The Elder Statesman
The Elder Statesman is a Los Angeles luxury clothing and lifestyle brand known for handcrafted cashmere knitwear, blankets, and limited-production designs.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Elder Statesman is a Los Angeles-based luxury clothing, fashion, and lifestyle brand founded in 2007 by Greg Chait. The label grew from Chait's interest in cashmere rather than from a conventional fashion-industry launch. After receiving a cashmere blanket in 2002, Chait began experimenting with the material and made blankets for personal use. Los Angeles luxury retailer Maxfield subsequently sold some of his samples and asked him to produce additional pieces, helping turn a personal project into a commercial niche business. The brand initially developed around cashmere blankets and later became particularly associated with colorful, hand-finished knitwear. Its products have been characterized by intricate construction, premium materials, small production runs, and a strong emphasis on craft. Rather than competing primarily through scale or mass distribution, The Elder Statesman established a luxury proposition based on scarcity, tactile quality, customization, and a relaxed Los Angeles sensibility. Its assortment has included knit clothing and accessories as well as home-oriented cashmere goods. The company expanded its physical presence in 2011 with an appointment-only studio in West Hollywood. By that period, its clothing was being carried by retailers including Barneys New York. In 2014, the business was described as having approximately 25 employees and operating from a factory in Culver City. That year it also launched an online store, broadening direct access to its products, and was expected to open its first Los Angeles retail store. The brand had by then gained international wholesale distribution and recognition for presenting cashmere as both a luxury textile and an artistic medium. Chait's prior experience as chief executive of Australian denim label Ksubi provided relevant background in developing an independent fashion business, although The Elder Statesman's identity was built around a substantially different category and material. The label received major industry recognition in 2012 when Chait won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, which included a reported prize of $300,000. The Elder Statesman was also selected by GQ editor Justin Doss in 2011 and received attention during New York Fashion Week in 2014 for an artistic installation presenting its cashmere collection. The brand's business relationships have included a minority equity investment from Chrome Hearts in March 2014 and a luxury partnership with private-aircraft charter company XOJet later that year. These relationships reflected The Elder Statesman's positioning within a broader high-end lifestyle ecosystem rather than a narrow apparel-only market. Publicly available reference material does not establish current ownership, leadership beyond the founder, financial performance, or a current official website. The brand is nevertheless documented as an active luxury label with a distinctive position in cashmere apparel and lifestyle goods.
History
The Elder Statesman's origins trace back to 2002, when founder Greg Chait received a cashmere blanket and became interested in the material's softness, warmth, and luxury potential. He began making cashmere blankets for himself, gradually treating the work as an exploration of textile quality and construction. Samples reached Maxfield, a prominent Los Angeles luxury retailer, which sold some of them and requested further production. This early retail response gave Chait a commercial pathway for what had begun as a personal project. The brand was formally founded in 2007. Its early identity was built around premium cashmere and an intentionally limited approach to production. Over time, the assortment expanded from blankets into clothing, especially knitwear. The label became known for colorful, intricate, and tactile pieces whose appeal depended on material quality and hand-oriented production rather than standardized mass manufacture. The Elder Statesman's aesthetic combined California informality with the exclusivity associated with rare fibers and small-batch luxury. In 2011, the company established an appointment-only studio in West Hollywood. This format reinforced its private, service-oriented positioning while allowing customers to encounter the collection in a controlled setting. By the same period, The Elder Statesman's apparel was available through retailers such as Barneys New York, and GQ editor Justin Doss selected the label as an editor's pick in December 2011. Chait's earlier role as chief executive of Australian denim company Ksubi gave him experience in fashion entrepreneurship, but The Elder Statesman developed a separate identity focused on cashmere and knit craftsmanship. The company received one of its most significant early industry recognitions in 2012, when Chait won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. The award increased the label's visibility within the American fashion industry and formally acknowledged its creative and business potential. By 2014, The Elder Statesman was described as having approximately 25 employees, operating from a Culver City factory, and selling through stores worldwide. Moving production to a dedicated factory supported the brand's ability to control quality while maintaining its limited-output model. The year 2014 also brought several business developments. In June, the brand opened an online store, adding a direct sales channel to its studio and wholesale network. It was expected to open its first Los Angeles store later that year. During New York Fashion Week in February, The Wall Street Journal highlighted an artistic installation built around the cashmere collection, illustrating how the company presented products as both fashion and art objects. In March, Chrome Hearts took a minority equity stake, linking The Elder Statesman to another independent luxury brand with a strong craft and lifestyle identity. In September, The Elder Statesman partnered with XOJet, a private-aircraft charter company, to offer luxury wares to XOJet customers. The available reference material does not provide a detailed account of the brand's activities after this period, nor does it identify current executives, ownership arrangements, revenue, listing status, or an official current website. The documented historical record establishes The Elder Statesman as an independent Los Angeles luxury brand whose differentiation rests on cashmere expertise, artistic presentation, restricted supply, and a high-touch retail model.
