Once again, we have lived, laughed, saw some amazing clothes and slept very little. All in name of style and another season of LCM has past, and too we say another farewell to the street style series that we hope our loyal readers have loved.
Photos by Harry Bradbury/ Words by Keanu Adorable
follow for our coverage of LCM and other fahsion and lifestyle posts on our official Instagram: @clothesmaketheman
Friday marked the first day of the Ninth London Collections Men, where various figures and creatives in the fashion industry from Patrick Grant to Barbour have gathered for the release of their Spring/Summer 2017 collections. We took to the streets outside the shows, presentations and parties and looked at what people were wearing for the first day of this biannual event.
Photos by Harry Bradbury/ Words by Keanu Adorable
follow our daily coverage of LCM on our official Instagram: @clothesmaketheman
We start this season’s round up of all matters of a Sartorial nature in London and what better place to get the ball rolling than at an honest to goodness PUB QUIZ !!! OK with a rather stylish twist to it, in that it’s compare was Hacienda DJing Legend Mr Elliot Eastwick and it was organised by the Savile Row Tailoring trailblazers that are Cad & The Dandy, only in London.
TOPMAN DESIGN
Bright and breezy, otherwise known as flipping freezing, start to the day, but a warm reception was waiting at the TOPMAN Design show which was piled high with Northern Soul references, like being at a Wigan Pier Weekender. There was nods to The Bay City Rollers, Mark Boland right the way through to James Hunt and any show that finishes with Crazy Horses by The Osmonds is a winner in my books.
I was spoilt for choice on the first day of LC:M with a number of fave brands showing their wares but high points had to be David Keyte’s Universal Works, offering us a conceptual performance, which can go either way for me. But it didn’t disappoint, working on the principle upon which the brand is founded, the idea of Passing on, not in an deathly kinda way but how clothing can be passed on from being old to young and in doing so can be reinvented and reinvigorated.
One of my overall highlights of the entire schedule has to be the Barbour Presentation, which showcased the second season of their wonderful collaboration with the Japan company White Mountaineering, best summed
Barbour
up by the unique, Thank God, Mr Richard Gray, of The Sunday Times STYLE;
“I guess this collab is Tokyo cool meets Prince Charles or something like that. I spoke to Aiwaze San the designer of White Mountaineering, who told me the wax you see, which makes a Barbour jacket waterproof, was the Gortex of its day. And, in fact, it works as well as any new scientific development. Including Gortex. I look forward to the day the Royal Family wear White Mountaineering.“
Hackett
Then what a way to finish off the first day then to head over to one of London’s hidden architectural gems, No 2 Temple Place for a spot of dinner and to look at some exquisite attire by none other than Hackett, entitled, ‘Sheep, Shape and London Fashion’, this capsule collection paid homage to the prestigious longstanding textile mills of Britain. The 12 looks were an amalgamation of different checks and patterns in the finest British wools.
The second day started off with a great breathe of fresh air in the shape of the LC:M Exhibition, this never fails to impress me and I always fall head of heals for at least one brand this season my head couldn’t help being turned by the wonderful Gloverall and then the cashmere delights of ESK, this just has to be British craftsmanship at its best. And from one great example to another with Mr Nigel Calbourn who is never swayed by the short lived trends of Fashions but driven by inspirational stories of real people in history and vintage military, outdoor and work wear pieces.
Over then to Fraser Moss and YMC and once again I search the counsel of the ever wise Ms Sarah Gilfillan, contributor of this wonderful publication and founder of Sartorialab.co.uk ;
“I’ve always loved their simple understated look, and I particularly liked the clever layering and outerwear. The mixture of taloring with sportswear inspired pieces like the drawstring trousers takes me right back to the 90’s when they first started .I find their collections are minimal enough in design to appeal to the everyday man but they always have a subtle point of difference so they’re never boring. I have no doubt I’ll be buying many of these items with my clients next season and I can’t wait!”
Hardy Amies
Moving on to a brand which, to quote Messers Daft Punk and Williams, “Like a Phoenix from the ashes” WOW I can quite simply sum the Hardy Amies collection as, Beautiful clothes, where you find yourself wanting piece after piece.
Christopher Raeburn
Much like Mr Christopher Raeburn, who like Nigel Cabourn draws greatly on the great outdoors and nature in all its beauty for their inspiration and once again he does fail to impress. This season utilising Royal Navy rafts as his material of choice.
