One gets the sense that Robert Liptak really loves developing and creating only-at-RTA fabrics. He talks excitedly about the jacquard of all the world’s flags (plus the RTA logo), a reflective leather with the brightness of a camera flash, and the RTA branding turned into a topographical print. The inspiration for men’s cruise is the same as women’s: a road trip. Hence the map references throughout the collection, and, in a broader sense, the flags.
Such a focus on the special textiles makes each piece a statement, loud and a little on-the-nose. Many of the items are evocative of a road trip (or in the case of a knit with diagonal stripes wrapping around it, an actual highway). But that doesn’t always mean they’re functional for a long-haul drive—by design. Is the man in teal acid wash denim and a leather tank cruising along Route 66 blasting Bruce Springsteen? Probably not, but hopefully his clothes convey his worldliness. Wherever he is, the RTA customer is as likely to be noticed as that high visibility leather.
