The Other Guy Next Door, the debut collection of the young New York based menswear label Cilantro + Ginger, presents well-tailored clothes in fine fabrics and unique, monochromatic prints, infused with Chinese born designer Zhang Qingyun's approach of simplicity, attention to detail, and a dry sense of humor.
The Fall 2014 collection interprets the closet of an unfamiliar neighbor. He has perhaps four shirts in his wardrobe – clean, but rarely ironed. Every now and then you encounter him outside the corner store. He holds a plastic Thank You bag. He wears white, head-to-toe. You never say hello.
The core concept of the brand is to capture the continuity of imperfect, everyday minutiae, seeking beauty in the mundane and searching out quality in profusion. This is reflected in the entirety of the label's visual output, from Jiao Xiang's pared down styling of the lookbook to a Tumblr feed filled with monochromes and softly-toned palettes.
One of my favorite aspects of the brand is the artist collaboration launched alongside each collection, serving as the backbone of the brand’s artistic expression. Kicking off with photographer Ross Mantle and his A Map With Open Space series, the imagery complements the collection pieces as displayed in C+G's beautifully designed website.