- 2014
Culver City production and international distribution
[1]The company was reported to have about 25 employees, a Culver City factory, and distribution through stores worldwide.
- 2014
Online store launches
[1]The Elder Statesman opened an online store in June.
- 2014
Chrome Hearts takes a minority stake
[1]Chrome Hearts made a minority equity investment in The Elder Statesman.
- 2014
XOJet luxury partnership
[1]The brand partnered with XOJet to provide luxury goods to private-air-charter customers.
- 2012
CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund recognition
[1]Founder Greg Chait won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award.
- 2011
West Hollywood studio opens
[1]The brand expanded into an appointment-only studio in West Hollywood.
- 2007
Brand founded
[1]Greg Chait formally founded The Elder Statesman as a Los Angeles luxury cashmere and lifestyle label.
- 2002
Cashmere experimentation begins
[1]Greg Chait's interest in cashmere developed after he received a cashmere blanket and began making blankets for personal use.
Products and positioning
A Los Angeles luxury label centered on artisanal cashmere, vivid knitwear, limited quantities, and a relaxed but highly crafted lifestyle aesthetic.
Luxury apparel
Cashmere knitwear
The Elder Statesman's best-known category is cashmere knitwear. The label's knit pieces are associated with vivid color, intricate construction, tactile surfaces, and small production quantities. The collection helped move the brand beyond its original blanket business and established its identity within luxury fashion. The emphasis is on material feel, craftsmanship, and distinctive design rather than high-volume basics.
Luxury home textiles · 2007
Cashmere blankets
Cashmere blankets were the product category from which the brand developed. Greg Chait initially made blankets for himself after becoming interested in cashmere, and early samples were sold through Maxfield. The blankets remain central to the brand's lifestyle positioning because they connect its fashion business to the home and gifting categories while showcasing its focus on softness, quality, and limited production.
Luxury accessories
Knit accessories
The brand's knitwear-oriented assortment includes accessory formats associated with its cashmere and textile expertise. These products extend the label's material-led proposition into smaller luxury goods and provide a more accessible entry point than larger garments or home textiles. Specific current styles and product ranges are not established by the available reference material.
Marketing campaigns
- 2014XOJet partnership
United States
The Elder Statesman partnered with private-plane charter company XOJet to provide selected luxury wares to XOJet customers, extending the brand's reach into a high-end travel and lifestyle setting.
Outcome. The available source confirms the partnership but does not document its commercial results or duration.
Brand decisions
2014
Add direct online retailStrategyBackground
The brand had established wholesale distribution and a physical studio but sought a broader direct route to customers.
Action taken
The company launched an online store in June 2014.
Aftermath
The online store added an e-commerce channel; the available reference does not provide sales results.
2014
Accept a minority equity investment from Chrome HeartsM&ABackground
The Elder Statesman was expanding its luxury cashmere business and had developed recognition in fashion and specialty retail.
Action taken
Chrome Hearts acquired a minority stake in the company.
Aftermath
The investment connected The Elder Statesman with an established independent luxury accessories and lifestyle brand. Further ownership or operational effects are not documented in the available source.
2011
Open an appointment-only West Hollywood studioStrategyBackground
The brand was developing a niche luxury business centered on limited production and high-touch presentation.
Action taken
The Elder Statesman expanded into an appointment-only studio in West Hollywood.
Aftermath
The studio supported the label's private, service-oriented retail model while its clothing also reached selected wholesale accounts.
Recent events
- 2014
The Elder Statesman receives a minority investment from Chrome Hearts[1]
M&A
Chrome Hearts made a minority-stake equity investment in the luxury cashmere brand.
- 2014
The Elder Statesman launches an online store[1]
Product launch
The brand opened an online retail channel in June, extending its direct-to-consumer presence beyond studios and wholesale accounts.
- 2014
The Elder Statesman partners with XOJet[1]
Campaign
The brand partnered with private-plane charter company XOJet to provide luxury goods to its customers.
- 2012
The Elder Statesman receives the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award[1]
Other
Founder Greg Chait was recognized with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, including a reported prize of $300,000.
Sources1 sources
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