New Order // Simon Spurr + Timo Weiland

Calvin Klein once mused, “Nothing earth-shattering has happened in men’s fashion… How much can you do with men’s clothes?” Well, with all due respect, Mr. Klein, prepare for a youthquake.

We recently tagged along with two of the hottest (and hardest-working) designers in New York, discovering two very different approaches to fashion, even as they have both captured a new spirit in American menswear. We caught up with Timo Weiland and Simon Spurr during a blazing summer’s week when they were readying their Spring 11 collections for the (capsule) menswear show in New York.

We found Alan Eckstein and Timo Weiland of Timo Weiland at their Garment District studio, a small but well-loved space with a vibrant, communal approach to design. The guys walked us through their collection of oddities and art—all to better conjure the evolving dandy aesthetic that has won them praise from T: The New York Times’ Style Magazine, Elle, and GQ, who called them a “designer to watch.” Meanwhile, in a loft overlooking the Hudson River, Simon Spurr was readying his SPURR by Simon Spurr presentation. The recent CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nominee has a confident, elegant approach to dressing the modern man.

Both share a commitment to fine tailoring and explore new angles in menswear, even as the clothing they create is inherently wearable. Still, we couldn’t help but thrill in the different approaches. While the Weiland duo debuted their line in 2009 after “brief fashion internships,” Spurr developed his craft at Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Yves Saint Laurent before launching his label in 2006. Team Weiland finishes a long day at work with DJ gigs around the city, while Spurr was just married (to a pediatrician, no less). Eckstein and Weiland glean inspiration from the “originality” of their native New York, while the British-born Spurr lends a touch of Savile Row to his wares. Either way, both lines are shaking up the sartorial aesthetic of the American Man, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Los Angeles indie trio Pollyn provides the tunes for this clip. Keep an eye out for their new EP, featuring songs from the album This Little Night, on August 31.