Have you noticed J.Crew’s ineffably cool evolution of late? Chris Black, founder of consultancy Done to Death Projects, is, in part , to thank. Black is an ideas man. “All I’ve ever been able to offer in my career is a point of view,” he says. “I don’t have a lot of hard skills.” As well as J.Crew, he’s worked with brands from Thom Browne to New Balance to Balenciaga behind the scenes to reach ever-ambivalent customers.

Now, he’s parsing his creative intuition to his own clothing brand, Hanover. It’s an all-American look, specializing in jeans, graphic tees, polos and crewneck sweaters. It’s all American made using cotton by manufacturers in Los Angeles. For now, it’s sold exclusively online, and most importantly it’s all $300 or less.

“As a consumer and as a person who works as a cons

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