RSVP Gallery enters a new era.

On Friday, November 8, the brand’s first clothing collaboration with a high-end denim brand AGOLDE will release in both brands’ online stores, as well as retailers like Neiman Marcus and Mr Porter. RSVP has entered into a strategic partnership with AGOLDE’s parent company, Citizens of Humanity, who will manufacture RSVP Gallery’s clothing line. SO. and the estate of Virgil Abloh retain the majority of the brand.

Highlights of the first drop include canvas work jackets, earth-toned windbreakers, double-knee carpenter pants and an assortment of pastel-toned rugby sweaters that remind us of the University dropout era. Overall, this is a timeless range that is a departure from the colorful and graphic items that Don C has built his reputation on throughout his career.

“I want to RSVP be a heritage brand. I want it to be something that’s there forever,” Don C told Complex. “I went back to the way I dressed at Kenwood Academy in 1994, very preppy but still had that street vibe. It’s acceptable to more people. I want the brand to be more democratic than Just Don.

The graphics are not completely absent. Long-sleeve black mock necks and a hoodie feature Polaroids captured throughout RSVP Gallery’s 15-year history, like photos of its iconic Astro Boy statue in-store or Virgil Abloh’s DJing. A more comprehensive collection of archive visuals will also live in a new coffee table book launching alongside the clothing collection.

Don C took this step earlier this week with a special activation at Selfridges in London. Events in Japan and Paris will follow. This is a glimpse into what Don C envisions for the future of RSVP Gallery.

“I would like a store in Europe. I would love to open a store in Asia,” says Don C. “If opportunities present themselves that make sense, I’m all for it.” I want to grow this thing, but I want to make sure it’s right. I’m not rushing anything. »

Back in Chicago, the brand began building its new flagship store in the Fulton Market neighborhood. The 4,500 square foot factory space will sell the new RSVP line alongside other brands like Just Don, and will also house common areas like a basketball court and fire pit.

Ahead of the collection’s launch, we chatted with Don C about the inspiration for RSVP Gallery’s new clothes, the everlasting impact of Virgil Abloh, and much more.

Could you tell us about your new partnership with Citizens of Humanity?
The Estate of Virgil Abloh and I own RSVP. We have entered into a strategic partnership agreement with Citizens of Humanity. RSVP will be the third brand under the Citizen of Humanity umbrella with AGOLDE. We now have their resources, not only money but also vertical manufacturing. They are running a vertical business, meaning they are moving away from farming.

Creatively, it’s our brand and they understand that. That’s what’s great about this partnership. They respect us from a cultural point of view. They allowed me to bring in people who I’ve worked with in the past for other brands who I thought would have a good perspective.

I’m not rushing to make this happen. It’s something I want people to pay attention to and it’s a career move. It’s not going to be like this first collection is going to be super hot. And that’s what I explained to them. I said, “Hey, your expectations shouldn’t be that we’re working with Don C and it’s going to be hot. Don C is cold. But Don C can build community. Building community is what I love to do, so I know there’s going to be so much magic that comes from this.

When will your new store open?
Summer 25. We will continue to offer other brands and form partnerships. We are a multi-brand store, but it will be a more experiential place. We want to have events. We’ll have a basketball court, we’ll have a fireplace, we’ll have things that will make the place very comfortable so people will just want to be there.

It looks like you are setting up RSVP Gallery to make it a heritage brand.
I want to RSVP be a heritage brand. I want it to be something that’s there forever. Even for the new models in the collection, I went back to my high school years. I went back to the way I dressed at Kenwood Academy in 1994, very preppy but still had that street vibe. It’s acceptable to more people. I want the brand to be more democratic than Just Don. If you don’t like sports, you won’t like Just Don. I want RSVP to be something that can sit in the world of sports, in art, And be considered a quality fashion item.

How does it feel to celebrate 15 years of RSVP Gallery?
Man, I don’t want to get sentimental. I don’t have my dog ​​here with me. My man who I started with is not here. I try to carry him, but I’m not him. I try to remember the principles that (Virgil and I) performed together. I want it to appeal to the community and the people we’ve touched. I look the video and I almost get teary-eyed every time I see it, but Virgil says “RSVP is not a store, it’s a platform”. It’s something we built so these kids can achieve their dreams. That’s what I’m really looking for. We want to bring back that feeling of the old Damen basement store when we first built it.

