I Sat Down Over Instagram With Jace Lipstein a.k.a Grungy Gentleman

Q1. Hi First Of, Jace How Are You?

Jace: i'm doing great my work day started at 5am to speak to manufacturers as usual, i have actually just got out of playing golf at five iron which is a golf simulator, that's a great bar slash golf simulator place that is near my apartment on my block, and then i’m going to get back to work and tonight watch some sports i know the match is on with Phil Mickleson and Tom Brady vs Aaron Rodgers and Brison Dechambeau and there's also some soccer on and some baseball and of course today is game one of the NBA finals.

Character,Intelligence,Strength,Style That makes a Gentleman-LOUIS RAPHAEL

Q2. So tell us a little bit about you when did you know you wanted to become a designer?

Jace: So Grungy Gentleman started off as a media company. I was an editor for other publications such as the Robb Report and ESPN and then I also contributed to GQ and Esquire, Milk studios and Zegna.com and other places. We started doing collaborations just one off small units with emerging designers, that then led to capsule collections with the emerging designers and then Nas who is a Hip Hop legend of course. We co-branded and designed a collection together and then Mercedes-Benz approached me and asked if I had my own line and offered me to open up New York Fashion week as a stand alone brand grungy gentleman, and from there we were off to the races.

But it was from my journey as an editor were i really shaped my own point of view and Ideas on fashion design but also even on marketing and retail and just interacting with publicists and just really seeing all different sides of the business, from photography and stylists i really got to see everything as an editor because you worked with people for stories and stuff like that and also through events, erm, so that really made me able to shape my opinions and develop my own point of view.

One man's style must not be the rule of another -JANE AUSTEN

Q3. What do you think makes your brand stand out more than other designers?

Jace: I Don’t think my brand stands out more than other designers but one thing that is very important to me is that when a consumer comes up to a rack even though. you know we inject some colour in, i don't want them to be afraid or startled i want them to look at the clothes and be like wow, these are this is really cool and i feel like i can wear this that is something that is really important to me and of course Six stripes has become our signature and then Jim Moore who is now the creative director of GQ at large but was the creative director of GQ for over 40 years, he helped us create our GG interlocked logo which is our instagram logo or whatever but it's what we use to stamp on corners of t-shirts and shorts and the back neck of a t-shirt so we use that for branding as well.

Q4. If you could customise any piece of clothing for any celebrity who and what would it be?

Jace: wow that is a great question, erm well i don't know if there’s a particular one celebrity obviously these next two might not be possible but man i always thought erm Frank Sinatra and JFK have such iconic style so those would be two amazing people to have dressed you know as far as business i really look up to Mark Cubin and Michael Reuben haha.. Michael Reuben makes a lot of clothes himself so he might be handled there but and then you know as far as athletes go hmm let's try to think of one currently i think Tom Brady would be someone really cool in golf maybe Phil Mickleson or Adam Scott who is my favorite golfer and then let me see err...as far as baseball goes err wow a lot of guys in the Mets and The Yankees that's for sure.

Francisco Lindor err Jacob DeGrom and Pete Alanso would be great from the Mets then in The Yankees oh wow erm..Aaron Judge..Cole i mean there is a bunch but erm you no i would love to just even dress my friends most of the time i know it's cliche and sounds weird but when my family and my friends wear my clothes that's what makes me the happiest.

Fashion is the Amor to survive the reality of everyday life- BILL CUNNINGHAM

Q5. Your an incredible designer if you could work with any other designer who would it be and why?

Jace: well as a watch enthusiast I don't know i don't know if this is necessarily a fashion designer but it would be super cool to collaborate with….Rolex, Cartier or Patek Philippe.

Q6. Now who would you say are your biggest supporters?

Jace: My biggest supporter is my Wife

Q8. What do you do to syke yourself up and motivate yourself to design a new collection?

Jace: Well it depends if i am designing a collection for my own brand or you know for a client which you know I would design through a different lense but I really feel like I have a competitive advantage living in New York City plus also my experiences in my life has helped train my eye which i think is most important thing you can do in any field is to train your eye..but i do feel i have a competitive edge living in New York City because its a melting pot of culture and you can see so much just by walking one city block things constantly hit you in the face and you know erm you know you come across it and you might strike gold and not even realise or the person might not even realise that they are doing something so cool you catch it and maybe you get inspired by it.

Q9. Now you are very talented family yourself included in that talent, but i noticed your brother Skylar is very stylish too from photoshoots and pictorials i have seen of him even down to the red suit he is wearing for his upcoming single which i am extremely happy about have you ever discussed collaborating with Skylar or Milan on any of your designs or even your sister Brielle?

Jace: i would love that.

Well thanks for letting me interview you Jace it means a lot congratulations on your upcoming next job being a father that's exciting before we end the interview what would you say to any young and up coming designer up and coming young designer?

Jace: i think it's very important to develop and establish a consistent point of view with your audience and your customers that's very important and you know your in a very over saturated industry so you need to do things that stand out and at the level you would want to see as a consumer and just be absolutely prepared to work your ass of because there is no instant way to become a successful clothing brand without a whole lot of hard work.

interview took place over two days as pear the time difference between New York and the UK and off course work schedules so i hoped you enjoyed reading this

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