Julia Lang has high ambitions.
Tanzanian-German entrepreneur Veert, a marketing and branding agency, a decade ago and over that time, has acquired an enviable list of clients in sports, entertainment and entertainment.
But his goals were always bigger than that. “I want to create a family name,” he said.
Lang started down this path two years ago, when he introduced sex jewelry, fragrance and self-care products under the Veert name. Fragrances and self-care offerings didn’t take off, but jewelry did, so Lang put all his energy into that category. Veert jewelry has been discovered and embraced by A-list celebrities such as The Weeknd, Alicia Keys and Usher as well as retailers including Ssense, Webster and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Now Lang is taking the plunge into tables with the collection of Veert’s first ready-to-wear capsule. The tight 800 offering includes shirts, hoodies, shorts and shirts made from high-end fabrics with embroidery that is hand-applied in Italy. Washed and dyed fabrics sometimes have a vintage feel.
While the hoodies and T-shirts are hardly new, Lang has managed to set the standard for the collection. Today it features cropped silhouettes, raw edges, sweet pearls on strings, a drop shoulder silhouette, and the brand’s signature green heart pattern on both sleeves. The model was made by Lang and his business partner Leontin Arnolds, a German-Albanian entrepreneur.
The buckle on the jacket is removed.
Short and cropped ts also fit loosely and have the same weave on both models. The black jacket is structured with buttons and has a removable logo buckle inspired by the Veert jewelry line.
“We never intended for Veert to be a jewelry line,” Lang said. “I always knew she was ready on the road.”
Lang said he had been working on the collection for nine months and diligently kept the first drop tight. “Anyway, I want to be strong,” he said.
“This has really been a labor of love,” he added. “This is my debut collection as a menswear designer and I am very proud to be made in Italy. I have been going through each and every one of them incessantly for the last few months, so even though it is a small box, looking back at the whole process, it was a Herculean undertaking.
Like his jewelry, the collection can be classified as menswear, but can be worn by anyone. “Sixty or 70 percent of the customers for our jewelry are men,” he said. But what a woman does not want to wear, she cannot wear. Veert was in the face of the sex movement.
made by the hand of a polymath in Italy.
erichercules
Regardless of genre, the target customer is forward-thinking with a “high level of taste” who understands detail and quality, Lang said. “Doing everything with a special heart makes you feel special.”
The collection will initially be sold direct-to-consumer at Veert’s website starting Tuesday, but Lang expects retailers who carry the jewelry to add the clothing line shortly after. Retail prices will range from $295 to $955.
Lang said that each item was born a piece of hero.
To introduce the collection, Lang tapped platinum-selling rapper and record executive Jim Jones to model the line. “It’s a very iconic figure, but it’s never been associated with the pinnacle of luxury,” he said. Jones was a member of the original hip-hop group The Diplomats, which he formed with Cam’ron, a childhood friend from Harlem.
Looking forward, Lang believes that it will be a long bridge to Veert’s growth. He is confident that he can make his mark globally and hopes to be able to hold a bridge show for the collection within two years. She also plans to collaborate with international brands on co-branded products.
