Curtains for Cloak

Alexandre Plokhov on the decision to close up shop

December 18, 2006—Friday was a sad day in menswear, as one of New York's most lauded indie designers, Alexandre Plokhov, announced that due to partnership disputes, he would be shuttering Cloak after Spring 2007 shipments were delivered. Plokhov declined to speak about the news on Friday, but did agreed to answer a few questions over email.

The news comes as quite a surprise. How long has this been in the works?
I have been thinking about exiting Cloak for about a year. However, the final decision to pull the plug was made two weeks ago.

What does it say about the state of fashion when even a CFDA award–winner such as yourself can't stay in business?
The decision to end my involvement in Cloak was mine only—it had nothing to do with the state of contemporary fashion. I think fashion is in rather good shape. What comes out of Paris and Tokyo continues to fascinate and surprise me.

Looking back, is there anything you would've done differently?
Aesthetically, I am very proud of what we had accomplished—I would not alter a single stitch or change a single look. Whatever came down the runway or made its way to the retailers was a product of occasional inspiration, sheer determination, and hard work. On another note, Spring 2007 was probably my best collection to date—we had a great time doing it. The fact that a tiny group of single-minded individuals (Cloak's staff has never numbered more than five people) can make their voice heard is still amazing to me.

Do you have any advice for other independent designers?
Get a great lawyer to read through anything you are about to sign.

So what now?
It's hard to say, but learning a foreign language as well as developing a hobby would make for a good start. I always thought that gardening is very chic!