Tag: fashion

Jump Cut: Tiger of Sweden

Creative director Christoffer Lundman speaks to Port about cinema, the unique creative heritage of Sweden and what tailoring can mean today

Entrepreneur and cultural magnate Harry Schein dreamt up the Swedish film reforms of the 1960s as a way to fuel the country’s creative industries and preserve the its cinematic heritage. Laying the foundation for the Swedish Film Institute, which opened in 1963 and funded the careers of those like director Ingmar Bergman, Schein’s reforms gave birth to one of the most creative periods in Swedish cinema.

The pioneering program led to the Filmhuset being built in Stockholm in 1970. Designed by Peter Celsing, the imposing building – filled with cinemas, production companies, costume rooms, a library and studios – was a haven for the art of filmmaking, and stands as a testimony to Sweden’s socially engaged government-funded film culture.

For fashion brand Tiger of Sweden, looking to the Filmhuset and such a rich era of creativity for their Autumn/Winter 18 collection not only served as inspiration but also marked a greater emphasis on the tradition and national heritage of the brand. It’s a focus that comes courtesy of Tiger’s new creative director Christoffer Lundman, the former design director at Burberry. Here he talks to Port about cinema, Swedish design and the future of tailoring.

The 155 metre-long Filmhuset in Stockholm

What attracted you to Tiger of Sweden?

I had an opportunity to tell a story – I wanted to be able to influence everything surrounding Tiger, not just the collections but how we communicate. It was a chance to speak about something bigger than clothes.

With this first collection I wanted to start talking about tailoring in a serious way again, and to also start communicating the idea of us as a heritage brand. We’ve been around for 115 years and I wanted the first collection to feel really effortless, that this is how it always looked and how it should look.

What were the initial references and ideas that you brought in?  

We started with an incredibly wide scope because I wanted to say so many things about Sweden, but we filtered it down to centre on Swedish filmmaking in the 60s. I call it a backdrop, it’s a space we spend time in within the seasons which informs not just the designs but all the elements of how we communicate.

Then through that we wove in references to Swedish film, principally through these three icons: Harry Schein, who founded the Swedish film institute, Peter Celsing the architect that designed the Filmhuset – this amazing building in Stockholm which is full of cinemas and studios, and where we shot our campaign – and Ingmar Bergman, in a loose sense. There was this element of drama, this sort of loose story of film making, in the backdrop.

How would you characterise Swedish design?

What I find inspiring being back in Sweden is to look and see what we have accomplished as a society. It’s a place that’s undertaken this incredible journey from being a poor farming country to being an industrial, modern, wealthy country. But what is special is that this was driven by a political will, by the people, to make a form of model society.

For a period of time it created this amazing foundation and platform for politics, art, culture, society to intermingle. And it resulted in these buildings, like the film institute in Stockholm, which is an incredible monument both to culture and to Sweden, for building this institute, where 10% of all profits went back to into creating film – not just blockbusters, but creating niche film and making space for ideas.

But I do think there’s this attitude to clothes here. We’re not a society with a big class divide. There’s no proper way to dress. It’s not like in England where there’s a right way to do the knot in your tie or the right way to do your pocket square. I think there’s a democratic attitude to design here, where it’s not for the elite necessarily.  

The Swedish element in the collection is there in this kind of carefree attitude. We’re not trying to lecture people in the right way to wear a suit, we’re just saying you could wear it like this. I’m hoping that it’s communicating something that’s polished and clean, but not restrictive or restrained – I hope it comes across as playful.

You’ve said before in interviews that Tiger of Sweden is first and foremost a tailoring brand. From a British perspective, fewer and fewer people are wearing suits – what does it mean to be a tailoring brand today?

I think tailoring for me is an attitude, a way of looking at things. If we specifically talk about men, and if you look at what a suit has represented to men, it makes the individual feel part of something – it’s been the way you dress when you go to work, to know that you fit in, and that’s obviously being challenged. But I think you can still be a relevant tailoring brand by having a tailored attitude – it doesn’t mean someone needs to wear a full suit, it’s more about enabling them to feel confident and secure in themselves.

