Burkman Brothers & Illustrated Prints by Michael Sanderson

For spring 2011, designers Doug and Ben Burkman fuse their distinctly utilitarian take on classic American menswear and a well-traveled point of view.

Referencing the duality of the relaxed mood of lounging at the beach and the traditional dress and style of fishermen in Sri Lanka, Burkman Bros continue to craft casual, but tailored menswear for comfort and ease.

The collection is now available at Barneys CO-OP nationwide and Barneys CO-OP online as well as Odin New York, Bergdorf Goodman's, Bloomingdales, and Ron Herman Melrose.

To commemorate the collection, Doug and Ben collaborated with artist Michael Sanderson on an exclusive range of illustrated prints inspired by the collection.

There are more fun illustrations here.

Photos Copyright Michael Sanderson, Courtesy Maguire Steele.

At the Beach in Sri Lankan with the Burkman Brothers

The spring 2011 Burkman Bros collection from designers Doug and Ben Burkman references the duality of the relaxed mood of lounging at the beach and the traditional dress and style of fishermen in Sri Lanka.

The lush beach landscapes in Sri Lanka are not only a tropical destination but also serve as a hub for a thriving fishing trade.

Fusing their distinctly utilitarian take on classic American menswear and their well-traveled point of view, for spring 2011 Burkman Bros continue to craft casual, but tailored menswear for comfort and ease.

From the laid-back villagers perched atop wooden stilts far out into the surf around Galle to the busy fisherman manning the stalls of the seafood markets in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s coasts teem with culture.

The lines and colors of the nets, ropes, bamboo poles, baskets, and the style of open shirts on the fisherman were points of reference when creating the collection.

The vibrant patterns on the Lungi, a traditional sarong-style garment worn by Sri Lankans, influenced the usage of color and prints on the cotton shorts. Handmade shirting in madras and linen chambray add to this relaxed attitude.

Integrating engineered placement yarn dyes and textured dobby fabrics, the collection’s textural component demonstrates the technical complexity of Burkman Bros designs.

Befitting men of the sea, the collection also features bespoke patterns and prints in the shirting and lightweight slub jersey polo shirts and tanks.

Partnering with Miansai on a range of bracelets, which bear an ethnic touch, complements the collection as a whole.

Blending an Eastern influence with masculine American sportswear, the collection is meant to be worn and provide a sense of ease.

For spring 2011, that intersection is the classic Burkman Bros representation of their love of travel and crafting the essentials of a man’s wardrobe.

Check out the collection here.

Photos & text Copyright Burkman Bros, Courtesy Maguire Steele.

Burkman Bros Climb to a New “Himalayan High”

Cool weather, mountain streams and snow covered, alpine forests—all the things that come naturally to designers’ minds when it comes to delivering functional fall collections.

For Burkman bros Fall 2010, however, we looked to Shimla, the Himalayan city that served as the summer capital of the British Raj while serving up Anglo-Indian exoticism in extremes.

Tudorbethan and neo-Gothic architecture alongside a Hindu temple, pine forests and rhododendrons punctuated by the odd elephant, Shimla is everything that the Swiss Alps and Rocky Mountain resort towns can never be: brilliantly unique.

Burkman bros Fall 2010 channels the distinctive cool of this former colonial outpost through dobby textured outerwear, Himalayan-inspired graphics and a strong collection of masculine pants with the subtlest reference to hiking aesthetics.

Foreign Fairisle and fine gauge merino wool sweaters together with comfortable jersey lined flannel shirts, all with the lightest touch of local inspiration, let you layer up without the usual boxy shapes.

And as always, our plaids and patterns are unique to Burkman bros—designed by us and woven especially for us—you will not find them anywhere else.

Exotic, masculine and ruggedly sexy, our Himalayan-inspired Burkman bros fall 2010 collection takes you on a little journey without ever feeling out-of-place, no matter what city or slope you’re trekking around.

Have a look at the collection here.

Photo, text & slideshow 2010 a/w collection Himalayan High,” Copyright Burkman bros.