Krane is a remembrance of vintage uniforms with an ode to modern industrial design. Old-school leather techniques meet a new-school design attitude in pursuit of innovative garments and accessories. Graphic details evolve and transform classic silhouettes in making bold statements that acknowledge the thoughts and aspirations of today's contemporary male. Ken Chow is the founder and designer for Krane. He holds an associates degree in menswear design from New York's FIT, which fine-tuned his skills in tailoring and American sportswear. He brings his visual art background into the fashion industry. As a young child, he was encouraged to pursue his gift of drawing, which he honed by entering Remembrance Day / Veteran's Day poster design contests. This sparked an interest in a militarist aesthetics, a recurring theme that Ken Chow likes to work with. Krane products are completely made in Canada. The lines are manufactured in factories in Toronto, with the hand-work done in house. For this season's collection, Krane considered a progression of the 1940s military theme that's been building upon since the beginning. Ken Chow continued on his exploration of the military theme with officer’s coats, aviator jackets, bombers and pea coats. He combined his signature waxed cotton with vintage military blankets in many of the jackets. Lambskin, wool, cotton and shearling rounded out the fabrics in the line. Bags came in different styles like duffle bags, carpenter bags, laptop bags, rucksacks and briefcases. They came in either suede or a washed leather. The lambskin jeans stood out the most in the amazing pant lineup. Other options included wool ponte di roma trousers and waxed cotton jeans. When the male models were wearing shirts, they consisted of henleys and button ups. The outerwear is a big category at Krane, so it was a return to the things that work for the brand. Guys get excited about the military influence in the coats and bags, so it was a return to this theme with a big focus on leather and shearling. Brown was the main color. The past has been very much about black on black dressing, but this season, Krane places an importance on brown as an outer shell. Pops of color (olive, maroon, charcoal) in shirting was also introduced to move out of the black on black code of the past. The silhouette is very tailored and sharp. Guys tend to appreciate a nice fitting coat or jacket. Women seam to be responding the same way also. Women were picking up the Krane jackets for themselves in the past, so Ken Chow payed special attention to fit this season. Lightly distressed finishes add an artisanal craftsman appeal, creating just the right amount of the worn-in look. The collection is effortlessly cool. A true testament of thoughtful design, the clothes serve both fashion and function.
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