I see it as an amazing challenge, and a fun one. I don’t see it as a problem if the customer stops wearing suits, I see it as a bigger scope for me and my team to create exciting products for them. It makes us grow, and it makes us explore new things, new fabrics, new shapes. 

I don’t want us to get stuck in any way. I think it’s my role to push the team and to develop the role in unexpected ways. This first collection was our opportunity, both as a team and as a company, to say this is what we’re about; we’re a tailoring brand, we have this amazing rich heritage. And there is no sort of straight road ahead – I think we need to continue to challenge ourselves and challenge customers.

Tiger of Sweden

Fit for Purpose

Canali’s global communications director and third-generation descendant of the Italian fashion house’s founders, Elisabetta Canali, considers the status of tailoring in the 21st century

Obviously fashions change, silhouettes evolve and tastes shift, but one of the biggest trends we’ve noticed in tailoring recently is the influence of technology. We are now able to develop new fabrics that are lighter and more performance focused, stretch naturally and are crease and stain resistant. These materials offer something that better reflects the lifestyle and needs of the people wearing Canali. It’s why we try to offer a wide range of fit and finishing options as well.

In the modern era, the distinctions between different regional styles of suit-making have become less marked than in the past – style is now a global consideration. Yet, despite this, it is still possible to recognise approaches that are typical of certain traditions.

British tailoring is influenced by military costume and generally characterised by a more formal look: highly structured shoulders, heavy full-canvas construction and a slim silhouette. The American suit tends to be less structured, soft shoulders, looser fitting, with a more generous cut and often a single back vent and a more relaxed trouser. We Italians, on other hand, want to combine style with wearability, so our suits tend to be less structured, with softer shoulders, but remain streamlined and graceful; the trousers are a slimmer fit.

And, of course, it still comes down to the tailors, whose skills will never change. They have an unparalleled knowledge of their craft and perfectly understand the principals of human anatomy and garment construction; this goes without saying. But they must also be a good listener. The key to ensuring a satisfied client is understanding his needs, and catering to them, sometimes before he himself knows what it is he wants.

Fashioning Change

Port reports from the launch of a new initiative to promote sustainability in fashion, a collaboration between the luxury fashion group Kering and the London College of Fashion

Caroline Rush, Frances Corner and François-Henri Pinault

On the last morning of London Fashion Week, the British Fashion Council hosted a conference to launch a new initiative for sustainability in luxury fashion as part of their 2017/2018 focus on Positive Fashion, which addresses a range of issues facing the industry such as model health and diversity. Held at a bright venue, suitably draped in green leaves and ensconced from the dreary cityscape across the Thames, the event marked the start of a new Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) created by Kering, the global luxury group, in partnership with the London College of Fashion, UAL. The digital course, ‘Fashion & Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a Changing World’ is open-access, and attendees were encouraged to sign up immediately via circulating iPads.

Kering’s chairman and CEO, François-Henri Pinault, outlined the company’s own commitment to sustainability, stating that “sustainability is one of four pillars of our structure… we actively work with our Houses to craft tomorrow’s luxury via our 2025 sustainability strategy.” For Kering, who develop Gucci, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen among many influential brands, the digital course is an opportunity to spread these insights and “contribute to the evolution of luxury fashion as a whole, by sharing our expertise with industry counterparts and educating future generations”. Pinault was quick to point out that the course would also be used internally, to train Kering’s own employees.

Professor Frances Corner, the head of the London College of Fashion, took the opportunity to applaud Kering’s “open sourcing” of knowledge, in what is the first online course developed between higher education and the industry. The collaboration between academics and professionals has created a course that covers both the theories behind sustainability and the real-life business practicalities of achieving sustainability for any fashion house.

The room held a tangible air of optimism, with Corner claiming that “only through collaboration and the sharing of experience can we face the enormity of the challenges that lie ahead.” Ultimately, the course “aims to empower aspiring and existing fashion professionals and help them develop their own manifesto for change,” Corner said. She emphasised that there is no “one size fits all solution”, rather the course instills an awareness that prepares students to make independent, yet informed, decisions. Each course will last 6 weeks, totalling 18 hours of teaching, and young British designers from the BFC are currently testing the platform to ensure its relevance and accessibility. The first course will commence on the 9th April 2018.

