Around this time last year, we began planning the framework for our most ambitious and extensive line of clothing yet, which released in the Fall/Holiday seasons. Up until that time, we had produced primarily t-shirts with a sprinkling of outerwear and accessories. The small offering of apparel we made such as the Monsoon and Squadron Jackets had always been well received by the public and retailers alike. We had built a strong following for the brand, partnered with the right manufacturers, and felt that everything was in place to successfully expand the line.

Longtime followers of the brand and industry friends had asked us what our intentions for the line were once our Fall lookbook debuted, as it didn’t resemble anything we had done up until that point. Though our roots were firmly entrenched in the independent street market, the ability to finally make the kind of clothing we had always wanted to release yielded a collection that looked more grown up than a lot of what our peers were putting out. The intention was never to reinvent 3sixteen as a men’s contemporary brand, even though much of what we were making was able to find a home in those boutiques. The biggest factors that led to this transition were our maturing tastes as individuals and designers coupled with the ability to finally execute on the ideas we had for the line. And to be honest, nothing pleased us more than having a brand that could sit in a diverse number of stores and be worn by all kinds of people.

Our goal has always been to grow 3sixteen into a menswear line that will stand the test of time from both a design and construction perspective. We’re constantly working to bring this to fruition and our hope is that the design values that are important to us will continue to make themselves apparent in our collection this upcoming year. To everyone that’s supported us so faithfully in 2008, thank you - we’re excited for what’s to come.

Holiday ‘08 is in stores, Spring ‘09 is in production, and Fall ‘09 is slowly coming together. I met with Mark, our patternmaker, this morning to review our first samples for a few pieces that he’s been working hard on.

Tradeshow season is just around the corner so we’re working hard to complete the collection over the next few weeks. It’s exciting to see ideas and sketches come to actual fruition after months of hard work.

…to come back to this:

(photo courtesy of shan213)

I believe Jeff found this hand-sketched skull image in an old anatomy textbook.

The “Vortex” tee features a photographic print of a waterspout to symbolize impending destruction.

We’ve used key imagery in previous collections. I particularly like this graphic because we elected to go with a very fine plastisol print, which yielded an interesting embroidery-like texture to the design.

Although the phrase “You reap what you sow” is typically used to advise one that negative actions have consequences, the back print of this tshirt indicates the hope of brighter days ahead…

The “Babylon Fallen” collection is available at retailers worldwide currently, and is also available online at 3sixteenshop.com.

“When Dickson Hairshop offered their gift of original scented candles to 3sixteen, in no way did either of the two imagine it would spark a new partnership. Each had discussed ways to somehow work with each other and a customized fragrance seemed like the perfect idea. The fragrance is hand made and bottled in New York with natural, dye-free botanical ingredients, including hints of juniper, cedar and white pepper.”

Read more.

Our Fall/Holiday 2008 collection is undoubtedly our best work to date, and is thus the collection that Johan and I are most proud of. There are many reasons for this, but we’re most thankful for the opportunity to finally put out a collection that is what we consider to be a good representation of what we’re capable of from both a design and a construction perspective. With that said, the Fall collection is already in stores and Holiday has already started to arrive - it’s always best to stop by one of our accounts to take a look at the clothing in person, as photos rarely communicate the work that goes into a garment’s fit and fabrication.

For those of you who can’t make it to a store near you, our online store (3sixteenshop.com) stocks our entire line. We’ve updated it with our Holiday 08 cut and sew collection, which consists of our Salt & Pepper Field Jacket and our Utility Shirts, as well as a restock on the Crosscut Flannel in both colors. The Holiday tshirt collection, entitled “Babylon Fallen,” will soon follow.

First up is our Salt & Pepper Field Jacket that comes in two colors - grey and black. It’s constructed of a heavyweight fleece and features an aeroknit lining for warmth and breathability, inset cuff ribbing, satin lined sleeves, a detachable hood, and a number of other details that you’ll have to see to appreciate.

The Utility Shirt is constructed of ripstop cotton. Military-style snaps replace the customary buttons on the front placket, cuffs, and pocket flaps:

Contrasting armstraps in natural herringbone twill can be used to button the sleeves up:

All three colors of the Utility Shirt, as well as our Crosscut Flannel, are available now in our online shop.

We met Severin and Jessica during our first year here in the Lower East Side. They own a men’s barbershop called Dickson Hairshop just a block away from us and it was through their curiosity and inquisitiveness over what we did here in our ground-level office that we became friends. Over the course of several months and many visits to their shop, we began discussing ways to work together. They had given us several candles bearing their own original scent to burn in our office, and we began to get compliment after compliment on it.  We couldn’t think of a better scent to partner up with our clothing – it’s a custom fragrance with hints of juniper, cedar and white pepper. Everything is hand made and bottled in New York of natural, dye-free botanical ingredients. Their shave lotion recently won an Esquire Magazine Grooming Award for 2008.

We decided to put together an exclusive bottling of their hair and body care products for purchase this holiday season. In the travel kit, you’ll find shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, shave lotion, and a travel-sized scented candle to burn on your nightstand. The matchbook fits conveniently inside the candle lid so you’ll never forget it. It’s currently available in our online store (3sixteenshop.com) and at Dickson Hairshop (137 Allen Street, New York) for $45. It makes for a great gift or an even greater personal indulgence as you travel to visit family and friends this holiday season. Enjoy!