Hello everyone. It has been awhile since I last write something online. (FB status not included) I thought why not give it another go after Sabrina asked me few days ago to guest-write here. So here goes nothing…
I think by now, most of you would have noticed my presence onaere and Sabrina’s social media channels. Yes, I am the one responsible for the birth of aereMen. As posted on my personal IG (@ibnuaswan) before, it all started out as a joke. Knowing Sabrina from the industry that we’re in, we clicked when it comes to discussing ideas. As serious as I can be, I can be a big joker especially with people that Im close and comfortable with.
 |
| ...and here we are. Me in aereMen, complementing Sab's aere :) |
The idea to give aere a male perspective happened right after I teased her when I told her that she should be making a menswear collection. That came out as I was rummaging through her collection before we went out for an event. I had something on but thought it was quite boring so I wanted to see if there’s anything that I can style to become menswear (I do that sometimes). Being the last-minute person I am (when it comes to attending events) I tried an aere top (OLIVA top) that I thought looked androgynous. I can actually wear that with a white shirt since the top resembles a jumper. Dark red, so it wasn’t as feminine. Jokingly I pushed the idea to her. A spark went on and then she said “Sure, why not!” The rest was history after a meeting happened a week after that. I was consulted by the team when it comes to the creative direction and voila, aereMen was on its way to become a reality.
 |
| Yes, no kidding. Me in aere (Me and Sab tend to color coordinate unintentionally by the way) This was the point of time when I joked to her months ago. |
To start things off, we agreed that the best time to launch it is together with aere's Raya 2016 collection FEELeid collection.
We sampled some designs with aere's team but thought that the start should be a good representation of what’s to come in the near future. We narrowed down to just one look, just to see how it will fare. Being a simple, basic person, I wanted something not intimidating for the males out there to wear. It should also not overshadow aere. Sabrina wanted the male version to be versatile enough to complement aere. I agreed fully, as part of the DNA of aere is versatility. At the same time, I wanted it to also shine own its own.
Menswear is a different ball-game altogether. It has more restrictions when it comes to the designs. I guess that’s where my say helped. We also went around to ask opinions from key figures around us (mainly her husband Khubayb, among others). Both me and Sab were happy with our findings on the designs which were positive and that led to the sample making.
For this one look, consisting of the kurta-like KALED top and ARYAN pants, both pieces can be worn together as a whole or as separates. KALED has a clean front with button placket down right the chest. What’s nice is that it has a roomy feel with hidden side pockets that you can rest your hands in. ARYAN on the other hand has the versatility of it being worn together or as an office-wear due to the straight-cut shape. Yep, 2 functions for one piece. Economical ey?
Alhamdulillah, days after we posted images on the FEELEid collection, feedback was positive and I’m glad. Perhaps this will be an ongoing collaboration? #prayforaeremen lol!
Till then...