Fashion and Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a Changing World

Super Sharp

Helena Fletcher explores an exhibition celebrating the styles of the jungle and UK garage scenes, and the first instalment of RTRN II JUNGLE

Archivist and curator Tory Turk and DJ, producer and one half of Chase & Status, Saul Milton, first crossed paths in 2014 when Turk was curating 89:14 – A Street Style Journey. For the street style exhibition, Turk enlisted Milton in styling a jungle mannequin for the display, as she recalls of time: “It was then that Saul told me about his impressive Moschino collection and that he was interested in putting together an exhibition incorporating it.” Four years on, a selection of pieces from Milton’s collection form the centrepieces of exhibition Super Sharp on display at London College of Fashion’s Fashion Space Gallery, delving deep into the subcultural styles of the jungle and UK garage music scenes.

Jungle and garage fashion definitely wasn’t for the shy or faint hearted – the clothes were bold, brash and bright, and worn with a large helping of bravado. With raves no longer taking place outdoors or in crusty warehouses, the club venues germinated a new uniform. Still holding on to the colourful look that first defined rave culture, the style became a more dressed-up amalgamation of urban combat gear, coupled with fantastically flashy designer fashion.

In no way understated and completely at odds with the Berghain-ian black that has swept the London underground scene for the last few years, logo-heavy Italian luxury designer labels like Versace, Iceberg, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana ran rife across the dance floors. Moschino printed jeans, jackets and shirts (often all worn together) became synonymous with the look of the epoch, and were known as ‘off-key Mosch’, ‘pattern Mosch’ or ‘crazy Mosh’; depending on where you were in London.

“In the jungle scene peacocking and showing your worth by the designer label on your back went hand-in-hand with the time,” says Milton. “Designer labels certainly weren’t the norm for youth to wear so having Moschino and Versace for all to see was a big statement. The loud, garish colours and patterns were also very much in sync with the music and the vibe that was happening at the time.”

What started with the jungle scene became even more exaggerated and famous with garage. The use of soulful house and R&B vocals in the tracks attracted a more female audience, which changed attitudes within the club. Door policies and dress codes tightened and dancing became sexier. It was all about flaunting affluence – the drink of choice was either brandy or champagne (a Moët & Chandon official once paying a visit to Twice as Nice due to the suspiciously high champagne consumption). Looks would be accessorised with a fresh pairs of Gucci loafers or Patrick Cox Wannabes, and clubbers would leave the cardboard swing tags on their clothes to show that they hadn’t been worn before.

Milton’s own obsession with Moschino, which now fills a room in his home, started in 1998 when his grandfather bought him his first Moschino shirt: “That was what really began my love for Moschino and wearing clothes of that ilk,” he remembers. “When I was younger, I used to go to jungle raves; everyone would be head-to–toe in Moschino, Versace, D&G, Gucci loafers and the rest. That is when I guess, in my life, I was most inspired and when I had the dream of being a DJ, to make tunes and be part of the scene – that stayed with me for many years.”

Whilst working on the third Chase & Status album in 2012, Milton became eager to reignite his passion for making music again. “I really wanted to get inspired, and I thought when was I most inspired? When I was young, seventeen/eighteen years old, going out wearing head-to-toe Moschino,” he continues: “I really wanted to re-discover that passion again, so I rummaged through my wardrobe, found some of my old pieces and went on the hunt looking for other old pieces, just to recreate what I had.” From then on his collection grew: “The next thing you know, I’ve got 1,500 pieces of vintage Moschino. And now I dress and look exactly the same as I did when I was eighteen; I am inspired and still making jungle.”

Super Sharp is just the tip of the iceberg and Milton’s extensive archive of both men’s and womenswear forms the core of RTRN II JUNGLE, a series celebrating 15 years of Chase & Status with an array of events and exhibitions focused on exploring the music and fashion that made 1990s British rave culture, and culminating in DJ tours and new musical releases. “The next exhibition will house my entire 1500 piece vintage Moschino collection and will delve much deeper into the story we began with Super Sharp,” he enthuses.

