Pictured: Antonio Ciongoli showing off 18 East designs at his NYC storefront. Courtesy of The New York Times

Ciongoli left Eidos in July, 2017, and almost immediately began working on 18 East, which ultimately debuted in September, 2018. It was while at Eidos that Ciongoli developed an affinity for small-scale producers in India and Nepal, an infatuation that has served as a kind of foundation for 18 East. The brand might be based in New York, but 18 East doesn’t simply mimic artisans from abroad in some Garment District factory. Instead, Ciongoli has—from the beginning—worked with small-scale artisanal producers from India, Nepal and beyond.

This is one of the things that has endeared 18 East to consumers. At a time when brands are increasingly scrutinized with regards to their production practices—when customers don’t just expect, but demand more from them—18 East’s relationship with small artisans is central to the brand’s appeal. All too often, brands have behaved how one might after a semester abroad—claiming to be experts in something hyper-local they’ve only (recently) discovered. They go, they take and then they claim it as their own.

18 East doesn’t do that, though.

Rather than presenting itself as the expert in, say, Rajasthani quilting or marled cashmere or deep pile sherpa or Aran knit, the brand acts as a sort of curator and facilitator, elevating time-honoured production techniques and materials. They got it right and, most importantly, they did so for the right reasons—because of an appreciation for the craftsmanship and traditional techniques employed by the artisans, not begrudgingly because of pressure.

18 East is at once hyper-local and, well, incredibly globalized—but in a way that defies what we expect when we hear that word. You’re supporting a small business that, in turn, supports small businesses the world over and does so with a small footprint. 18 East’s store, office, and warehouse are one and the same, operating out of an old, concrete-walled massage parlor in Downtown NYC. It’s not on a buzzy New York block and it’s open when it’s open—though the hours are fairly predictable two years after the first drop. Rather than sacrifice quality—and morals—to scale the brand, 18 East has stuck to limited runs of even its most popular products. There’s little waste—something the brand has also strived to achieve through collaborations with upcycled denim purveyor Atelier & Repairs.

Ethically, then, 18 East represents the idyll for what’s expected of a modern brand.

Aesthetically, it’s no different.

What sets 18 East apart is, rather ironically, that the brand excels at taking the familiar and infusing it with just enough of the unfamiliar that it becomes unique. The traditional, artisanal techniques are combined with classic pieces drawn from modern Americana, in the form of double-knee pants with Rajasthani quilting; conversely, a traditional-lite noragi is rendered in the olive drab ripstop one immediately associates with U.S. Army surplus.

This isn’t entirely new per se. Countless brands have offered their own mashups of Americana and other regional styles, but there aren’t too many brands leaning into the aesthetic middle ground between America’s East Coast metropolises and the mountains of Nepal. 18 East’s inspirations are varied—from casual tailoring to skateboarding to mountaineering.

The end result is that sweet spot that sits somewhere between refined and casual: A brand that can do both a belted linen safari jacket and fleece cargo pants.

18 East stands out because it largely eschews the industry norms. There’s no inordinate pressure to grow at an incredible pace. No pressure to fit in. No pressure to even be open on a Wednesday afternoon. But nothing better illustrates just how different 18 East is than the prices—and this is likely to be the key to the brand’s success. The industry standard is, in theory, to double your cost price to get your retail price; these days, though, whether because of greed or a desire to use price to create an aura of luxury and exclusivity, brands tend to inflate their asking prices a little bit more than that. In this era, the kind of garments that 18 East sells—corded cotton jackets, hand-dyed shirts, deep pile fleece with woven detailing—would normally fetch close to a thousand dollars. Just look at the likes of Kapital, or Visvim, or The Elder Statesman. While that’s not a knock on those brands or a diagnosis of their morals, 18 East’s wares will cost you less than half that. It’s absurdly affordable for what’s, quite literally, some of the most expertly-made clothing.

Back to the zeitgeist. We’re in a time of undeniable flux. Stylistically, we were going from streetwear to some more formal menswear before everybody was stuck at home in casual wear. Economically—well, let’s be honest, we’re all probably being a bit more careful about how we spend our money. Ethically, we’re demanding more of our brands, and eager to reward smaller ones that do things the right way. 18 East checks those boxes. It’s not going to be the next Patagonia, nor the next Aimé Leon Dore (again, we’re not knocking either of those incredible brands in their own right). It’s not going to be carried by retailers the world over and worn by hundreds of passersby in SoHo.

But that doesn’t mean that it can’t be successful—albeit in its own, unique, small-scale and ethical way. We have no doubt that 18 East will cement its place as one of New York's cult favorites (if it hasn't already).