Worn Out Wednesdays: Javas Lehn

Worn Out is a new column for us profiling taste makers around the nation on what inspires and influences what they wear.

For our first Worn Out profile we spoke with Javas Lehn, Creative Director and founder of his name sake design studio. Lehn  hails from Seattle and is well respected for his keen aesthetic. His creativity can be seen in projects with MoMa, Saturdays Magazine (from the Saturdays NYC boys who named a shirt after him), Starbucks and All Good Things to name a few.

But we wanted to talk to him about his sense of style and here is what he had to say:

I have a pretty standard uniform of A.P.C’s New Standard jeans that I have been wearing for about 10 years and either a Thom Browne or Martin Margiela button down. Both have great cuts and I never need to alter them. The fabrics and attention to detail are amazing and I am quite fanatical about both aspects of my clothes. As for shoes, I’m obsessed with Common Projects. It’s a bad habit. They are very durable and that goes a long way when running around New York.

Many of my clothes and inspirations for my wardrobe come from my grandfather, Allen Vance Salsbury. He was an interior designer in Seattle and one of the first minimalists around. He would put three to four objects in his window and people were shocked, “Where’s all the clutter?” they would ask. He worked closely with Arthur Erickson and traveled around the world four times a year to curate his showroom. When I got into design I really began to appreciate his aesthetic.

When he passed away I took a few things and wear something of his nearly every day. I wear his black leather belt with a simple gold buckle, his glasses and blazers. They aren’t from any big designer name, just well tailored and classic.

Photo courtesy of Akira Yamada.