Paige Mycoskie Brings L.A. Cool to the Gap with GQ

Paige Mycoskie

Paige Mycoskie

Paige Mycoskie and her label Aviator Nation have been gaining steam, not only because celebs such as Jake Gyllenhaal and Shia Lebeouf are often spotted in her techinicolor screened hoodies and t-shirts, but also because guys can’t get enough of her cool clothes. Mycoskie also got a big boost thanks to a nomination for Best New Menswear Designer in America from venerable men’s mag GQ. As part of her nomination, she’s offering a tight edit of Aviator Nation goods at the Gap, giving guys all over the country access to her decidedly Californian duds.

Jake Gyllenhaal wears Aviator Nation

Jake Gyllenhaal wears Aviator Nation

You might recognize Paige’s last name, and that’s because her big bro Blake is the founder of do-gooder brand TOMS. The sibs competed on CBS’s The Amazing Race together before their respective forays into fashion, and whereas Blake set his sights on shoes and sunglasses, little sister Paige wanted to create an entire lifestyle brand.

Drawing on her love of vintage t-shirts, surf culture and more, the native Texan (she gets her Cali cred from surfing up and down the coast of the Golden State) set out to create a line that reflected the laid-back culture of Venice beach and other California surf spots. Named after her favorite style of shades, Aviator Nation has gained a loyal following of guys on both coasts, who can’t get enough of the label’s graphic t-shirts, henleys, hoodies and more. Mycoskie is so dedicated to the authenticity of her garments that she studied the actual construction and fabrics of her own vintage surf t-shirts and dedicated her brand to recreating their feel and look. Brands such as Op were a favorite of Mycoskies when she was growing up, so she picked apart everything from the cotton itself to the stitches to find out exactly what looms were used to create the material and what machines were used to piece them together. Today, she has those same looms and machines in her Los Angeles-based manufacturing plant. She’s even got vintage screening machines to give her wares a truly vintage look.

GQ Best New Menswear Designers in America

GQ Best New Menswear Designers in America

Aviator Nation has been selling at the brand’s flagship locations in Manhattan Beach and Venice Beach as well as smaller shops such as the brand’s Airstream shop in Orange County, but with Mycoskie’s nom as one of GQ‘s Best New Menswear Designers in America, the Gap is carrying a small capsule collection she designed specifically for the store. As the sole female in the runnings for the awards (and the only one not steeped in traditional tailoring or denim such as fellow nominees Bespoken and Baldwin) she’s out to dress guys the way she wants to see them. The Gap capsule collection, which is now available online an in select stores, includes a corduroy baseball cap with the traditional Aviator Nation logo as well as henley shirts and tees with a new red and orange mountain range graphic that blends the look of surf culture with snow sports. She’s also included a mixed-media puffer vest that combines corduroy and nylon as well as a knit sweater. The signature Aviator Nation look — bright colors, sweat pants and weathered t-shirts — are all included too, so fans of the brand will want to snatch them up before newcomers come and grab them first.

The GQ Best New Menswear Designers in America for Gap collection is available now.

Images courtesy iheartjakemedia, GQ and Aviator Nation

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Author:Christopher Luu for Fashion Trends Daily

Christopher Luu is a Fashion Trends Daily Senior Writer and Menswear Editor.