With a résumé that includes fashion director for Bloomingdale’s, street-style star, and co-owner of one of Los Angeles’ buzziest menswear boutiques, it’s safe to say that Josh Peskowitz is a fashion veteran. It makes sense then that Levi’s has tapped the sartorial savant to design its latest Made & Crafted capsule collection, which hit shelves at Levi’s stores and Magasin, Peskowitz’s Culver City boutique, earlier this month. A longtime friend of the brand, Peskowitz blended his signature mix of clean lines and laid-back attitude with the heritage denim brand’s all-American aesthetic—resulting in a line of ultramodern, wear-everywhere essentials.
To celebrate the launch, Robb Report sat down with Peskowitz to discuss his vision for working with the iconic brand and what (besides the new capsule collection, of course) he is adding into his wardrobe for spring.
What was the inspiration behind your Levi’s Made & Crafted collection?
I wanted to make something that was outside of Levi’s wheelhouse and would allow the designers to flex their wings a little bit. I believe in true collaborations, and that is exactly what Nick Rendic [Levi’s men’s collections global design director] and I were able to achieve. Telling Levi’s how to make jeans would be hubris, so I focused on what I thought was missing from the market, which is essentially very elevated coordinated looks that can function in some ways as a traditional suit would. I [also] wanted to incorporate embroidered details as a way of adding color and texture.
Clockwise from top: Mr. Leight Doheny SL sunglasses, $795; Massimo Alba linen shirt, $260; John Lobb Ferris suede chukka boots, $1,435; Tom Ford cotton-blend twill Field Jacket, $2,895. Photo: Courtesy
How do you see men wearing these pieces? Can they be dressed up for the office?
Pieces like the olive-green short jacket and the wide crop trousers [$328 each] can be worn together, certainly, but I think they could easily be worked into a man’s existing wardrobe. Depending on the dress code at one’s office, I think they would be work-appropriate—particularly the short jacket and long Chore Coat [$489].
Other than your Made & Crafted collection, what other key pieces are you adding into your spring wardrobe?
I wanted a coach’s jacket for spring, so the Levi’s Made & Crafted one fits nicely there. I am also in the market for a new field coat, and Dries Van Noten has a multi-pattern one that I am in love with. Springtime also means [chukka boots like] Clark’s Wallabee for me, and they have a new program of ones made in Italy, so I will be getting a pair of those.
Add in a pair of [Garret Leight California Optical’s new] Mr. Leight sunglasses and some Massimo Alba linen shirts, and I’m all set for the new season.
What trends are you excited about for the new season?
I love all the color that is being introduced into men’s clothing, from the staple olive drab to earthy burnt sienna and the dusty pinks. I like the idea of men moving away from just gray and navy.
Do you have any go-to designers for stocking your spring and summer wardrobe?
Most make the pieces mentioned above, but for spring I love Massimo Alba, Dries Van Noten, Engineered Garments, Aspesi, and, of course, Levi’s.
