Dress Your Man In Dana Lee

Dana Lee gets men.

The Canadian-born designer has made waves in New York fashion circles for her effortlessly cool menswear collections. Lee’s clothing is designed for the the modern, fashion-forward man who won’t compromise comfort for style.

Growing up in North Vancouver, Lee wore men’s basic pieces, which explains why she designs wearable apparel focused on texture and feel rather than aesthetics. Lee says her current collection isn’t meant for the runway, but is inspired by everyday life.

The collection’s backyard feel also comes from Lee’s early creative days with her brother: “Derek and I would fish for rusty nails over the backyard creek with magnets tied to the end of a shovel, and cut and fold out 3 dimensional buildings from empty wax milk cartons. This is what we did for fun. We made fun from simple things” (qtd in Cultures in Between). Lee’s first job in the fashion industry was working in a factory cutting
samples before she interned in London.

Lee admits she was a tomboy, who wore mens clothes though she was particular about the way they fit. In her teenage years, Lee fished through army surplus stores and camping outlets searching for styles unavailable in malls or department stores. After years of cultivating her personal style, Dana Lee began designing. Her early  A-Z collection celebrates everyday things. It’s no-nonsense, straight to the point
fashion.

Her spring/summer 2011 collection carries through the brand’s “less is more” mantra and continues themes of simply stylish yet wearable men’s clothing.

Currently, Dana Lee is one of few female names sported by men’s garments. Last year, Lee spent time in Paris and Canada, and she says her new collection reflects the resources she found in both places. She’s also inspired by Chinatown, New York—with its array of colors, textures and cheap eats. A fashion socialist, Lee prefers letting her friends model her work rather than hiring a fashion model, contributing to the label’s homegrown aura.

Photos are designers own.

Amanda Cosco
		About the author:
		Amanda Cosco is a freelance writer. The city is her muse.  After completing a master’s degree in English Literature at Ryerson University in Toronto, Amanda packed up her life and moved to the city in pursuit of jazz, sex, and soup. Amanda completed her bachelor of arts at York University, where she had one foot in literary studies and one foot in journalism, earning her a double-major in English and professional writing. Amanda has presented her scholarly work at academic at conferences across Toronto, and her research on the metaphor of hunger in women’s fiction has received over $30,000 in grants and prizes. With her pen name, Lady Medusa, Amanda has left her digital footprints all over the internet. Currently, she’s blogging for several social media websites, and composing her first book of poetry, entitled "Autobiography of Skin. Follow her on Twitter @ladymspeaks
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