Eisen

Mark (1960). American designer. His look is characterized by an urban style with sexy lines and high-tech materials. He defines himself as a post-minimalist in pursuit of detail and quality. He was born in Cape Town. At the age of 18, as desired by his father, he moved to the U S. to attend the University of Southern California, where he designed a helmet for the fans of the Trojans football team which sold 3,000 pieces in just one week. In 1988 he presented Couture Denim, his first collection, which was immediately acquired by the big New York department stores Bergdorf Goodman and Barneys. His inspirations, and at the same time his clients, are Pete Townshend, the guitar player of the Who, Duran Duran, and the Rolling Stones, for whom he designed the costumes for the Vodoo Lounge tour. Eisen is famous for his continuous technical research on new fabrics such as laminated chiffon and jersey, resined linen, silk, viscose, cotton, and Lycra, as well as on the insertion of glass fragments into fabric. In 1996 he launched the knitwear line Urchin.
He makes his début at Milano Collezioni after signing an agreement with the Sportswear Company, a firm in Modena owned by Carlo Rivetti.
Mark Eisen, together with Armani and Calvin Klein, is added to the list of 54 designers who oppose the use of furs. According to those in the animal rights movement, in the previous year the sale of furs in the U.S. likely collapsed, with losses of $12 million.
The designer joins the management staff of the Ann Taylor Stores Corporation, the company which owns the brand, as vice president for design.