Eckhaus Latta on how they’ve thrived as an independent brand
6 lessons from our deep-dive interview with the design duo.
“How can we be a slow burn? How can we not be a flash in the pan?”
What makes an independent brand survive for 12 years? This was the million-dollar question we wanted Mike Eckhaus and Zoe Latta to answer in our conversation. Within a context of indie labels closing at manic rhythms and e-commerce platforms creating a wholesale frenzy, the duo behind the New York-based label sound put together, direct, and most importantly, not stressed out. Eckhaus and Latta didn’t study fashion, and that might be their strongest asset when it comes to starting a brand. Knowing too little and trying to figure everything out themselves, from pattern cutting to putting together a business plan, is the polar opposite of how today’s generation of designers is raised, and it is probably what made them discover earlier than others the recipe for surviving in fashion.
Zoe and Mike started their brand pre-Instagram and pre-SSENSE. Hence, they attribute the naivety and lack of awareness that this time gave them when not all brands were hosted on the same landing page. With the recession and a NYC scene full of polished brands as a backdrop, they returned to their childhood instincts of remaking clothes and used their professionally driven friendship as a foundation to run their own business. One could attribute their success to timing, casting, good communication, a devoted community, good clothes, or New York fashion’s need for more ‘creative’ brands. Talking to them, however, makes it glaringly obvious that Eckhaus Latta are very driven creatives and even smarter thinkers. In a world where hype leads design decisions, they devoted themselves to creating strong and timeless products – such as the iconic EL jeans.
During a period when independent brands often heavily rely on e-commerce platforms with high promises, Zoe and Mike have their own physical stores in LA and NYC and refuse to put all their eggs in one basket. When big and small brands move from city to city to chase relevance, Eckhaus Latta stays where they started, adamantly believing that the people who work with and wear their clothes are what make their label.
It is freeing and comforting to see brand owners say they are marching to the beat of their own drum and truly mean it. This is probably what makes them what they call ‘forever emerging,’ but with ‘emerging’ holding onto its original definition: authentic, different, and new.
On starting a brand without having foundational skills and knowledge…
Mike Eckhaus: I thought I was going to study fashion for a long part of growing up and even going to school. Then I decided not to because the conversation around it wasn't something that I was interested in. I was more interested in the kind of dialogue structure within the fine art department, so I decided to study sculpture. But for better or for worse, I circled back into the world of fashion and clothing. Sculpture gave me space and a different sense of critical thinking. It allowed me to come to the foundational elements of making clothing through less traditional means, considering that when we started Eckhaus Latta, we were teaching ourselves everything. I did a night class at FIT. That was the only formal training I had. Everything else was like: "We want to figure this out," and, "How are we going to make these pants?" It made things even more challenging since we were doing all the pattern cutting ourselves.