Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Fashion & Style

A Chat About FW14 with CWST

Jodie Kharas
By

California-based menswear brand CWST is all about super wearable low-key luxury. Founders Joe Sadler and Derek Buse take a refreshingly natural approach to design. The pair are advocates of essential clothing, always avoiding superfluous detail that may deter the modern man. We caught up with the guys to talk holiday plans and winter dressing in Southern California.

What inspired the FW14 collection?

DB- The collection was a derived from the idea of casual sophistication. Obviously the words are contradictory but we try to create relaxed California aesthetics while adding detail and fabrications that take each piece up a notch.

Recommended Videos

What’s the best thing about dressing for winter?

DB- Dressing for winter in Southern California is dramatically different than dressing for winter in other parts of the country. Here it’s all about layers. Mornings can be chilly but by the early afternoon, I find myself stripping back layers until I’m in a Tee. After work the temperature drops again, so the layers get stacked back on.

Each piece in the collection is super wearable. How did you ensure the collection would be really easy to wear?

JS – We don’t over think anything. It either works or it doesn’t, and you can usually tell within seconds of the first proto. Nothing is forced. We aim to design timeless pieces with a bit of relevant edge. Designs that guys get emotionally attached to and never throw out.

DB- It’s easy to get carried away and start over designing. We always ask ourselves if we are giving guys a “reason to buy” or a “reason to say no” when adding detail to garments. Most guys aren’t risk takers so it’s important to make sure we are offering wearable items.

I love all the blue tones in the collection. What inspired all those hues?

DB- Having a deep blue in the collection helps give it a feeling of “icy cold”. It’s a really important colour aesthetically but also critical as every guy can wear blue!

JS- If there were a silver lining to the smog cloud of LA it’d be the chalky blue sky tones that we see in periods of draught. Our Silver Lake studio has a beautiful view over Hollywood. It’s a constant inspiration.

How would you define the CWST brand?

DB- CWST is a menswear brand that designs product with a distinctive twist on West Coast sophistication.

JS- Low-key luxury. Smart and refined, but relaxed and wearable.

Do you have any exciting plans for the holidays?

DB- Nothing too exciting planned this year. I’ll spend Christmas with my Family in Seattle, and hope Santa brings me that Red Rider BB Gun…

JS- I’m working on a record with a few buddies, so we’ll use the time off to get in the studio and press record. Finally!

Jodie Kharas
Jodie Kharas
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jodie Kharas is a style, art and culture writer who lives in London. She has contributed to the online platforms of POP…
All new Rolex 1908 men’s watch leans into timeless Rolex styling and we can’t get enough of it
You won't stop staring at it, but that has nothing to do with what time it is
The Rolex Perpetual 1908

The world’s most desirable watch brand, Rolex, is paying homage to its long and storied history with a new series of watches. The new Rolex watch takes inspiration from the vintage timepieces that made the luxury brand what it is today. So expect an almost impossibly slim profile, smaller dimensions than modern men’s watches, and large numbers. Another nice vintage touch is the lack of a central seconds hand, with a dedicated sub-dial being used instead.

Rolex’s main inspiration when creating the Perpetual 1908 is the original Oyster Perpetual from 1931. While its 39mm diameter may be a little more petit than the 45+ mm dive watches that have been in vogue over the last few decades, it’s actually somewhat of a compromise. Many classic men’s watches are rocking 34mm or 36mm cases.

Read more
We found those iconic Deion Sanders sunglasses, and they’re only $67
Look like Prime, stay winnin' like Prime
Deion Sanders wearing Blenders

There are a lot of things that Deion Sanders is good at: baseball, football, and coaching the latter, for instance. But one that he is excelling at off the field is promotion. Sure, he is a name and a face, and it seems like it would be easy. But when you develop your own sunglasses with a brand like Blenders, you feel the need to promote harder than usual. And now, you can snatch up a pair of these viral sunglasses yourself but don't expect them to show up on your doorstep as fast as they went viral.

Creating a viral sensation
Before his Colorado football team took the field and triumphed over rival Colorado State in a double overtime victory, his entire team showed out with their own pair of Prime 21s, the new collaboration between "Neon" Deion and Blenders sunglasses. Of course, that is never enough, as he gifted big names in sports like Stephen A. Smith (sports TV host) and Dwayne Johnson (former wrestler and football monster himself) a pair of their own to promote to their giant followings. Not to mention, another commentator called him out before the game for wearing glasses in interviews. We're not saying it was orchestrated, but the timing was perfect.

Read more
ZENITH Watches DEFY Extreme Carl Cox edition lands September 25, limited to 100 watches, priced at $30,100
There are only 100 pieces AND you get to meet Carl Cox
ZENITH Defy Extreme Carl Cox watch

Luxury watch enthusiasts, mark your calendars! ZENITH is set to release a horological marvel that's bound to send ripples through the world of timekeeping. The DEFY Extreme Carl Cox edition from ZENITH watches, a limited masterpiece, is slated to land on September 25. With only 100 pieces available and priced at a sumptuous $30,100, this timepiece is a tribute to both precision and fashionable aesthetics.
A fusion of craftsmanship: The ZENITH DEFY Extreme Carl Cox Edition
ZENITH's collaboration with Carl Cox, an ambassador for the brand, has given birth to an extraordinary creation. At the heart of this men's watch beats the most rugged and fastest 1/100th of a second chronograph, setting the tempo for accuracy that is second to none. But this watch is not just about attention to detail; it's also a nod to Carl Cox's musical heritage. The design takes cues from his favorite set of turntables, seamlessly blending the worlds of horology and music. The chronograph sub-counters have fine circular ridges that look like vinyl records, and the one at 9 o’clock has a Carl Cox logo on it. The number of sub-counters, three, also reflects Cox’s pioneering three-deck DJing style.

The ZENITH DEFY Extreme Carl Cox edition is a stunning watch that combines the best of both worlds: a classic design with a modern twist. This watch features a 45mm matte microblasted stainless steel and yellow gold case, with a 12-sided yellow gold insert under the bezel and crown guards. This blend of materials exudes a minimalistic and retro-futuristic look; it's a visual masterpiece that will undoubtedly turn heads. The case is water-resistant to 200m and has a screw-down crown for added security. The dial is open-worked, revealing the intricate workings of the El Primero 9004 in-house calibre, a chronometer-certified movement that boasts a dual regulating organ, one for timekeeping and one for the chronograph.

Read more