Eventually, the two developed a manifesto, the current pair of logos and a myriad of designs inspired by cultural and street imagery, with a healthy dose of irony behind all their artwork.
Although the creative element was in place, the two still lacked the business logic necessary to run a company. The pair teamed up with Thanawala, whose finance and fashion background at Gucci and Balenciaga was a perfect fit for the more creative Ateeq and Poon. Former classmates Anna Frenkel and Meg Minuskin also joined the duo to lead the team’s marketing and promotion efforts. “We came together like Voltron,” Poon says. “When we combined our talents and networks, things just started jumping off.”
Once the five began working together, Vane became more than just ideas and designs, and Vane Lifestyle was born. “It’s been the meticulous process of coming up with an idea, and then designing, sourcing, and promoting it that sets us apart from a lot of other start up brands,” Thanawala says. “We quickly realized that we couldn’t gloss over the smallest details. We took all the necessary steps to be legit—like getting trademarks and getting incorporated so that we could have wholesale accounts—so that we could be serious with Vane, and I think a lot of people respect that.”
The response to Vane from their friends and peers was overwhelmingly positive, and even respected industry veterans like Gregg Wolf began to take notice of the eye-catching Vane prints that had begun to permeate Lower Manhattan. Sensing that there was both substance and longevity behind the Vane movement, the team was able to launch Vane into a legitimate business. “People were quick to realize that Vane was not just another ‘college garage band’ endeavor,” Frenkel says.
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