Belstaff
Now stay with me here, but I had my reservations when I headed towards an underground car park, not a million miles away from The House of Commons. Surely I must have taken a wrong turn, it wouldn’t have been the first time and this can hardly be classed as a glamorous setting for a stylish presentation for a brand like Belstaff ? Well, as I see Fashion Royalty like Ms Suzy Menkes, Mr Edward Enniful and Ms Caroline Rush spilling out of it, I can’t be wrong. Belstaff, took its inspiration from the ‘Ton-Up Boys’ of the 1950s. Heavily into their rock‘n’roll and motorcycles, these ‘greasers’ would rendezvous at cafés and attempt to ‘do a ton’ (exceed speeds of 100mph) on their custom-made bikes, both fearless and reckless in their stylish pursuit.
Casely-Hayford
Moving into the straits now we had a blinder of a show from Father and Son duo Joe and Charlie Casely-Hayford. Set to a sound track of Bjork and Bowie a tribe of Stylish Outsiders did the honours for u. Mixing Oranges and Pinks seamlessly with Blacks and Navy to create a riveting colour palette.
E.Tautz
Opening to a surmon by his Holiness Pope John Paul II isn’t the most obvious start to an E.Tautz show but give Patrick Grant his dues it certainly got the audience’s attention in what Grant called his most personal collection so far, for the Savile Row house. Every coat and piece of outerwear he sent out was one you lushes and craved for already, no brights or pastels for Grant this season only monochrome in his highly wearable colour spectrum.
Tom Ford
Now here’s the battle of the big boys of LC:M, the Texan and the Yorkshire lad, up first we have Tom Ford who showed us a much more causal side to him, which I have to say I’d really not expected to see which included jeans and trainers, I lie to you not ! Then we have Christopher Bailey in the Burberry Check corner, offering us Classical Bohemian in ponchos, florals and paisley, fresh off a hazy trip back in time to India.
Well, there you have it for another season next stop Milan, ding, ding !
Jeremy Hackett is a name which has become synonymous with British Style and the best of British tailoring. After set up his Business in 1983 with the first store bearing the Hackett name, on the Kings Road. Selling vintage men’s clothes and accessories, discovered in house clearances and antique markets, Hackett soon gained cult status amongst London’s sartorially inclined. Word quickly spread abroad and soon Americans and Japanese, as well as French, Italians and other Europeans, were making the journey to the “wrong end” of the King’s Road in search of “le style Anglais”. It soon became apparent, however, that market demand would always exceed the supply of vintage men’s clothes and accessories, so Hackett and decided that the answer was to reproduce new clothes made from natural fibres in traditional English styles.
Today, Hackett has continued its expansion with Galeries Lafayette in Paris being added to the prestigious list of department stores alongside Harrods and Harvey Nichols. Hackett franchises have opened stores in Geneva, Zurich, Kuwait City, Johannesburg Airport, Cape Town, Amsterdam, Pozuelo (Madrid), Knokke (Belgium), Brussels, Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Shanghai, Shenyang and Kuala Lumpur.
As well as the development of the stores’ look and feel, the Hackett clothing and accessories collections were refreshed by taking inspiration from the early DNA of the brand and the new slogan “Essential British Kit”. Key additions to the collection included the “Hackett Mayfair”, “Aston Martin Racing” and “Little Britons” ranges.
The Hackett Mayfair collection embodies the lifestyle of the late 1950s and early 1960s gentleman. Inspired by the iconic photography of Bailey, O’Neill, Donovan and Duffy, the signature streamlined tailoring takes London’s legendary Savile Row as its starting point. What began as a single suit has now evolved into a full range of formalwear and gentlemen’s club-style accessories: all presented under its own exclusive Hackett Mayfair logo of bowler hat and crossed umbrellas.
2012 proved to be a very successful year for Hackett. In June 2012, Hackett was one of the pioneers of the British Fashion Council’s new men’s fashion week – London Collections:Men. Launched to showcase the UK’s wealth of menswear talent, the Hackett London collection was successfully premiered to international buyers and press. Now in its fifth season, the Hackett show is one of the most anticipated during the biannual event and an established fixture on the LC:M schedule.
For it’s Autumn 2014 show Hackett experienced perfect serendipity, the right location, at the right time, with the right collection. It celebrated the age of stylish travel, a global traveller, the collection styled the different characters of ‘The Leading Man’ on his global travels.
In our exclusive insight Jeremy he describes his Spring/Summer 2015 collection as, “We are well recognised for our sporting sponsorships so we have built the collection around Spectator Kit, what to wear for instance to the polo or Henley or to watch Aston Martin Racing or what would be perfect to wear to a tennis tournament ( coincidentally I am writing this between watching the tennis at Queens our latest sponsorship )”. Anyway enough of me.
