Chaz A. Jordan is interpreting the street-inspired luxury that he created for Ih Nom Uh Nit for the women’s and children’s markets.
A year after launching his men’s line in Los Angeles, Jordan is unveiling his inaugural collections for women and children on March 2 during Paris Fashion Week. Jordan, who previously served as the head of design for Will.i.am’s cut-and-sew business and the creative director of Paris-based Au Courant, is using the same strategy that landed his men’s designs on celebrities like Jared Leto, Steve Aoki and Chris Brown and also in specialty stores such as H Lorenzo and American Rag Cie in Los Angeles; Vfiles in New York, and Oukan in Berlin.
At a preview held in his downtown studio on Saturday night, Jordan piqued the curiosity of fans, retailers and stylists with a four-minute film showing the behind-the-scenes production of his women’s collection. Afterward, assistants in white lab coats rolled out racks of select men’s and women’s pieces. Guests were welcome to inspect the dozen items from the women’s grouping, including a Spanish rabbit fur coat, ultrasuede shift dress; cropped hoodie speckled with holes, and a matching alpaca-cashmere sweater and skirt set. The samples were all drenched in a sandy shade, one of the four neutral hues Jordan likes to use in his line.
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“My time in Paris really impacted me in women’s wear — just the elegance and the ease they have in getting dressed,” Jordan said. “It’s not forced like in the U.S. They wake up and pull what’s in their closet. That’s why I have clean silhouettes.”
Propelled by a new investment received last month from a shareholder whom he declined to name, Jordan is ambitious in his plans for Ih Nom Uh Nit. In the weeks prior to his runway show in Paris, he’s creating a women’s footwear line in Venice. He’s also offering jewelry, furniture and crocodile cardholders and iPhone cases. He’s not bashful about his pricing. The women’s offerings run up to $15,000 for a biker jacket made of astrakhan fur and the men’s lineup for fall includes $600 sweatshirts and $2,300 laser-etched leather raincoats bonded with silk. Even with retail prices ranging between $700 and $850, “denim is our number-one seller,” he said.
As for dressing his clientele’s mini-me’s, he assured that the children’s clothing wouldn’t skimp on quality. “The children’s is essentially this, shrunken-down with minor adjustments,” he said, gesturing to the rack of women’s separates. “Our kids will actually have real fur.”
Considering that he scored his short film with Kanye West’s “Say You Will” ballad, it seemed logical that he was designing with the rapper’s toddler daughter, North, in mind. “Maybe, maybe,” Jordan said with a hearty laugh. “Stay tuned for that one.”