Everything you need to know about Mr John Elliot – and why his eponymous brand’s casual, low-key clothes are so coveted.

When you take a quick look at his collections, it may come as a surprise to learn that LA designer Mr John Elliott was one of the most talked about designers at men’s New York Fashion Week this year. We don’t say this because he is not an accomplished designer. Far from it. But it is perhaps surprising that his subtle, casual pieces – which do not exhibit the attention-grabbing qualities that some other brands offer – command such a response. But look a little closer and you begin to understand why he is one of the best-loved men in fashion at the moment, voted one of the Best New Designers in the US by GQ in 2014. His brand is built on the idea that if you get the basics right (meticulously right) – and improve or reinvent them with unique fabrics – then everything else will follow. And indeed things have fallen into place rather nicely.

Mr Elliott has always been a fan of clothing design – he sent his first sketches to Nike at the age of eight (they were politely rejected, as you might expect) – and plotted his business with his best friend Mr Aaron Lavee while in high school. The pair founded John Elliott in 2012 and have since turned an initial $30,000 investment into a wildly successful brand – the first John Elliott show, in New York in February 2015, was attended by Messrs Kanye West, Nick Young and Victor Cruz. After this year’s AW collection, Mr Nick Wooster declared that “[Mr Elliott] has struck a nerve with a wide range of people because he has cracked the code to a very small sweet spot between street and luxury.” In a world where men increasingly dress more casually, in a cleaner silhouette and subtler colour palette – Mr Elliott is king. Scroll down to see our favourite pieces on MR PORTER, and how to style them.

This, Mr Elliott says, is one of his bestselling products. So popular is his unique reimagining of the hoodie that many brands are beginning to copy the design. Get the original zip-sided creation here – an impeccably designed sweater made in a comfortable cotton-blend jersey. Throw it on over a T-shirt like this one, also by John Elliott, and your weekend wear is sorted.

The inspirations for Mr Elliott’s first collection included the skater Mr Pat Duffy and In Utero era Mr Kurt Cobain. We can see both of these influences in this plaid shirt, which, while we don’t need to sell you the benefits of such a classic item, feels almost like, well, the perfect version. Made from 100 per cent cotton, it has a pleasingly faded appearance and a subtle pattern that mean it will sit nicely with almost anything in your wardrobe. We suggest wearing it with these leather high-top sneakers.

Such is Mr Elliott’s attention to detail, that he has said in the past that he approached the design of his jeans “like a building”. And, like any large construction job, it took him about a year to perfect his creation. Made in Japan from premium denim, there is nothing basic about these. Try dressing them up with this comfortable, jersey-lined blazer.