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Chris Cox - Creative Director of Nautica - Showcases a Collection That Breathes New Life to an American Classic
Chris Cox, Nautica's Creative Director, has been praised since his inception for what in essence is the resurrection of an American relic. Taking the reins
at a brand that's dually recognized as a hallmark of true blue-bloodedness as well as a regular fixture at your local T.J Maxx, couldn't sound like a more
daunting task. It's quite the responsibility: embrace the tenets and make people believe in the brand again. So how exactly has he gone about doing just
that? "It's all about the mix," says Cox. "It's how you mix 'sport' and how you mix 'tailored', as well as new proportions and fabrications that aren't fussy. It's
about making real clothes. "
For Fall 2011, Cox was inspired by the Maritime Heritage of the Sleeping Bear Dunes region of Lake Michigan. The Safety Orange on a canvas button up
jacket and on a nylon puffer vest were Cox's tip of the hat to the Coast Guard, while a camel wool toggle coat (with brown leather elbow patches) and a
heather grey cotton athletic pant (See? Athletic pants are absolutely everywhere this season) recalled the neutral tones of the sand dunes.
It was an exceptional assembly of men's outerwear, mainly because of Cox's necessary adherence to the codes of the brand. The Sail White pieces, the
most iconically Nautica, were the strongest in the collection. A Sail White cotton shawlneck knit paired with a grey cotton cargo short was undeniably
adorable, despite the advent of sporting a pair of shorts in the fall/winter season. As was this stunning number - a cotton sailing jacket with clasp
closures. The elevation of Nautica as a brand was easy to see. These weren't the NAUTICA splattered oversized T-shirts you see now and again in a bin
at Marshalls. For Cox, Americana isn't a strict paradigm, with nothing left to enrich the definition. Americana is the past, it's the future - it's now.
Chris Cox, Nautica's Creative Director, has been praised since his inception for what in essence is the resurrection of an American relic. Taking the reins
at a brand that's dually recognized as a hallmark of true blue-bloodedness as well as a regular fixture at your local T.J Maxx, couldn't sound like a more
daunting task. It's quite the responsibility: embrace the tenets and make people believe in the brand again. So how exactly has he gone about doing just
that? "It's all about the mix," says Cox. "It's how you mix 'sport' and how you mix 'tailored', as well as new proportions and fabrications that aren't fussy. It's
about making real clothes. "
For Fall 2011, Cox was inspired by the Maritime Heritage of the Sleeping Bear Dunes region of Lake Michigan. The Safety Orange on a canvas button up
jacket and on a nylon puffer vest were Cox's tip of the hat to the Coast Guard, while a camel wool toggle coat (with brown leather elbow patches) and a
heather grey cotton athletic pant (See? Athletic pants are absolutely everywhere this season) recalled the neutral tones of the sand dunes.
It was an exceptional assembly of men's outerwear, mainly because of Cox's necessary adherence to the codes of the brand. The Sail White pieces, the
most iconically Nautica, were the strongest in the collection. A Sail White cotton shawlneck knit paired with a grey cotton cargo short was undeniably
adorable, despite the advent of sporting a pair of shorts in the fall/winter season. As was this stunning number - a cotton sailing jacket with clasp
closures. The elevation of Nautica as a brand was easy to see. These weren't the NAUTICA splattered oversized T-shirts you see now and again in a bin
at Marshalls. For Cox, Americana isn't a strict paradigm, with nothing left to enrich the definition. Americana is the past, it's the future - it's now.
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By Alexander Patino
POSTED February 11, 2011
Nautica Breathes New Life To An American Classic
Photo Credit: Jennifer Sweeney
