Christopher Bates Exclusive: Changing landscapes and the menswear line
It took Christopher Bates, a Canadian menswear designer hailing from Vancouver, seven years of conscious effort to become the success he is today.
We visited him at his Toronto studio just across from the Lawrence Market. This beautiful location is full of hustle and bustle of local farmers with organic produce, delicious samples, and kiosks with local arts and crafts. Architecturally it is reminiscent of Europe, Italy perhaps, where Christopher used to study fashion, with some parts taken over by the new and the modern. It is no wonder Bates chose this location to create his art.
We covered everything from TOM, this year’s first ever man’s fashion week in Toronto, and the eight’s event of its kind in the world, talking extensively about his collection; to more personal questions, where Christopher revealed to us some very exciting changes taking place in his life.
Christopher Bates showcased his best work to date in the Spring 2015 collection, which is his tenth collection. It was inspired by the army and safari pieces worn by the characters in the movie ‘The English Patient”. This is the most ‘resort like’ collection so far. 'Every day clothing' you can wear to go to the patio, take a walk along the shore, and still look dressy enough to go out to dinner later.
Printed silk charmeuse vest is Christopher’s favourite piece; the same print was used for the jacket. Christopher was very excited about the use of prints for this collection because the unique fabric really made the pieces unique.
The three-color desert camouflage pants made with rib-stop cotton is the other designer favourite. This is the exact fabric the military uses.
Speaking of fabrics, there are new ‘smart fabrics’ coming out today that are set to revolutionize the fashion industry. Christopher told us that he is currently working with a company that produces fabrics, which are wrinkle resistant, have colour fastness properties (colour doesn’t fade easily), and fabrics that may make you feel warmer or colder.
And with all these developments in the fashion industry how does the designer see the new millennia man?
Bates: “There is a term recently coined called the ‘Menaissance’. Which basically means the resurgence of man’s fashion, which is what has been happening over the last eight years. It started in Europe and maybe in North America as well, there are numbers and statistics to back it up, men are shopping more, they are putting more effort into their wardrobe, they are taking a more stylish approach to all types of different situations. It’s here it is happening and it is not a mere trend, but something that will continue well into the future.”
Reporter: “What inspired you to become a menswear fashion designer, verses women’s?”
Bates: “That’s a good question, when I was in school in Milan, Institute of Marangoni, the first two collections we did were for women, and the third collection the whole class had to do was for men. And that’s where I really distinguished myself and my teachers encouraged me to consider and that’s where… This was really in 2006-2007 and menswear was really starting to take off in Europe, and it felt like the timing was right.
Also I felt that the womenswear market was hyper-saturated and menswear, I felt I could carve a niche for myself, so it was really a strategic decision. Also being a man myself, I have a window in what guys like and what guys want, so it made sense for all those reasons.
I still would love to do womenswear, I do some custom womenswear on the side, and I plan to do a full women’s line some day, but first I want to get menswear streamlined, before I consider anything else. ”
Reporter: “Who are your role models growing up, have you always wanted to be a designer?”
Bates: “I was really into fashion from a very young age, my mom dressed me and my brothers really cool, [this was] in the 80s, we were in neon… all these cool outfits… It was a fun time and I was a really energetic kid and I felt, if I was feeling good and I put on an outfit, I felt even better, so I was aware of the power the clothing can have from a very young age, it resonated with me.
I am a creative guy and for some reason all the ideas I had seemed to involve clothing, I had a sketch book, where I was sketching designs and logos and things, I had a book full of them by the time I was thirteen…
It wasn’t until my late teens, early twenties when I took a couple of trips to Europe and realized there were people who would appreciate these ideas, and I was particularly inspired when I was in Stockholm by their individualism and how stylish they were... It was at that moment that I realized, ‘ok I have to do something about this, I have to become a designer.’”
Bates’ mother was a teacher and later was heavily involved in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. His father was a stockbroker and sadly passed away when Christopher was still young. Even though Christopher did not let his mother, friends and mentors know his career choice until later in life, they were very supportive and loving when they found out.
Reporter: “Are there any artists in particular who inspired you growing up?”
Bates: “Yep, Depeche Mode really inspired me, just really with their music and their art, it takes me to a place where I feel like, inspiration and ideas [live], when I am designing I pretty much always listen to Depeche Mode. They are cool and stylish, others would be David Bowe and Freddie Mercury…”
Bates: “…nowadays I like a guy like David Beckham, I think he is really stylish…I’ve gone to my hairdresser with his picture of his hair… But yeah, I think a lot of people look to him and his style, he is a really sharp dresser as well.”
