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AMI: the best kept secret in menswear

David Watts
13 April 2016

There's no doubt that the menswear market has gone through a seismic shift in the past five years.  The numbers for the business of menswear are staggering and the UK menswear market has grown 18% in the past 5 years and now totals £12.9bn (Source: Mintel). The man on the street has embraced both looking good and would seem to enjoy shopping for fashion. Fashion accounts for around 83% of young men’s online spend and a quarter of 26 to 35-year-old men now spend at least £900 per year on clothing online.

Here in the UK, one of those brands steadily growing in both awareness and popularity is the French label AMI. Stocked by Harrods, Liberty, Selfridges, Browns and Matchesfashion.com as well as Mr. Porter, Hypebeast and Oki-ni online, this brand is building a dedicated menswear following and is one of those brands that has been somewhat off-radar until now.

AMI derives its name from the initials and the last letter of its founder and artistic director, Alexandre Mattiussi. AMI means “friend” in French. Founded in Paris in 2011, it offers a smart, comprehensive wardrobe of both casual and tailored pieces and is appealing to the male shopper who wants to have style but is not overtly fashion forward. The brand would certainly appeal to a consumer who likes brands such as Oliver Spencer, Folk and A.P.C. (also French). Mattiussi himself has a first rate design pedigree having worked for Dior, Marc Jacobs and Givenchy, where he jointly led the menswear design team before the arrival of Riccardo Tisci.

Authenticity, sincerity, and always with a positive message is a cornerstone of the ethos of the AMI brand.  Currently the business has five standalone stores and a comprehensive list of wholesale stockists around the world (300). The anticipated London opening (75 Duke St) marks Alexandre Mattiussi’s fifth collaboration with leading architectural firm Studio KO, who have previously designed the other AMI stores in Paris and Tokyo. The interior represents a continuation of the previously opened stores, featuring exposed white brick walls, brass, marble, wood and mirrors that have been positioned throughout the space to create an original optical illusion of reflections.

The brand has developed a number of design collaborations (Vuarnet, Colette) and one rather high-profile being with MONCLER featuring the use of the logos playfully scaled-up in size, to great affect on luxury basics such as knitwear and sweatshirts and tailoring.

AMI is a cool yet understated brand that is certainly worth checking out.

AMI

AMi 75 Duke Street

Images: InDigital and courtesy of AMI

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