Czech designer Jan Cerny has been plugging away at his eponymous brand since 2014, during which time he’s also interned at Cottweiler and Louis Vuitton. His progressive, youthful creations have won Cerny leagues of millennial Czech fans and convinced Mercedes-Benz Prague Fashion Week to grant Cerny prime presentation space during its bi-annual showcase.
For his Fall/Winter 2019 collection, Cerny delivered lavishly-dyed basics and elevated utilitarian outerwear, though his personal styles hews toward understated staples. “I want my brand to be a new uniform for the new generation,” Cerny explained. Simplified gear informs Cerny’s personal style, which of course is dominated by his own label.
Wearing a black puffer jacket, graphic crewneck sweater and workwear trousers of his own design, Cerny’s outfit when we photographed the young designer was representative of his usual look. Uncomplicated and comfortable, his style is elevated by small details, like the branded red strap on his pants and the array of silver rings on his fingers. Cerny looked like the effortless European youths he street-casts for his runway shows. “I don’t know why the young generation responds to the brand,” Cerny admitted. “I just do what I like. I guess I’m pretty much [of] the same generation, I’m only 25… I do think you should make clothes for younger people, so they can grow with you [and your brand]. I don’t know dresses, so why would I make them?”
Cerny’s feet were clad in a pair of his latest sneakers, made in collaboration with local footwear company Prestige. Authentic Czech craft is crucial to Cerny. “I always open my shows to the public to communicate directly with the audience,” he noted. “If I could, I’d bring the [international fashion] press to Prague for an authentic experience. I want to bring attention [to the country].”
Though he’s dedicated to his local community, seeing his work appear on the Louis Vuitton men’s runway shows in Paris “is quite exciting” to the young designer. The brand employs just three interns, meaning Cerny and his peers work hand-in-hand “with the design team, the senior designers, the head designer.” Everyone on the design team is “super nice, the best of the best. They’re open to hearing new ideas. … It’s super nice to know that some detail [in the finished show] came from your head.”
For more of the latest styles from Prague, be sure to red our recap of best shows of Prague Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2019.