Alongside Milton’s archive pieces, magazine spreads from Dazed, i-D and The Face, documenting the fashion and culture, pepper the display. Magazines would often turn up to club nights just to photograph the style of the people waiting in the queues to get in. “Magazines such as i-D did catch on to the posy nature of the jungle and garage scenes,” Turk explains. And the style is captured in a selection of never before exhibited photographs taken at jungle raves such as Helter Skelter, Roast and One Nation by Tristan O’Neill, who shot for underground dance magazines such as Eternity, Dream and Atmosphere. “It was amazing to unearth imagery that features jungle ravers wearing the designer label style that was made famous by the media representation of garage,” says Turk.

It is almost impossible to ignore the wave of nineties nostalgia that is currently sweeping the internet, and with it comes a revival of countless aspects of pre-millennial culture, including renewed interest in jungle and UK garage sounds and style. “Today, there is a special nostalgia for these pre-social media pockets of history, and millennials have been referencing the style for quite a few years now,” notes Turk. While on the internet the lines between the two genres are often blurred or confused by hindsight, Super Sharp aims to document and examine the nuances of the two styles not only through the fashion and printed media but through the recollections of those who experience the scenes first hand. The clothes are contextualised by quotes, testimonies and memories of key jungle and garage musicians, journalists, academics and enthusiasts including Goldie, PJ & Smiley (Shut Up & Dance), MC Nyke and Fabio & Grooverider.

Two decades on, why is the style and sounds of jungle and garage making a comeback both in the clubs and on the catwalk? “I think we’re in a very similar climate to the 90s – uncertainty, unrest and a feeling that a change is in the air. In these times people always turn to music and fashion and that’s usually when the most ground breaking and forward thinking music is made,” offers Milton. “The kids today look back at the 90s and want to experience ‘it’ themselves and they put their own twist on it; they see the style and they make it their own. Everything’s come back around.”

Super Sharp is on at the Fashion Space Gallery, London until 21 April.

Sadie Clayton

The inimitable fashion designer on innovation, representing a diverse vision of modern Britain and pushing the boundaries of design

In the history of style there are a handful of fashion designers whose work goes far beyond the parameters of attire and moves into the realm of high art; McQueen, Galliano and Gaultier being perhaps the most obvious of the avant-garde vanguard. However, it is worth noting that what those names share in common is the fact that their groundbreaking aesthetic provocations punctuated a very narrow and clearly delineated mainstream – theirs was a time that existed before the information avalanche and tortuous art directed hashtag distractions of the social media landscape. In the current paradigm, punctuating the dizzying multiplicity of cultural streams to genuinely stand apart and be noticed is no easy feat, which is why the British designer Sadie Clayton is a genuinely inspiring 21st century figure.

Born in Yorkshire to mixed race parents, Sadie is earmarked to become the Westwood of her generation. It is testament to her unique aesthetic that she was chosen by the Department of International Trade to represent Britain at this year’s AltaRoma festival in Rome, a distinctive niche in the fashion calendar presided over by the legendary Sylvia Venturini Fendi. It’s a hopeful sign in an era in which right-wing ideologies seem to be on the rise across Europe that the chosen representative of the UK is a plain-speaking, no-nonsense northern woman unafraid of challenging fashion industry clichés.

Suffice to say, her show at Villa Wolkonsky, the residence of the British Ambassador in Rome, celebrated profound diversity on the runway. A beautiful, striking black woman rolling down the runway in a wheelchair provided stark opposition to the more common albino-skinned waifs in the fashion firmament. Given her penchant for provocation and punk positivism, it is perhaps unsurprising to learn that fashion is just one spark of Clayton’s fiery creative vision, and that her ambition is nothing short of boundless. We caught up with her after the show at Villa Wolkonsky to discuss her enthusiasm for conceptual innovation and to find out why fashion should be leading the charge for equality.

Was there any particular thing as a child that inspired you to want to create?

I grew up in a society where I was very much in a minority being mixed race. I looked very different to my friends, so had the choice to either follow cultural stereotypes or embrace who I was, have fun with it and take advantage of my cultural fusion. The decision to take the route of individuation began at a young age – I’d buy fabric from Ikea and make a dress by draping fabric on a mannequin, jazzing it up by adding buttons from my very large vintage buttons collection. Back then, as now, everybody wore the same clothes, and followed the same trends, but I wanted to wear avant-garde interesting clothing and create my own trends, so studying fashion and moving to London and creating my own label was a way to actualise this. I am a creative who is inspired by bringing vision to life first and foremost.

