Cool Hunting

Like many other New York fashion success stories, Michael Foronda's label Friends & Co started as a side project that ultimately grew into a real-live menswear label. Founded in 2003 as a T-shirt line that incorporated bold typographic treatments of the word "friends," it's expansion to cut-and-sew pieces led to the introduction of Friends & Co, with the help of his friend, Leslie Siu.

Foronda's latest line under the Friends & Co moniker still shows an active interest in graphics but now with more emphasis on craftsmanship. Among the most conservative pieces in the collection and also the most desirable are the cardigan sweaters and sweater vests, subtly adorned with monochromatic elbow patches. This tempered brand of timelessness portends great things for the future of the label, and Foronda continues to look ahead. "I hope to evolve the brand into a more unisex line through collaborations with my wife, Sally Penn," he says. Until that day arrives, we'll button up our cardigan and wait patiently, perfectly content.

by Jonathan Forgang