He’s been called the “menswear whisperer” and fashion's equivalent to Rick Rubin. If you're a regular reader of Valet., then there's a 99.5% chance you already have a piece of clothing he's designed in your wardrobe. That's because Aaron Levine has had his hand in a whole lot of brands. He worked at indie labels in the early aughts before overhauling Club Monaco and then he took his talents to Abercrombie & Fitch and resuscitated the struggling mall brand, turning it into the must-stop shop it is today. Lately, he's been traveling around (catch those airport bathroom fit pics) working with a range of brands, from Aimé Leon Dore and Ten Thousand to Madewell and Huckberry. It's not where is Aaron Levine? these days, but rather where ISN'T this guy's influence felt?

When asked to define his job, Levine tells me in the plainest terms, he's a consultant. “I help with everything from product to line architecture to org structures,” he says. “But a lot comes down to design POV, brand direction, art direction, shoots and styling—it's full service.” As if the guy didn't have enough on his plate, he's also now working on his own label, dubbed aaronlevine, with “several incredible people.” He says it's been in the works for a little while and that it's “something that had to be done.” He still loves collaborating with other brands and calls work one of his biggest hobbies. “But theres always a compromise involved, which is fine,” he says. “With aaronlevine, we can do exactly what we want ... for better or worse. We'll make what we believe in and communicate to the customer in a voice that's 100% our own.” That's the line's beginning in the photo above and we can't wait to see the final product. In the meantime, we asked Levine a few questions about how he shops.