John Bartlett, born in Cincinnati, Ohio, launched his signature collection in 1992. John is a two-time CFDA Award winner – in 1993 he was bestowed with the Perry Ellis Award for Menswear, and in 1997 took home the Menswear Designer of the Year Award.
In 1997 John Bartlett premiered his first womenswear collection. “Designing for men is about subtlety; but women want fantasy. And I don’t want to follow someone else’s lead,” Bartlett said of his first collection. This aptly-named “Butch-Femme” collection mixed men’s tailoring and sexual femininity featuring fitted leather shirts, cashmere Shaker-knit sweaters and slender Chesterfield coats. Bartlett’s entry into the womenswear industry received rave reviews and left women wanting more of his flattering fashions.
Bartlett was hired by Donatella Girombelli in 1998 to design Byblos, an Italian label that had begun to lose popularity in the wake of more aggressive brands like Prada. ”It was a dream come true to fly first class and have my clothes made in Italy”.
Ghurka, the 30 year-old American luxury brand, specializing in handcrafted leather goods and accessories, appointed designer John Bartlett as its new creative director in 2005. “I’ve been obsessed with Ghurka since I went to school in Massachusetts. It’s been under the radar for years, but it’s a classic, authentic brand, and is something I’ve always been fascinated by.”
By 2007, he opened the first John Bartlett store in the West Village – New York City.
In January 2008, it was announced that John Bartlett would join the Liz Claiborne team as the Creative Director of the flagship Claiborne men’s sportswear line. The new line will be called Claiborne by John Bartlett and will hit the shelves in the spring of 2009. When asked about the line, John has said “I am excited to infused Claiborne with a strong DNA and lead the brand in a new and exciting direction. My goal is to create an enticing line at affordable prices that men will find irresistible. The Claiborne name has a strong legacy and I intend on honoring that while transforming the men’s line to address a great opportunity in the better men’s market”.
Dave McTague, Executive Vice President, Partnered Brands for Liz Claiborne has commented on the merge of John Bartlett and Liz Claiborne and has said that “John is known throughout the industry as a talented, cutting edge menswear designer and we feel that he is the perfect partner to help Claiborne give this customer exactly what he needs”.
To see John Bartlett’s complete CFDA profile please click here.