Lets talk about DIVISION. When it first dropped it was limited color ways of existing styles in the 10 deep range with a couple of new specialty items that were offered to your top tier accounts. Why?
The initial idea for the Division line was to create special 10.Deep product for our top tier stores and their customers. As the brand was expanding, we wanted to offer special product to those stores, which we had special longstanding relationships with, and those who we felt stood out as leaders of the culture. We wanted to give them product that would help them continue to stick out as leaders in the marketplace.

I’ve noticed this current offering has almost no 10 deep branding? Is it still a part of the 10 deep collection?
No, Division is no longer part of the 10.Deep collection. I’m still designing it, so in that sense, it’s coming out of the 10.Deep camp, but I realized that what I wanted to make was a departure from the 10.Deep line that would eventually stand as its own brand.

I see its similarities to 10 deep, like the colored pants and the jacket silhouette, but it seems that it is starting to take on a life of its own.
Well, this season’s goods were very different from last season’s, which, as you mentioned before, were limited to a few unique tee designs, and some special color ways of items from the 10.Deep line. However, this season, all of the items are unique to the Division Garment Supply line. Some of them do have a feel that is similar to what you’ll find in 10.Deep, like the colored bottoms and the pocketed crewneck, but the overall styling and branding of the line is a lot more quiet and the graphic references are more whimsical and eclectic. The spirit and humor are still there, but as the line evolves, it will feel more and more different from 10.Deep.

Is it for the same consumer? Why or why not? Who is it for?
I’m designing Division for the guy who has been a 10.Deep customer for the last 4 or 5 years who is now looking for something more fashion-oriented, but with a point of view that isn’t a 180º turn from the brands he’s identified with.

What makes it different?
The Garment Supply stuff is about better quality- a unique product that has personality and sophistication. The aesthetic is a bit more minimalist, but the fits are very similar to what you’ve found from 10.Deep in the last two seasons. With 10.Deep, I’ve pushed for progressive fit and styling, but I believe there is a point at which that direction can become too hard to access for a lot of people, and that’s where the Garment Supply line comes in. I’ve gotten to this point where I see a stylistic fork in the road, so to say, where one path may be too eclectic for most of the market, and then there is a path that will also be challenging, but probably more accessible to the 10.Deep customer. I’m interested in pursuing both, and by adding Division Garment Supply I get to explore both. I don’t think this season’s Division line is so esoteric or challenging, but I know the Spring ’08 line may seem a little strange to some people, and who knows where the product will evolve to for the Fall 2008 line.

How personal is it for you? Are the inspirations different from 10 deep? What is the approach when putting the line together?
All of my creative work is very personal to me. The only difference for me with DGSupply is that I’m using the ideas that I think are too eclectic or subtle for the 10.Deep line. With 10.Deep, the references and styles are more about the moment, and more about things that I like, or that I think I would have been excited to wear if I was a 20-something instead of a 30-something. Division is me making stuff for me as a 30+ year old, who still wants his gear to express some amount of personality. My overall goal is to get as many of the creative ideas that I have out there. I hate having ideas that don’t get to see the light of day-- it’s suffocating to me. I think with DGSupply, I’ll be able to make product that will allow me to speak to a new set of people.

DIVISION Garment Supply