Why did you choose to work in copper and metals?

I always knew that I wanted to work with lots of different materials, not just fabrics, and metal was one of them – I was naturally drawn to the depth and richness of copper, and I love the way that copper can transform into a range of colours, oxidising into blues and greens, and as it ages it mellows. The core essence of my copper work is the creation of a beautiful piece of armour in a sense – something to protect and shield, and how I work the copper comes, for me, to reflect the texture of life. I have a very holistic approach to life, and copper is the element which brings not only health and good luck, but is symbolic of speed and technology and change, all concepts that inspire me.

Who has been your greatest inspiration from the world of art?

That’s hard to answer because I have some many favorite pieces – one of my favorite artists is Ron Arad, I tend to love whatever he produces, whether it be a chair, a hat or a structure in Kings Cross Station. I am also very inspired by sculptural genius of Rachel Whiteread, Barbara Hepworth and Anish Kapoor – artists who challenge the system and fight for change through creating beautiful thought provoking exhibitions and installations.

Talk to us about your teaching – what do you most enjoy about mentoring?

I believe in giving back, whether it is in the field of fashion or beyond, that’s why I teach and also why I participate in events such as those held at Tate Britain where we show hundreds of young people how to sculpt and create for themselves. It is a big way to unlock creativity and stimulate vision. When I speak, I speak openly about the challenges and realities of building a brand, especially in the fashion industry. For too long students have been focused just on the design and creative side but it’s a tough world out there and you need to be prepared and taught how to improve your likelihood to succeed.

What has been the most fulfilling moment for you so far?

I just presented my AW/18 collection at AltaRoma, which was my first solo catwalk since my commercial launch in-front of the international media, supported by the UKDIT with the intention of drawing attention to diversity in fashion and hopefully the world. It was an amazing moment and privilege at so many levels. It’s very different to the kinds of brands often prevalent at AltaRoma. My brand is strong and feminine, but it’s not all about fashion for me. I don’t want to be defined as one thing, I hate boundaries and want the women who wear my clothes, or people who buy my accessories, or eventually drive my boats, even, to personalise and interpret my work so that they feel energised and complete wearing or living with a big or little piece of Sadie Clayton in their lives.

What are the key principles you stick to when designing?

From a fashion perspective, I would say Thierry Mugler, Claude Montana, Alexander McQueen, JPG and Comme des Garcons, as they epitomise a similar aesthetic purity, and, in their own way, stand for similar aspirational objectives for women. From a personal perspective, it was my mother who was instrumental in creating a woman who was hardworking, professional and tenacious. The key design principles I stick to are a strong silhouette, power and elegance. I love power, I love strength, I love ‘wow’, so if I can capture that in my major pieces then the job is done.

Why do feel you want to expand the brand beyond the horizon of fashion?

I just strongly believe that my vision of the world is not just one with a fashion focus. I would love to design the interiors of hotels, or super yachts or furniture, for example. I am passionate about the role of younger creatives in innovation, and I think my brand shows this in the way I have worked with, and continue to explore technology, whether in holographic form, through AI or 3D. Up until now, that has all been focused on fashion but we can always push the boundaries of design through technology and creativity, and I want to champion this.

What is your personal definition of beauty?

I was asked this recently by the Edinburgh Museum of Art. Beauty, for me, is the act of expression of one’s authentic identity – seeing somebody look a certain way, any particular way, that is really expressing their personality is beautiful. We are in a world now where you can wear what you want, and more and more people are taking advantage of that, whether it be in terms of cross dressing or the trend for gender neutral attire, or being wildly eccentric – it’s all a way of expressing who you are.

Photography Anthony Lycett

sadieclayton.co.uk

The Sartorial Army

MYAR founder Andrea Rosso and Port’s David Hellqvist take a closer look at menswear’s fascination with army uniforms and military details, and how the Italian brand is giving vintage pieces a new lease of life

Fashion is all about newness: twice a year we’re supposed to perform a human moulting of sorts by bringing in an entirely new wardrobe. No one does that of course – maybe just the odd new piece, or two – but the concept reflects fashion’s insatiable thirst for novelty. Despite this relentless looking forward, however, a lot of the inspiration for those ‘new’ looks come from the past. Add to that menswear’s constant obsession with army uniforms and military details, and there’s no question about where I’m heading with this.

