Normally the one to watch section of the blog is reserved for young, up and coming brands, however today we’ve made an exemption to the rule as Lyle & Scott almost feel like a new brand as they have so much coming up over the next couple of months. But before we move forward, we can’t miss out the rich history of this brand which stretches back to 1874 when it was founded with a loan of £800 from an Edinburgh based investment company and £500 from a local corn merchant by Messers William Lyle and Walter Scott in the Scottish town of Hawick. Lyle & Scott have, as the Headline reads, stayed true to its roots and still today draws on its over 130 year archive that includes designs by Christian Dior and Michael Kors.
However, is wan’t until 1960 that the Eagle finally landed and started to be used by the brand as their iconic logo and round about this time they started to establish themselves as key players in the world of Golf apparel. During the 1970’s & 80’s their bright and patterned knitwear became synonymous with the golfing world and the Celebrities of the day. It was common place for such stars as Sean Connery, Greg Norman or Comedian Ronnie Corbett, who would be sat in his arm chair telling us of a funny thing happening to him on his way into work, to be seen wearing the unmistakable knits.
Like with every good brand it had a period in the 90’s where it took, what can only be called a sabbatical from the style scene but like a phoenix from the ashes of the new millennium came out fighting with a re-branded new look and feel which was followed by the launch of Lyle & Scott Vintage. Like in the 80’s the retro aesthetic look of Lyle & Scott became a hit again with the likes of The Arctic monkeys, Kasabian, Dermot O’Leary, Steve Jones and the cast of Skins.
For AW12 the Heritage collection takes a trip along the great British coastline, using inspiration from the traditional Naval and Maritime dress code to create a sophisticated and stylish winter wardrobe. The key piece of the collection that embodies the design ethos perfectly is a Melton wool pea coat in navy, a real time-honoured classic. Of course, the knitwear offering is at the core of the collection with a shawl collar Submariner sweater in 100% heavy gauge merino wool. Another knitwear highlight includes a crew neck pullover, available in a range of colours and made in Scotland from 100% lambswool, providing a simple but timeless winter indulgence. Cords complete the Heritage look, capturing the nautical dress code of the season in navy or burgundy.
Now with British designer Caroline Massey taking at the helm watch this space for another new and always interesting turn in the next chapter of Lyle & Scott