If you could have invented anything what would it be ?
Although I am not personally on Facebook I wouldn’t have minded inventing it.
If you had one day to live what would be your biggest regret ?
That I never learnt any foreign languages, to be honest I still struggle with English.
Favourite hotel in the world ?
Over the years I have been to New York quite regularly and I stay at The Carlyle where the service is perfect and the cocktail bar even better.
If you could collaborate with one brand who would it be and why ?
I really like watches because it is one of the few accessories men can wear so I would like the opportunity to collaborate with say, IWC. The Mark 15 Pilots watch was the first that I owned.
If you could give your teenage self advice, what would it be ?
Believe in yourself because if you don’t why should others. Also have a good financial partner.
How did you get into the industry, what was your big break ?
My father once said to me ” If you don’t pull your socks up you will end up working in a shop”. Fortunately that is exactly what happened. Clothes at the time were one of the few things that I had an aptitude for. When I opened Hackett in 1983 it was more as a bit of fun and a way to sell some second hand kit, and when I started to make new clothes it was the birth of the brand and I haven’t looked back since.
If you could only wear one brand/Designer for the rest of your life who would it be ?
Being able to have my clothes made by a good tailor would be my ideal as I could determine the outcome.
Who is your style icon ?
David Hockney who dresses as well as he paints.
What piece of clothing should everyman have in his wardrobe ?
At the risk of repeating myself I would consider the navy blazer to be a vital part of any man’s wardrobe. It can be dressed up or down.
Who would do you ideal diner guests and why ?
Stephen Fry, he is so engaging and would make any dinner party swing and the fact that we dress him for the BAFTA’s is by the way. Sorry that’s it,back to the tennis.
The wise scholar, and sometime fashion raconteur, Mr Kanye West OBE, once said, ” Work it harder, make it better,
do it faster, makes us stronger”. Which sums up the latest instalment of London Collections:Men for Spring/Summer 2015, I know Summer 2014 has barely shown us it’s beautiful face and I’m talking about 2015, well that’s Fashion for ya. Anyway, we are back in London and it’s a packed schedule from YMC to KTZ to DKNY, this gives Anthony very little TLC and it’s down to work. We give you the best overview, of what is becoming THE Fashion eventing the calendar. With international name like MOSCHINO, Tiger of Sweden and of course DKNY throwing that very sartorial hat into the ring, London’s becoming a Cosmopolitan hotbed of talent.
However, first up we have, the irrepressible but more importantly lovely Lou Dalton. For this season Ms Dalton has taken a bit of a risky change in direction, but boy did it pay off ! We saw a more mature, confident and stylish collection. The tailoring, Sportwear fusion was still present but everything felt, tighter (not physical), sharper and generally more impressive. Keep up the good work Dalton A*.
Next up, the first of many zig zagging around the capital, to Kent and Curwen, the second season for the brand to be showing as part of LC:M. It has come a long way since launching as a modest collection of ties and cricket sweaters and has grown into one of the most sought after sporting brands in the country. The Brand further fused their take on English dress codes with that juxtaposition of graphic patterns, which mixed with their casting gave a feeling of David Bowie’s thin white Duke.
Hardy Amies, (above) like its Savile Row neighbour, Gieves & Hawkes (below) showed a blinder of a Masterclass in Great British Tailoring, cool, contemporary but above all wearable. Exquisite ! Plus with the likes of Richard James, E.Tautz and Hackett. It doesn’t take a genius to see why the UK, and London has regained it’s crown for being THE destination for suiting.
From some of the oldest names in British style to one of the more newer ones in, Christopher Raeburn, who gave his very unique take on Military. Working with a traditional regimental colour palette, Raeburn worked in Fighter jets and missile prints and showed he improves and builds season upon season.
Not only was Jonathan Saunders showing us his signature collection but in the exhibition space we saw his GREAT Second season collaboration with Lyle & Scott, which was based on the Shane Meadow’s film of the Stone Roses Reunion, Made of Stone. Additionally to this they also showed their other sterling collaborative effort with Universal Works. Plus to Cap off the collaboration craziness area was the BEAUITFUL range by Barbour X White Mountaineering, (above) one to definitely keep an eye out for.
Oliver Spencer, continues with his successful formula of producing wearable, timeless, pieces that form part an impeccable wardrobe. Last season we had Idris Elba providing the entertainment on the decks. This season Olie followed suit and as the eyes of the world focuses of Brazil he had the UK’s foremost Brazilian percussion group supply the entertainment, complete with Carnival dancing girls ! Somewhat a highlight of the day.