I remember when YDE started, we all saw so much potential in it. A place where designers with talent but limited resources could showcase their work.
And now look at it…a dreary place with white lighting, absolutely no atmosphere or customer experience, another sell out, another part of the corporate world, a place no person with street style would actually shop.
A place full of polyester, another fake world designed to drain your wallet and make you look like shit. A place where the actual soul of the fashion industry is non existent. A place where you surely cannot be proud of our young designers? A place where the clothes shrink, a place where the ‘large’ label actually means ‘midget’
To me fashion should have a soul and a feeling, and your clothing should reflect your lifestyle, dreams and aspirations. Clothing should grow with you, age with you, party with you and be one with you. I don’t see this at YDE. I see it as the bubblegum of the clothing world. Something you chew a few times, then spit it out and watch someone else walk all over it. I have pieces of clothing in my wardrobe that I absolutely love, jeans that are essentially me, jackets that I love, items of clothing that possess wear marks from my life. Items of clothing that share my past and remind me of good times. Items of clothing that people recognize me by…maybe I’m too passionate about clothing and the way it should be worn. I believe in having a small selection of top quality clothes that you wear until you lose them or break them. Clothing that you wear until it falls off you. Clothing that becomes synonymous with you. I like ‘real’ clothing too…leather, organic cotton, hemp. The real quality stuff.
I walk into YDE and feel ashamed that this is a representation of our young designers. It’s ugly, it’s made of crap materials, the cuts are horrendous, everything is too small and it’s common.
If YDE were in London, the chavs would have an absolute field day buying their shiny polyester tracksuit tops there. Because that’s what it is…a cheap showcase of fake materials with no style and passion. I don’t put a hand to a piece of YDE clothing and feel passion. I don’t look at it and see beauty. I don’t try it on and feel awesome about myself.
I hate the way it is so expensive for young designers to showcase their work, I hate the clinical feel of the stores, I hate the clothing, I hate what the brand has become. I just hate YDE altogether, and yet it did have potential at one stage.
It seems the dream of Paul Simon is just another one skewed and butchered by corporate governance.
Awesome.
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Mr Lloyd…. Although I tend to agree with a lot of your valid, harsh comments that you have made above. I’m willing to bet money on the fact that my R800 virtual leather jacket from YDE is going to last longer than your genuine leather one. Oh wait…. My jackets already close to 8 months old and is still 100% vs. Your jacket which is how old? And where did it spend the whole of last week getting fixed? Ya… Thought so 
people just have to know which designers to buy from at YDE. Some of the clothing is good quality!
Murzipan
July 19 2010 23:43 pm Sean Lloyd Website