VAN DER: Clothing made effortlessly cool

Earlier this year The Journal featured Gregor Wilson and his t-shirt brand Van der Sloan. Wilson, currently a 4th Year student at the University of Edinburgh, began Higher Education at University in Glasgow but decided to change to a better suiting course at the University of Edinburgh after only 6 months. In between, Wilson, bored and with a bit of spare time decided to follow another passion: setting up his own business. The t-shirt brand seemed ideal; it allowed Wilson to begin his own business venture while still allowing him to be creative.

Through links with nightclub Cabaret Voltaire, Wilson was able to chat backstage to bands about his tees and says “I soon had my own cult following!”. Soon enough, bands such as The Teenagers were wearing Van Der Sloan’s ‘Face Value’ t-shirts.

Wilson was then approached by the Shanghai government. They were looking for new young talent to invest in: Van Der Sloan seemed perfect. Wilson flew out to Shanghai and began creating links with China and the factories that produced his t-shirts.

Wilson, not content with the limited scope of t-shirts, wanted to progress to a larger and more diverse collection. Having developed strong links with China, Wilson received interest from a Chinese investor who then bought in to the business. This investment led to the appointment of Kai Z Feng, world-renowned photographer, as Creative Director.

With the launch of the new collection and Kai Z Feng as Creative Director, Van der Sloan became VAN DER. The decision to drop the 'Sloan' came about through the expansion of the brand and its venture into Asia. It was agreed that the name needed to be shortened in line with other European brands, and in order to create a catchy and memorable brand to build on. So, at the 11th hour in a Shanghai hotel, the name 'VAN DER' was chosen.

VAN DER’s Autumn Winter 2010 (AW10) Collection is set to launch at the end of November. The new designs are a collaboration between Feng and Wilson, working together to create a new fit of t-shirt along with the new ventures of a jacket and knitwear. The t-shirt is a more relaxed and slouchy fit than the previous collection, and will come in off-white, light grey, and dark grey, each featuring one of Feng’s iconic prints. We can expect to see the same high quality as the previous collection, and with top prices of about £100, VAN DER’s  new AW10 collection is wearable, stylish and affordable.

After the pilot collection of t-shirts, Wilson says he is “very confident about this collection”. His confidence is not surprising. Having had a sneak preview of the new website, its design will rival top e-tailers such as net-a-porter.com. It is sleek, stylish and most importantly, straightforward to use.

The AW10 campaign was shot by Kai Z Feng himself, who has shot campaigns such as Elie Saab, Thomas Burberry and Aquascutum. It features 18 year-old, London-born model Nick Hissom. Hissom is a prominent character in NYC, attending the University of Pennsylvania, and has quickly become the American ambassador for the brand.

So, what’s next for VAN DER? Spring Summer 2011 is quickly approaching in the fashion calendar and VAN DER has plans to expand further. More T-shirts, a menswear collection, and a womenswear collection are all on the cards. The womenswear collection will be "a small capsule collection” remarks Wilson. It will be a collection of basic, key items essential to any woman’s wardrobe, while still maintaining the Scandinavian emphasis of the brand. There are also further plans to begin a denim line, with hopes to create simple, well fitting and reasonably priced jeans for both men and women.

VAN DER sells exclusively online at www.vander.co (not .co.uk) and the AW10 collection goes live at the end of the month. For now, the Facebook fan page will keep you updated (http://www.facebook.com/pages/VAN-DER/153349961363332).