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Vancouver is home to a thriving fashion industry made up of individuals committed to its growth and success. Get to know these personalities in The Inseam and discover what makes the Vancouver Fashion scene so awesome. |
Photo: courtesy Lifetime Collective
Lifetime Collective is the ultimate success story. More than just a clothing label, Lifetime has evolved from a creative project in a Vancouver basement suite to a full-scale operation among friends, artists, designers, filmmakers and the like from all over the world. Celebrating their 10th year in business, owners and menswear designers Reid Stewart and Trevor Fleming remain steadfast to their creative collaborative process.
Valerie Tiu: You started Lifetime Collective in 2002. How has the brand evolved over the last 10 years?
Reid Stewart: For starters, we've become a little bit wiser with how we do things. I think the overall design from the clothes to our catalogs has developed over the years into something more "us". We've been lucky to meet many creative and interesting people over the years, which has really pushed us. It has let us evolve over the years and think about what it is that we do.
Trevor Fleming: Yes, I would say we are for sure more efficient in being able to execute on our ideas. That has given us a lot more time to step back and look at the full picture, making sure everything flows together the way we want it to. I think in the beginning we would get way too involved in one particular aspect - but then again, I guess that is really the best way to learn how to do something properly.
VT: Where did you draw your inspiration from for the Spring/Summer 2012 Menswear collection?
RS: Personally, the inspiration came from traveling, places, colour, friends, camping and our surroundings. A random list, I know, but I feel like Lake Powell (the location of the Spring/Summer 2012 catalog shoot) really encompassed all those elements.
TF: For me it had more to do with colour than anything. I really wanted to make sure that the colours and fabrics used in this collection merchandised seamlessly into the location it was shot in. My colour boards were littered with images of the Utah and Arizona landscape, as well as clay pottery and the lakes I wanted to swim in. I found myself just storyboarding my ideal road trip.
As for my designs, I pushed myself to allow these landscapes and lifestyles to meld their way into something easy to wear and hopefully extremely approachable for the Lifetime customer. I really like to travel around and vintage shop no matter what city I'm in.
VT: One of your most recent collaborations was with filmmakers Salazar. Can you talk about this experience?
TF: We have been working with the boys at Salazar ever since we decided to step into creating video. The way it usually works is we come at them with this crazy idea of what we want to do and then somehow, as a family of immature children, we get it done. Haha… ok just kidding - these guys are super professional, we just like to go on adventures together. When you only have so much budget to get a project done, you need people who share the same level of passion as you - this is why we work with our friends.
This time around we decided to live out those storyboards on the wall in the office and go on the road. We piled eight people into a ten-person passenger van with all the clothing, film gear and camping supplies needed to drive to Arizona and back. The idea was to just have fun and capture the true essence of a road trip. When we got to our destination at Lake Powell, we grabbed a boat that would just stay afloat with all of us, our gear and took to camping on remote beaches around this massive canyon. I could go on and on, but let's just say it was a lot of fun - just like a road trip should be. We ended up with so much amazing footage that we decided to do the video in two drops; each edit was done in drastically different styles, capturing a distinct outlook of the "trip". The first part is called The Road Trip and is out now on our site. The second video drop is called The Trip and will be coming out this summer.
VT: Lifetime has always been a collaborative project, mixing artistry and creativity into the label's DNA. Why does this remain an important element to your business?
RS: It remains important because I find creativity to be vital to our being. It's something that gets us out of bed in the morning. To be able to work with amazing, creative people from all over the world makes it that much better.
TF: It also helps your company to never stop evolving. The last thing I want to do ever is stand still - it's hard enough to work on a computer all day.
VT: How does living in Vancouver influence your approach to design?
RS: It makes me think about fabric and function. Is this jacket going to make it through the rainy winter months, that type of thing. It's the amazing beauty and the surroundings. There is also so much creative energy in this city that really pushes us to want to keep up and continue progressing in our design.
TF: When I think about it, I guess I really utilize Vancouver as more of my easy getaway spot. In a lot of other cities, it's not as easy to get away from it all. Don't get me wrong - there is a time for the hustle and bustle of the city, but like anything you need to take it with balance. It feels like Van has a better balance now of creative people doing inspiring things and really building their communities. I think a big part of design for me is knowing when to drop everything you are doing and toss yourself into a different frame of mind for a bit. Even if it's just a hike for the afternoon or camping for the weekend, I find that I have way more ideas in my head to play with after these type of activities.
VT: What is your biggest accomplishment to date?
RS: Still being in business from our beginnings in 2002. We've come a long way. The fact that we're still around doing this is a huge accomplishment.
TF: My son Hunter.
VT: What's next for Lifetime?
RS: We're currently finishing up our Spring/Summer 2013 collection right now and working on a few collaborative projects. It's our 10th year as a company, so that's pretty exciting and something to look forward to.
TF: Time travel.
Stay tuned for Part Two of THE INSEAM VOL. 27, with Lifetime’s women’s designer, Jude Feller.
Check out the Lifetime Spring/Summer 2012 Collection here.
http://vimeo.com/25997384
Video credits:
Directed by: Salazar
Featuring Music by: Thee Oh Sees
Styled & Cast by: Mila Franovic
Hair/Makeup: Shannon Reynolds
Cast:
David Adrian Mattatall (Rad Kids)
Miki Heaps (Rad Kids)
Hamish Olding at Key Model Managment
Siouxsie Gletzer (Rad Kids)
Captain/Executive Producer/Pied Piper: Trevor Fleming
