Perry Ellis Black & a sizzling new face on NY Fashion Runway

By Laura Medina

The Perry Ellis Black Collection.

Perry Ellis has gone leaner, meaner, and sleeker, what they call "the color of urban sophistication, no-nonsense utility and nights on the town..."

Basically, it has gone where Brooks Brothers Black Fleece has gone..."Gone to Black," as in practical, not dull, but more of the roving global urbanite who needs a travel-worthy wardrobe taking him from New York to London to Milan to Paris then over to Los Angeles, doing a photo shoot in the desert with an up-and-coming starlet.

By incorporating the name and color, "black," both brands are signaling a shift towards a classical European flair while keeping their All-American roots.

Paraphasing Perry Ellis' creative director, John Crocco, "Black is a versatile and practical shade to wear. There are few colors men can wear head-to-toe while looking masculine and modern. That insight led us create an edited collection of perfect black pieces that every guy should own."

Knowing that the majority of men need a quick and efficient dressing guide, Perry Ellis will make then release a viral video in September, showing men how the Black Collection is an easy way for men to dress up, displaying the models dressing in the dark in regular clothes and Perry Ellis Black.

Perry Ellis even wants the guy-next-door to "get dressed in the dark." They are running a makeover Facebook contest from September 19th to October 7th where the winner will win a full Perry Ellis Black collection.

Even if you don't win, Perry Ellis Black will be sold nationwide at Dillard's and Macy's starting September 15th and on perryellis.com.

If you want to know more about Perry Ellis Black, at http://youtu.be/E4wXX6Kb1c8.

Kennan Echols, Perry Ellis’ Sexiest Guy Next Door!

If you are lucky enough to be invited to Perry Ellis runway show on Monday, September 12th at 7pm, you catch the sexiest guy next door, Kennan Echols. He is the winner of Perry Ellis’ Sexiest Guy Next Door Contest.

25,000 voters on Facebook, during a two-weeks period, picked Echols over twelve contestants.

This ex-New Yorker turned Atlantan won 12, 144 votes to be the Sexiest Guy Next Door.

This all-around male of former collegiate football and basketball player turned full-time web designer will be returning back home to strut the runway for Perry Ellis Spring 2012 fashion show on Monday, September 12th. He will also be treated to a private backstage tour and be featured in a live runway pre-show.

Arthur Kulkov, Thiago Santos and Parker Gregory

Kennan isn't the only star in the Perry Ellis galaxy.

Perry Ellis' Fall Collection signals a shift, from one main star, to a trio of top male models.

They are using Arthur Kulkov, Thiago Santos and Parker Gregory, to expand the range of what the brand is...the contemporary, modern-day All-American male who value the traditional uniquely All-American preppy attire but retailored for today's lifestyle.

“The group is more diverse when it comes to their look and personality, which reflects where we are as a brand,” said John Crocco, Creative Director for Perry Ellis. “We also wanted to highlight this idea of friendship and ‘real’ approachable guys. It’s sort of our nod to ‘bromance.’”

“The resulting imagery,” said Charles DeCaro, Creative Director of Laspata DeCaro, who directed the shoot, “is three-dimensional with exaggerated crops and studied proportions. The group dynamic allows us to show the breadth of the collection as well as communicate a more cohesive narrative.”

The beach once again served as the background for the shoot, reprising a long-standing tradition for the brand. This season the Perry Ellis collection was shot on location in Sarasota, Florida.

Perry Ellis also produced two videos to celebrate the campaign’s launch: one gives a behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoot and documents the creative process and personalities of the models; another image-driven video highlights a new, yet-unannounced curated collection hitting stores in September. Both videos will be featured on perryellis.com as well as Perry Ellis’s YouTube channel and Facebook page this fall. The behind-the-scenes video can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyndUQA69Ak.