo : un style indémodable" (in French). 2002-08-16. ((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ Camara, Sharon (2019-02-22). "Ce qu'il faut savoir sur : A.P.C." FashionUnited (in French). Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  4. ^ "A.P.C.'s A Constant Presence". Interview Magazine. 2012-04-19. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  5. ^ Matthew Schneier (24 August 2017), Its Competitors Make Noise, but A.P.C. Is Happy to Make Clothes New York Times.
  6. ^ Sawyer, Jonathan (March 18, 2019). "A.P.C.'s New Quilts Are Named After Classical Music Terms". Highsnobiety. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  7. ^ Chin, Mallory (March 19, 2019). "A.P.C. Debuts New "Round 16" Collection of Quilts & Pillows". HypeBeast. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
  8. ^ Matthew Schneier (24 August 2017), Its Competitors Make Noise, but A.P.C. Is Happy to Make Clothes New York Times.
  9. ^ Jacob Gallagher (4 April 2018), These Retro Sneakers Are a Step Up from New Balances Wall Street Journal.
  10. ^ "PFW® - Calendriers officiels des défilés et des présentations". Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode (in French). Archived from the original on 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  11. ^ Nicole Phelps (1 March 2023), A.P.C. to sell majority stake to L Catterton Vogue Business.
  12. ^ Imogen Fox (15 July 2013), Kanye West's APC collection: the new boring? The Guardian.
  13. ^ Matthew Schneier (17 February 2016), Paris Doesn’t Get Sweatpants, Yet. So A.P.C. Brought Its Own to New York. New York Times.
  14. ^ Jo Ellison (12 July 2019), Cult French brand APC: ‘We were doing the fashion politics of 2020 in the 1990s’ Financial Times.
  15. ^ "A.P.C.'s Jean Touitou Is the Original Master of Collaborations". Highsnobiety. 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2020-12-15.
  16. ^ Steff Yotka (14 September 2020), A.P.C. Collaborates with Goop: A New Normcore for Our New Normal Vogue.
  17. ^ Matthew Schneier (24 August 2017), Its Competitors Make Noise, but A.P.C. Is Happy to Make Clothes New York Times.
  18. ^ William Van Meter (29 February 2016), Apt. by A.P.C.: Jean Touitou’s Parisian Home Wall Street Journal.

External links

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