There has been such hand-wringing in fashion this season : the world is crashing down all around us -what now ? If anyone has the wherewithal to take the long view, it ought to be a brand like Dunhill. After all, this is a house that kept its doors open during the WW2 bombing of London, when Alfred Dunhill's only option was to set up a desk in front of the rubble of his store. The recent hiring of Kim Jones as creative director shows that the label is unafraid to look ahead, though, and for his part, the 28yo designer found inspiration in the house's copious back catalog. "Heeeere's Dunhill !" an exuberant Jones exclaimed backstage, when asked about the message of his collection, which included a duffel coat with mammoth-tooth toggles, waterproof macs with a London map lining, and knits with clean Deco-like color blocking. They were well-aged ideas made newly relevant.
Elsewhere there were maybe too many of those ideas crammed into every look (tie clips attached to shirt collars ?), but a limited color palette of white, blue, and gray (plus a bit of camel) kept things from getting overwhelming. And it helped one focus on the unorthodox (and meticulous) cut and construction of the garments, which was all Kim : the banded waist on a shirt essentially turned it into a short-sleeve Harrington, while a double-breasted blazer had a covered placket. And don't forget those Dunhill leather goods : briefcases and portfolios with strong zippers and rounded corners that seemed to say, "Why so serious ?"...
Elsewhere there were maybe too many of those ideas crammed into every look (tie clips attached to shirt collars ?), but a limited color palette of white, blue, and gray (plus a bit of camel) kept things from getting overwhelming. And it helped one focus on the unorthodox (and meticulous) cut and construction of the garments, which was all Kim : the banded waist on a shirt essentially turned it into a short-sleeve Harrington, while a double-breasted blazer had a covered placket. And don't forget those Dunhill leather goods : briefcases and portfolios with strong zippers and rounded corners that seemed to say, "Why so serious ?"...
