A Brooklyn Designer Who Is All About Linen

Age: 29

Hometown: San Francisco

Now lives: In a sun-drenched, plant-filled loft in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.

Claim to Fame: Crane is a young designer devoted to a fabric that rarely gets love from his fellow Brooklyn cool kids: linen. Nearly all of his playful spring/summer line is flax-based. For the warm months, he offers a youthful line of linen shorts and collared shirts that manage to feel more Bushwick than Bridgehampton. Crane has also produced a deconstructed take on linen “suits” (from a distance, they could be confused for pajamas) and “jeans” that are intended for the city streets as much as the beach. “Linen gets softer with wear,” Crane said. “It remembers your shape, and it keeps you cool, literally and figuratively.”

Big Break: While studying international relations at Brown University, he took classes in the apparel design department at the Rhode Island School of Design, learning the basics of fashion design, like pattern-making. After graduation, Crane worked as a bag designer for Jack Spade before unveiling his first collection in 2016.

Latest Project: ​This season, Crane introduced the Cham pant, a lightweight linen version of traditional denim jeans which are designed to keep you swelter-free, even on a crowded subway platform in August. “They’re tailored, but light and airy,” he said. “I always wanted a fitted linen pant, something very far away from the henna-dyed drawstring pants you find for sale on Venice Beach.”

Next Thing: ​Up to now, Crane has relied on a series of artfully minimalist Instagram ads for marketing and sold his collection in some 25 boutiques around the country, including Brooklyn’s Concrete + Water and Wolves Within. He is now moving into retail himself, opening a “clandestine” shop, otherwise known as his third-floor loft apartment. “If you’re looking for it, you can see our neon logo from the street,” he said. “Otherwise, you’ll have to write us if you want to find the place.” As an added bonus, he said, “We keep the fridge stocked with Ito En green tea, and we’ll cook you lunch if you ask us nicely.”

It’s Only Fashion: Some designers see their clothes more as art objects than functional items, but Crane views his work as a vehicle for fun. “I make clothes for play,” he said. “I don’t necessarily mean we have to dance and sing and play badminton, although those are all great options. I mean that it’s important to remember that life is short and bizarre and worth enjoying, even when it’s sad or painful or boring. Play is a spirit. And, for better or worse, clothes have a big impact on how we feel.”