Reporter: “What criteria do you use to find models for your shows?”
Bates: “That’s a good question, really I look at their height, weight and body type, I always do a fitting, because often the measurements on their comp cards or websites are wrong, typically they are wrong. You have to see them… Typically I look for guys that are athletics not the really skinny type, I like the athletic type because my clothes are cast for that type of body and I cast for guys that I think are handsome. I don’t look for anything too bizarre like some brands.”
Reporter; “So you would say you look for conventionally good looking men?”
Bates: “Yeah I think so, like Sean Connery in James Bond or Timothy Dalton, a handsome guy to aspire to.”
Reporter: “And who do you consider to be the most beautiful women, give me some examples?”
Bates: “Madeline Stowe is probably one of my all-time favourite beauties, she is an actress, she has done some movies ‘The Last of the Mohicans’, ‘Revenge’, movies in the 90s…for me personally she is incredibly beautiful.”
Reporter: “Is she your ideal?”
Bates; “Yeah I would say so, also Monica Bellucci, the Italian model and actress, I would like to single them out.”
Reporter: “Which country or city do you consider to be the most stylish, and where do you think the most beautiful people are?”
Bates: “ The Milanese men are probably the best dressed and also the Swedish guys in Stockholm. Best looking girls would be in Latvia out of anywhere I’ve been, closely followed by the Czech republic, and Sweden and also Ukraine. And for guys, that’s a tricky one, probably the Swedish guys are really handsome.”
Reporter: “In your opinion what is the most important thing a cosmopolitan man should know?”
Bates; “The most important thing is fit, you can have a really expensive piece it’s going to look like garbage, conversely you can have a less expensive piece, but that fits you well, it will look like a million bucks… That’s my advice, if it doesn’t fit get it tailored.”
Reporter: “Any regrets or mistakes you made in your fashion career?”
Bates: “I’ve made big mistakes which is actually normal and healthy when you are starting a business you are not going to get everything right from the start. When I launched the brand it was called ‘Christopher Bates for ULTRA’ and I used ‘ULTRA’ for a lot of stuff. But people didn’t really like ULTRA, a lot of the designs meant a lot to me, but you have to keep in mind that there is a market out there and you have to deliver things that the market will like, so I had to temper my design and my ideas to something that I like and also the market will like…
You have to keep a balance between what you like and what the market will like…If it doesn’t sell, or doesn’t help you sell it is useless, in my opinion.
Also I found out that I like to use the best materials and I like to produce things in Canada or Italy, so I invest a lot in the materials and production, which means if I am going to make any money, I have to have a product that is priced a little higher. But I found that in Canada the market is extremely price sensitive…And even now that I have lowered the prices and I go back to these buyers they still have this perception…they think you are expensive or too expensive, but really my clothes are very affordable and for what they are it’s extremely high value.”
In 2010 he rebranded to just Christopher Bates, the younger, street-style, hip, Euro brand called ULTRA is gone. In it’s place is the sophisticated, fitted brand with a little bit of zing to it.
Reporter: “When you were studying in Italy, did you plan to stay there since that is likely the fashion capital of Europe?”
Bates: “Absolutely, I was supposed to re-new my visa, I was in Vienna, they are actually quite strict there, so I missed the window, so after my program was over I had to come back to Canada. Once I came back my plan was to start the business, and re-locate it to Europe when it made sense, it has taken me seven years! I am moving back to Milan on November 1st (2014). You can’t just go, you have to have the right branding, that has taken me years to hone, you need resources as well, and you need connections, and now I feel like I have those three things in place, and I am ready expand the business in Europe.”
Reporter: “Moving for good?”
Bates: “Yes, Italy is a really rich spoiled country, ‘the art of life’ I call it, and they have it down pat there.”
For a designer like Bates it is impossible to resist moving his business to Milan, and while he may not speak Italian just yet, he does have a successful menswear line, and the right connections to help him succeed.
Bates will also have no trouble finding inspiration for his women’s line, in the picturesque country like Italy.
Originally published in Belle Exotique, 2014
Photos: christopherbates.com/product/kiss-print-shirt-men, www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7cjWk6oB14G5d9cTBh2Ew, HELEN SIWAK (www.retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2019/5/designer-christopher-bates-launches-at-nordstrom-as-he-relocates-operations-from-italy-to-canada), www.discogs.com/es/artist/2725-Depeche-Mode
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