You talk about referencing your high school wardrobe for your new line. Is this also how you plan to dress now, something more timeless?
It will be now that the RSVP collection will be released. I seem like a bum lately. I’m wearing some Balenciaga sweats and some beat-up Asics right now. But yeah man, I’ll RSVP. Don C is about to come to his senses.

When it comes to product design, what made AGOLDE the ideal partner for you?
When I met the AGOLDE team, I said to myself: “These are the people”. Our first two seasons are collaborations with AGOLDE. I think it was a big compliment because AGOLDE is a thriving women’s business, which helped us break into many stores that wouldn’t have taken Don C seriously. It was good to be with a partner who had an excellent reputation with all of our retailers. And they don’t have a men’s business, so RSVP Gallery didn’t come into conflict. I don’t chase the hype. I look for quality. That’s what I think happened here.

What do you think of the current state of fashion?
It’s not fun right now, especially from a business perspective. But I always say that you have to evolve, in any sector. If you want to last at something, you can’t stay the same.

Things were so easy. From 2017 to 2019, children lined up every Saturday. Then the pandemic made this situation even worse. The market adapts. This will eliminate the excess. I think this will make things even better. The public wants us to compete for their attention. This makes the rules of the game better, from a competition point of view. The strong will survive.

Can you talk a little bit about pricing and how you wanted to approach that with this line?
With the resources of this larger entity, we have been able to deliver products with much higher quality and price. I want people to feel like they are always getting a quality product at a great price. I don’t want this to be seen as cheap. I challenge people to find something better designed at this price. Nothing will be produced at a better price than what RSVP is going to offer.

Do you have a favorite piece from the launch?
Rugby really reminds me of my high school years. I love it. I love the tracksuit. I call this a “dressy sweatsuit.” It’s something you could wear on a plane and feel dressed up. It’s not traditional rugby. It’s like a sweatshirt with a rugby cut on it. The quality of the product is something I really want to get people to come see in person. My hoodies are going to be your favorite hoodie. I want people to jump into things and see how good it feels.

Knowing your history, the rugbys also feel like they could be a nod to you and Kanye in 2004.
It’s funny. I didn’t think about it that much when I created it, but then I saw it. I said to myself, “Okay, that reminds me of University dropout era.”

Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger have influenced me enormously. This is also a reference to that. The color palette I chose isn’t Tommy or Ralph, but the items are reminiscent of that era. That’s when I became me, man. Those were my formative years when I was in high school and learning what my swag was.

There aren’t a lot of graphics, but you put these Polaroid photos on a few T-shirts and crewnecks. There is the coffee table book. Can you talk about honoring the history of RSVP through these visuals?
It’s cool to bring certain moments of our history to this art form. We are privileged to have Virgil on one of them. This is the first collaboration with the Virgil Abloh Foundation, VAF. We’re really excited about it. All profits from this shirt will be donated to the VAF. I also have the privilege of hosting much of the programming for children enrolled in the VAF Launch Program which is currently taking place.

This may go without saying, but why was it important for you to ensure that Virgil’s stamp was still present on this new RSVP collection?
It’s not just me. It’s him and me. He’s such an important leader. Even if he wasn’t one of the founders of this brand, I would lean on his influence. Almost every brand relies on its influence. The privilege I have of working closely with his foundation, with his wife being my partner, is something I appreciate. I want it to be something she’s proud of. We keep his legacy alive in many different forms.

You are organizing the launch event at Selfridges. Why London?
Selfridges was the retailer that wanted to do it. (Laughter.) We are also doing a pop-up next month in Tokyo and then in Paris in January during Fashion Week. I try to keep the energy up. This is a global brand, but I want the main message to be based in Chicago. I think London just helps drive home the fact that it’s a global brand.

Do you see a future where RSVP has stores in some of these locations?
Absolutely. I would like a store in Europe. I would like a store in Asia. If opportunities present themselves that make sense, I’m all for it. I want to grow this thing, but we want to make sure it’s right. I’m not rushing anything. We want people to participate and we want people to like it. I don’t want to come out with a big first single that’s so hot that now my second single flops. I’m not good at growing too fast, because then your foundation won’t be strong.

Our goal is for people to like the product and respond to it. Maybe the answer will be, “Hey, that could have been done better.” » That’s always an answer. We have to be a little patient. Rome was not built in a day.