+ man redefined.

(images courtesy of j + j.)

Homme de Pouvoir is an underground fashion line that in French translates to "Man of Power." J + J met with designer Quentin Hernandez this past Saturday in the middle of a photo shoot for his look book in order to dig deep into his creative psyche and come to understand the man and his brand. We took a peek at his clothing and accessories, all of which were cutting edge and offered his answer to what men's jeans and bags can look like. We believe in Homme de Pouvoir's potential for major success in the future, and in Quentin's ability to redefine what menswear is. These are some of the questions we asked the designer during our meeting:

J + J: How would you describe the aesthetics of Homme de Pouvoir?

QH: The brand is very punk rock-chic, incorporating lots of black. The accessories and some of the pieces have a contrast in materials, such as canvas with lambskin leather with the bags, and denim with black patent leather strips on the knees.

J + J: What kind of person would wear Homme de Pouvoir?
QH: The type of man that wears Homme De Pouvoir is the man of today, he is powerful, stylish, simplistic, edgy, innovative, and classic. The Pouvoir man is a chameleon, a man that wears that fabulously tailored suit but will also put on a pair of rocker jeans and a slouchy tee-shirt; he is a man that takes pride in what he puts on, he is someone that will wear something because of the quality and the fashion sense of it, he is a true fashionisto.

J + J: Who/What are your design inspirations?
QH: I am inspired by the everyday interactions of life, from the way the rain falls, from the people i meet, from the dark colors of New York, from the many different shades of black, to the different cultures that make up this world. I have a strong desire to recreate the man, the traditional man because the man of today is no longer that man, he a man like me, like you, and all those that surround us. He is a new man of Power.

J + J: Who is your favorite designer out there?

QH: (sheepish grin) Myself.

J + J: What are some lessons that you have learned along the way in becoming an independent designer?
QH: I have been in the industry for a while now and have worked for some good brands, some of which were new brands. Working for these brands allowed me go through the trial and error stage in order to learn what to do and what not to do. Now that I am embarking on this journey and designing Homme De Pouvoir I have a good sense of the do's and don'ts. One thing I will say is that when you have a strong passion for this there is no such thing as giving up even when the times get tough, so everyone can expect to see this brand for decades.

J + J: What is the price range going to be for your pieces, and where can we find them?

QH: For jeans price range is $250-$350, for shirts $100-$350, bow ties are offered in vintage distressed leather and the price range from $145-$200. Depending on the size of the bags, their range will be from $1200-$2700. All the bags are hand made and the details include hand treated raw painted/matted canvas with distressed lamb skin. The bag with leather at the bottom is called the Pouvoir Bag, and its price is $1700, the one with the gray leather is called Le Sac Hotel, priced at $1200, the other bag that you did not see is called the Le Sac Ultime and it is the largest bag, the shape is on the scale of the Pouvoir bag, made of the same material but the interior contains a computer compartment lined with sheep fur, and that is $2700. For now anyone wishing to buy can do so from the website by sending an email to Info@hommedepouvoir.com.

J + J: What are your plans for the immediate future?

QH: My investor has suggested that I launch my accessories line as a litmus test to see how well the brand performs. Soon after I hope I will follow this with the launch of the clothing segment. Possibly then the line would be sold at OAK or Jeffrey NY.