Re-intro for Union: Union isn’t just a pioneering men’s and streetwear retail institution on La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles; it’s also a lifestyle brand.
That was the message Friday night when Chris Gibbs hosted a dinner party to celebrate the fall 2023 collection at a private residence in Baldwin Hills.
“Have you met Jamie?” Gibbs asked the dinner table.
Jamie Benson, that is, head designer for the unisex collection. “Our objective is to reintroduce Union,” said Benson, who’s been with the company full time for two years. The aim is to offer “a unique point of view,” focused on luxury-quality garments at an accessible price point. Produced in Japan and China, the collection is priced between $102 and $445.
“It’s a value proposition,” explained Gibbs, who recently took on the role of creative director for the brand. “I don’t care how dope it is. I don’t want it to be insanely priced. And the value proposition on the knits is really good.”
Knits include the $198 Wheatley cardigan, inspired by Gibbs’ Canadian roots “with motifs pulled from his late grandmother’s old blankets.” There’s outerwear — the $445 Dunbar parka is influenced by the Swedish army snow jacket silhouette and made with jersey-like Japanese fabric — as well as trousers and denim.
“Grab something to wear,” Gibbs generously offered those feeling the chill as the sun set and temperature dropped on the hilltop. The dinner party was held in the open air overlooking L.A.
The setting was intentional; Baldwin Hills has been called the “Black Beverly Hills,” because of the prominent Black celebrities and cultural figures who have lived in the area over the years, including Lenny Kravitz (he grew up in Baldwin Vista in the house owned by his parents, actress Roxie Roker and TV producer Sy Kravitz), Debbie Allen, John Singleton, Ray Charles, Ike and Tina Turner.
The night’s menu, too, honored Black…
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