style tribes

Style Tribe: A.P.C.’s Worldwide Army of Cool

When Jean Touitou founded A.P.C. in 1987, he set out to make classic, well-tailored French clothes that people could wear again and again. In 1991 his first store opened in Tokyo, where his raw-denim selvedge jeans garnered a steady cult following. The brand turns 25 this year and now includes 49 units worldwide in Paris, Korea, China, London, Belgium, Germany, Los Angeles, Singapore, Japan, and New York. The Parisian-cool aesthetic is best embodied in its cadre of understated-chic employees — a group of individuals eerily like-minded in their devotion to pared-down style. Think chambray shirts, perfect trenches, natural hair, and the occasional matte-red lip. Accessories are minimal but precise, jeans rarely if ever get washed, and many pieces work for either gender. We sent photographers to A.P.C. outposts in London, Paris, New York, Tokyo, and Los Angeles to capture the foot soldiers in the war against trying too hard. Click through our slideshow for the ultimate antidote to the street style overdose of the past month.

Photo: Bek Andersen

New York City

1. “I’m from Detroit. There is a real hesitancy to explore yourself through clothing there — especially as a heterosexual male. Working here has definitely informed my style; simplicity had always been a major part of it and A.P.C. is simple, classic, timeless.” - Carl Asquini   2. “I’m French and I moved to New York six months ago. I’ve been working for A.P.C. for two years, and their clothes make things easier in the morning — everything matches with everything — I have dresses and skirts that I’ve continued to wear for ten to fifteen years.” - Alexandra Bari   3. “I came from a family of fashion. My mom’s a stylist; my aunt’s a designer. I interned at the A.P.C. Paris store and fell in love with how simple it is — you can still look girly and feminine just wearing jeans and a blouse.” - Jessie Chase   5. “When I was younger I went through many phases … hippie, glam rock. I think my style now is so simple because my closet needed it after all those looks.” - Patrick Roberts   6. “I grew up in Texas — there wasn’t much style there. I remember visiting New York and seeing girls on the LES and none of them were wearing stilettos but they were still sexy. I fell in love with A.P.C. It’s complex but still minimal — not showy — like Bardot in a way. ” - Christine Sharifian   Reporting by: Lisa Przystup

Photo: Chloe Aftel

Los Angeles

1. “My look hasn’t changed much over the years. I usually wear men’s cardigans and go for an all-American tomboy look. That’s why I love Addie Loggins [played by Tatum O’Neal] in Paper Moon. Addie’s a little hoodlum in overalls and white T-shirts, smoking cigarettes. It’s such a classic style.” - Taska Cleveland   2. “The look in Los Angeles now also reflects lots of different ideas about what’s cool. You have a lot of flashy colors, loud brands and slogans, but I’m not really into that.” - Greg Schoenecker   3. “To me, Sofia Coppola dresses better than anyone. She wears a lot of men’s pieces and it’s always so understated and cool. She’s from Los Angeles but she can translate it to anywhere.” Andrew Seitz   Reporting by: Margaret Wappler

Photo: Elodie Daguin

Paris

1. “I embrace a smart, authentic style. I think of Snoop Dogg in the morning when I get dressed.” - Rahael   2. “I like to be comfortable in my clothes, their practicality, I like to wear big sweaters.” - Julian   3, 5. “My style is classics deconstructed, I don’t like to put too much thought into it when I dress, I like thick, rugged fabrics, dark colors.” - Jerome   4. “I have a rather mechanical snob style, I love architecture and cars and that is felt in my style.” - Pierre Alexandre

Photo: Ieva Blazeviciute

London

1. “I like layering grey and navy clothes so I can wear my favourite pieces all-year-long, despite the changing seasons.” Lucie Garnier   2, 3. “Mostly I wear my boyfriend’s and dad’s clothes. My style is a little masculine, but relaxed.” - Abi Corbett   4, 5. “I am a skater and a cyclist so I favor functional shapes and good fabrics. I gravitate toward block colours and simplicity, yet can’t resist little colourful or unexpected details make the clothes look interesting.” - Joe Townend   6. “I like the basic French style of APC and limit myself to navy, white, grey and simple clothes that are easy to match and make me feel comfortable.” - Marion Wondja

Photo: Stacey Young

Tokyo

1. “My style is a little bit masculine and a little bit feminine. I love menswear-inspired pieces, like shirts and tailored pants. I get a lot of inspiration from fashion magazines, my favorite magazines are Jalouse and Purple.” - Hiroe Yamaoka   2. “My style is chic and relaxed. This summer I love my printed and denim jumpsuits.” - Mayu Usui   3. “All of my outfits that I put together are built around my choice of glasses for the day. It’s important to me that my style compliments my glasses.” - Shuichi Tsuchiya

Style Tribe: A.P.C.’s Worldwide Army of Cool