While shooting his new spring lookbook in California, Stan’s Tristan Detwiler and his team came across a washed-up whale on the beach; coincidentally, the ominous sighting mimicked the prints of dead fish that he used throughout his collection, from leather chore jackets to patchwork hitachi-knit sweaters. “The idea was to use deadstock over killing fish in the ocean [to make new fabrics],” said Detwiler. “Deadstock over dead fish.”
Every season, the designer scours the globe for rare or antique textiles, which he incorporates into an easy, beachy assortment of separates. For spring, however, he wanted to focus less on making pieces out of the rarest vintage textiles out there, and more on using larger quantities of deadstock fabrics that were readily available and needed a home. “I wanted to utilize more accessible materials,” he said.
A robe-style coat, for instance, was made from Portuguese wool blankets from the early 20th century; striped suits in beiges and creams were created from 19th century-style French ticking fabric. “It’s often used as mattress covers,” he said of the thicker, coarser material. Shirts were also made from old French bed sheets, with the custom monograms of the previous owners kept intact. The pieces had a casual, fluid feel that feels in line with his West Coast attitude. “The collection is consistent with my Southern California lifestyle—sophisticated beachwear is always the backbone of what I design,” he said.
There were sentimental pieces in the mix, too. On some of his bejeweled zip-up jackets, Detwiler used a colorful mixture of vintage beads and crystals sourced from his mother, who was a jewelry designer back in the 1980s. “I cleared out her warehouse,” he said. It was a sweet touch—like mother, like son.