Designer John Varvatos may no longer be associated with the brand that sports his name, but his lifelong love of rock ‘n’ roll continues to permeate the company.
The John Varvatos brand, which is now owned by the private equity firm Lion/Hendrix Cayman Ltd., has created a collection to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the American rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
“Since I first saw images of Tom Petty as a teenager, his style has deeply influenced me,” said Karl Aberg, vice president of creative for John Varvatos. “To me, Tom’s style represented a certain freedom — a bohemian, rock, Western and Americana mixture that exuded confidence without being overly styled. He broke the rules, blending masculine and feminine elements with a sense of ease and attitude. This free sense of dress has become part of the fabric of how we dress today, and it certainly informs how we approach design and styling for the John Varvatos man.”
The Tom Petty Applique T
Courtesy of John Varvatos
The collection includes the Tom Petty Fringe Jacket ($3,498) in suede with a natural drape; the Tom Petty Jean ($598) in premium Italian denim in a medium indigo shade and wash; the “Yer So Bad” Applique T ($198), a classic graphic T-shirt, and the Tom Petty Suede Zip Up Boot ($1,198).
John Varvatos got the blessing of the late singer’s estate and worked closely with it on the capsule, according to a spokesperson.
The collection will be available starting Wednesday at all John Varvatos full-price store locations, as well as at select department stores and online.
The John Varvatos brand, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, was founded by the designer John Varvatos and went through several ownership changes before Lion/Hendrix Cayman purchased the business out of bankruptcy in 2020 for around $97 million.
