On May 11th, it’s going to be hopping at the FD Lofts in Detroit for Launch Volume 1: The Rise of the Creative Class. The Sarahs behind Motor City Sewing are bringing in a slew of regional designers like Wrath Arcane, Lara Miller, Juma, and Michel Delon to accompany them for their Spring 2007 Wound menswear launch. This group of fashionistas is leading the way toward the emergence of an exciting and viable fashion scene in the Midwest– there is a lot of creative potential in the region, and it’s just a matter of bringing together positive energy and bright minds– that’s what this event aims to do. There will be copious amounts of music, drink, and food (from 20 of Detroit’s ‘essential’ restaurants to be exact), and the ticket proceeds are going to the Children’s Hospital. You can buy tickets beforehand here, or if you want to risk it day of, they’ll also be available at the door for $25. A full flyer for the shindig awaits, after the jump…

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Garment production is a thing customarily reserved for China– we are starting to see some American factories surface, but most of them are either in L.A. or NYC and tend to be either prohibitively expensive or too far away from home-base to allow for effective quality control. Not a moment too soon, Motor City Sewing is breathing some relief into our domestic apparel production deficit. Located in the Russell Industrial Center in Detroit, Motor City Sewing has high aspirations to become a Midwestern hub for high-end, small batch garment production. Owners Sarah Lurtz and Sarah Lapinski are driven to that end, and seem to possess the ingredients for success (they’re intimately familiar with this type of production through their own menswear line, ‘Wound‘). Spurring an industry in Detroit is certainly a challenging endeavor, and if it can be done, it’s going to take seriously dedicated efforts from people like the Sarahs. Our buddies over at Wrath Arcane have recently moved their production to Motor City Sewing, and have only good things to say about the whole operation; I’m certainly rooting for them!

Via Metromode

This morning I finally saw some Wrath Arcane clothes up close and personal; as I told you before, Wrath Arcane is still pretty young and is just now finding its place on the fashion map. Look for it to show up in boutiques near you soon, because from the appearance of the Fall 06 collection, I think these guys are poised for success. Fall 06 not only looks great, but it is one of the more unique lines (from a construction standpoint) that I’ve seen. The Striped Blazer (shown here) is a perfect example– it’s a ‘wear to a bar’ three-button blazer with subtly striped fabric; but the magical details are a free-floating strap that runs from the left shoulder to under the right arm, and a slightly raised and tattered seem that runs across the left half of the back panel. Pair it with Wrath Arcane’s signature ‘hooded scarf’ and you’ll have quite the look going for you. And… this just in: the Wrath Arcane rush order for Spring/Summer 07 should be here in about 5 weeks, so keep your eyes peeled.

Our Cleveland, OH based friends at Wrath Arcane Clothing just tipped us off that a second Brigade Clothing Store will be opening soon the Cleveland area. There’s already one in the warehouse district, and the new one in the historic eastside neighborhood of Coventry will be opening at the end of January. Brigade has the men’s and women’s labels we like; to name a few: Wrath Arcane, Nice Collective, Rag and Bone, Surface to Air, Corpus, and J Lindeberg. Keep your eyes peeled for the new store opening and if you find yourself in the Cleveland area, go check them out.

Some of my favorite content on the site comes from our fashion vaults (that probably has a lot to do with my love for fashion, but I really do think we have found some fabric gems). I frequently find myself sifting through the archives to see what we’ve written about so I can give references to interested friends. Then I thought: why not do the same for all of you? So here it is– my top fashion picks from our vault. Just in time for holiday shopping!

Newson for G-Star: Industrial design legend Marc Newson teamed up with the raw denim hounds at G-STAR to bring us G-Star by Marc Newson… Continue Reading

Triko: The Art of Life: Triko is a brand founded by Hector Estrada, after years of designing for some of the biggest names in the street-wear market he decided to set out on his own to build a premium brand with what he proclaims to be a soul… Continue Reading

Invicid Takes on Broadway: I really dig this new Invicid Hoodie, called ‘Tanks on Broadway.' It's new for Winter 06, hand-screened, and has inside pattern prints of grenades… Continue Reading

Wrath Arcane Clothing: Cleveland, Ohio. The home of the Cuyahoga River, the Tribe (Cleveland Indians), and now Wrath Arcane Clothing… Continue Reading

Monsieur T: Our friends over at Monsieur T in Portland, OR have been creating great skateboard and indie art-scene-inspired screen printed tees since 2004… Continue Reading

PRPS Denim: PRPS, also known as Purpose, lives by the slogan “bruised but never broken,” because each pair of jeans is put through various treatments, washes and hand-done details to give it that amazing finish… Continue Reading

Trovata: We just received word that our friends at Trovata have just opened their online store for business… Continue Reading

Ever Clothing: Ten years ago I didn't think anyone did vintage clothing better then my friends Mr. Abercrombie and Mr. Fitch, but since then times have really changed and Ever clothing is a perfect example… Continue Reading

Big Mouth On Tour: On Tour Lab strikes again with their autumn / winter 2006 collection of tees, sweatshirts, and hoodies dubbed Big Mouth Ontour… Continue Reading

Blue Blood Denim: For those denim aficionados that love a great looking pair of distressed jeans, but hate looking like you just walked out of a homeless shelter then Blue Blood Brand has your back… Continue Reading

Nudie Jeans: Some companies merely make products. Others strive to create not just a “product,” but instead something that becomes a natural extension of the consumer, almost like a second skin… Continue Reading

Angry Retail: A fashion and graphic design agency out of Dublin, Angry recently launched their website Angry Retail… Continue Reading

Cleveland, Ohio. The home of the Cuyahoga River, the Tribe (Cleveland Indians), and now Wrath Arcane Clothing. I respect any label that shrouds their models’ faces in a cloth that reads ‘big labels are fucked,’ but Wrath Arcane’s designs are even more impressive. Although they are a new label and have a pretty limited selection, they have at least gone beyond selling just t-shirts–right now they are making Men’s jackets (my favorites are the Separvtion Laminated Linen and the Rath White Linen), dress shirts, and t-shirts–with a Women’s line soon to follow. They are using a variety of fabrics in their garments (cotton, nylon, and linen), and their designs are well thought out and fresh. It doesn’t appear that Wrath Arcane is available online or even at more boutiques than the one that they have set up in Cleveland (let me know if you know otherwise), but we are excited to help put these guys on the map.