One of the most admirable things about fashion designers is, aside from obvious creative skill, entrepreneurial spirit.  It’s certainly the American Dream to forge your own way and succeed according to your own rules, but it’s even more indicative of West Coast panache.  It’s the willpower required and unpredictability inherent in stepping into unknown territory—physical and figurative—and making it your own.

In my years in LA, I’ve learned one thing: California designers are very, umm, Californian.  That is, they possess all those things elementary textbooks tell you a Western pioneer would possess—stubborn independence, rugged determination, and a really good pair of jeans.  Oh, and a preternatural dedication to making things by hand.  On December 15^th, we’ll get to witness an American icon and representative of that pioneering spirit that is so exquisitely Californian debut his new signature line.

Georges Marciano Since 1978 promises the rugged appeal of carefree SoCal living as well as the Marciano staples of quality, handcrafted clothing.  After all, this is the man who re-invented the jean when he started Guess? In the 1970s.

Including hints of a vintage eighties aesthetic, an homage to the days Marciano found success right here in Los Angeles, I’m looking forward to sturdy denim, soft basics, and bright colors that capture a quintessentially American spirit (and act as the perfect ode to my new SoCal home).  Also: an online store, Marciano’s first online venture.

All photos courtesy of Rank Media Agency.