At first glance, Still Kelly seems like a brand built purely on aesthetic vibes. But that’s not a reason to overlook it—if anything, it’s worth paying closer attention. After all, the vibes are undeniably strong.

Marc Kalman, a creative director and a quintessential 21st-century polymath (though the soft-spoken, endearingly shy designer might reject that label), launched the brand last October with a 39-piece collection. Now, the second drop is arriving online at Ssense and on his website. Photographer Frank Lebon shot the lookbook, featuring rising star Mona Tougaard and model-actor Paul Hameline.

Pointing to a campaign image of a shirtless Hameline with a cigarette dangling from his lips, Kalman muses, “I don’t know what it does, but it does… something.”

Kalman’s designs share that same elusive quality. This collection includes fitted tees, cropped and extra-long tailored shorts, a sleek lightweight coat, and standout pants with subtle stitching along the seams. These are the kinds of pieces you see on effortlessly cool people—like Kalman himself, Tougaard, or Hameline—and assume their appeal comes from the wearer. But look closer: the fabrics and construction, sourced and crafted everywhere from Italy and Portugal to China, reveal well-made, flattering, and covetable pieces. In today’s online lingo, they’ve got aura.

Originally from Florida, Kalman didn’t start as a designer. He studied fashion and business at LIM College in New York before shifting to editorial work—first interning at Vogue Japan, then working at T Magazine—before landing in the music industry, where he handled creative direction for artists. “It was an opportunity to do everything,” he says. “Make clothes, design covers, shoot photos, direct videos—all of it.”

He fully committed to design about four years ago when he began working on Still Kelly. “I just didn’t want to create for other people anymore,” he explains. “I wanted to make clothes.”

Kalman took his time with the brand. The first collection took nearly two years to develop. “It was bittersweet,” he admits. “By the time it launched, I’d already moved on creatively.” Now, he understands that’s just how fashion works—designers work months ahead. “My goal is to shorten that gap,” he says. Still, Still Kelly is intentionally slow-paced.

“Sometimes I fall in love with the silliest, stupidest things and obsess over them until I hate them,” Kalman says with a laugh. Right now, one of those obsessions is creating “cool camouflage.” A catalog from Andy Warhol’s 1988 camo print exhibition sits on his desk for inspiration. “I’m always trying to figure out what’s missing in my brain,” he reflects. “I’m 37, and I’ve been making things for a long time, but I’m still excited to create.”

Instead of sketching, Kalman works through collages—cutting images apart and filling in the gaps. He prioritizes quality, insisting he “won’t budge, not even on a t-shirt.” While he keeps an eye on fashion, he avoids anything too obvious. “Even if I’m inspired by trends, I’m not trying to make trendy clothes,” he says. Like most fashion-conscious people, he thinks about “cost per wear” when shopping—and designs with the same mindset.”Building a world and creating great products takes time,” he adds. “I’m fine with that.”

“Still Kelly” is a silly nickname a friend gave Kalman when he was younger. It stuck so much that when he introduced himself as Marc, people would say, “I thought you were Kelly.” Kalman explains, “I’m trying to come up with a better story.”

But he doesn’t need to overthink the brand name. Some things just stick—like his nickname, Kelly. And by the looks of it, Still Kelly, the brand, will too.