Since launching his brand R13 in 2009, Chris Leba has cultivated a following that is both eclectic and loyal. From models Gigi Hadid and Kaia Gerber, to rock and roll revivalists like The Kills frontwoman Alison Mosshart, to music superstars like Beyoncé and Rihanna, Leba’s acolytes return to his designs again and again for their ease and reliability. These qualities are also, it’s worth noting, exactly what most of us have been craving from our clothes over the past six months in and out of lockdown. For while his looks wouldn’t look out of place by the pool table of a dive bar, or at a late-night punk show, Leba’s less flashy specialty is also providing at-home staples with a luxurious twist; a perfect pair of loose-fitting jeans, or a cashmere tee with just the right feeling of being worn-in straight off the rack. Still, even Leba was subject to the worries that have plagued designers big and small across the year.
“I remember the first two or three months, all I did was run one doomsday scenario after the other,” says Leda from his Manhattan studio, where he has spent the past few months preparing his spring 2021 collection that was released last week. “You ask yourself: What if this happened? What if that happened? It was crazy, because you plan on the information that you have, then every week it changes and you have to reassess with the new information.” All the same, the experience of steering a business through the pandemic is one that has come with valuable lessons learned. “It really gives the company a stress test, and so you emerge from it much stronger and more focused,” Leba explains. “I know it’s probably a cliche to say by now, but I think we will be a much better company because of it.”
In his new collection, the signature pieces that have come to define the R13 brand are all present and accounted for—partly, again, as a result of the tight-knit community Leba has established around the brand, who he was keen to listen and respond to as the new normal has slowly sunk in. “I’m sure everyone experiences this during a crisis, but it’s been amazing to see who pulls together and who sticks with you,” he says. “It sort of reinforces the friendship and the connections—during difficult times, it becomes more special. They take that extra step to connect with you, and so we try to do the same thing with them.”
“We’ve always been very focused on, quote unquote, our tribe, and the people who really get what we’re doing,” Leba continues. “Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been reaching out to them, and those are the people that we talk to and we care about.” One key takeaway from these conversations—that Leba notes was an instinctive response for him too—was to refine the brand’s offering, and to focus on quality over quantity. “I definitely think one of the key takeaways is how we can do more with less, and spend more time on fewer pieces,” he explains. “It just helps to give our customer base a better final product.”