Get a peek inside the mind of Mike Faherty, our Chief Creative Officer, and what went into this year’s summer collection.
How did you start thinking about this collection?
Whenever I design any season, it starts with getting excited about the raw materials. In summer, for me, that mostly means linen. It’s an amazing fiber that’s been used for thousands and thousands of years. It’s lightweight, great for the heat — it’s naturally cooling — and I especially love it because it’s such an easy crop to grow, limiting the need for water.
Then it’s about fabrication: how can we weave this so it becomes the best possible version of its self? For example, with linen, you can’t weave it too densely or it becomes stiff and brittle. There’s a nuance to how you set the weaving loom, so it stays at the perfect level of looseness, and then when you wash it down, it enters its best, softest, lightest form. You can almost ruin a fiber if you weave it improperly, so we spend a lot of focus at the mill level.
Those are the first steps, and then my mind begins to work in terms of collections, thinking about different men’s and women’s silhouettes and focusing on one of the themes that’s core to Faherty: versatility.
Where did you get your visual inspiration for Summer 2020?
In the summertime, I’m always really inspired by coastal worldwide design — bold French stripes, block prints from India and Bali and Indonesia, California tie-dye. I was lucky enough to spend some time on the beaches in France and Australia when we were working on this collection, and a lot of my experiences there made it in.
And really, my main source of inspiration is always nature: the shore, light on the water, sunsets. Every sky can take on so many different iterations, from the most amazing pinks to deep blues to faded clementine, and that shows throughout the collection: the colors of sunshine and sea. Trying to capture those drives me.
How do you want people to feel when they wear these clothes?
I’m always shooting for extreme comfort, the feeling that these clothes were made for you — putting them on should feel like you’ve found everything you’re looking for.
Like I mentioned earlier, versatility is also really important. When we make a product, I love the idea that someone will be wearing it in lots of different places and in different ways. We make everything to such a high standard of quality so that you can wear this stuff all the time, and it’ll just get better with use — Faherty clothes aren’t meant to be kept in the closet and only brought out for special occasions. It’s a balance of ruggedness and nonchalance.
Do you have a favorite piece from the season?
Probably our All Day Shorts for men, and a few of the women’s dresses — the Isha, the Gemina, the Hana. They’re all standouts in terms of versatility, ready to throw on and go to the beach or a lunch date or out for the evening. All of them serve that purpose: so that no matter who you are or where you’re going, you’ve got an option. Plus, there’s a lot of detailing there that I love, from pintucks and pleating to coconut and shell buttons, or the special blend of fibers that go into the All Day fabric.
Any final words?
Can't wait to see people in stores, and in the meantime, you can check everything out yourself by booking one of our personal virtual shopping sessions. And you ever have any questions or ideas, you can hit us up on Instagram @FahertyBrand — I see every message, and I’m here for you guys.
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