Andrea Rosso, the founder of MYAR, shares that point of view. Having started 55DSL with his father, Diesel CEO Renzo Rosso, the Italian designer has no shortage of contemporary fashion experience. And MYAR combines Rosso’s Diesel CV with his passionate love for military garments and camouflage. Rosso dedicates his time searching for surplus pieces that can be ‘saved’ and given a new lease of life, as part of his MYAR wardrobe. Re-cut and re-appropriated to suit modern civilian life in terms of fit and silhouette, these garments get to keep their stories and histories while being part of a new narrative.

Not only does it make sense from a sustainability point of view, but it’s a great way of combing the past with the current to create a version of the future. On the back of MYAR’s AW18 presentation in Paris last week, Port quizzed Rosso on his brand, where he finds the stock, and if the connection to danger makes the brand even more interesting.

How would you explain the brand to an outsider?

MYAR, an anagram of ARMY and also my initials, is a brand that brings original military garments back to life. It is more than just a brand, it is an operation; we dig through piles of forgotten dead stock in warehouses around the world and hand pick the pieces we believe are the most special. We take these pieces and give them a modern life.

What is it about army uniforms you like, what attracts you to them?

Within the military dress code every uniform garment is developed through function, not only details but also overall appearance. Uniforms have such a strong visual presence and impression; I like how they make you feel powerful as an individual but also have the sense of belonging in a group. Function and purpose are the best!

What are the advantages of re-tailoring existing uniforms instead of making new designs?

All of these existing items have their own stories and individual mutations, they have past lives worn into them that give them character. Broken and faded areas, cuts and past repairs, dirt and discolouration, new items don’t hold the same character.

What do you look for when going through rails… colour, shape, camo?

I start with an idea in mind, and I’m always looking for colours or patterns that attract me the most. Shape and material are important, then I love going more in depth and looking at construction of details like pockets, collar line, stitching, special trims, and insignia. I already imagine wearing it and so the items pick me. There is always so much I look at, there’s so much chaos in warehouses!

Where do you find them?

Many different military markets and fairs around the world: Italy, south England and, of course, Los Angeles. Also in surprising places like a friend’s garage. 

Is the chase and research as much fun as actually re-making them?

The chase to find something special is so much fun, but the continuous research throughout the entire process is the best. With existing products you have to find the right base. These garments hold so much character, we are considerate and always researching how to remake them in a way that respects their history. For MYAR, remaking does not mean reproducing but instead giving a second life to these original pieces by refitting and readjusting to make them more modern. Seeing the transformation is so beautiful.

What is the process when re-designing them?

We always try everything on, seeing the item being worn is so important, as misshapen or dirty as they come! From here we can really see what to consider. The main thing is the sizes and silhouettes from the past need to be adjusted to a more ‘present’ fit. There can be many ways to reinterpret the original sartorial construction. Sometimes we just adjust, and other times we completely unstitch and resew a piece! We look at adding graphics or ink stamped artworks, applying new but always original trims, considering the best wash or treatment; all garments are uniquely considered.

What country makes your favourite fatigues?

There’s many to chose from: I like British army long trench coats and pink camo gas capes, Italian marine workwear jackets and bike overpants from the 70s. Swiss army salt and pepper work jackets, German cotton underwear, US N3-B jackets in cotton, N1 deck jacket with reflective tape applied and internal parka lining. OK… it’s better if I stop here!

How does Italy fare compared to other nations?

The Italian army has probably lost all wars, but we looked great at least! 

Does the uniform’s connection to danger and death make it more fascinating in a way?

This is a very delicate question, but of course it makes it more interesting. The connotation of war and death is always negative, but as in all things there is always a positive aspect even in a negative scenario. With MYAR we give a second life, a second chance with a positive approach and use.

MYAR

Photography Ramon Zugliani

Levi’s: Made & Crafted

On the back of their Hygge-inspired AW17 collection, Levi’s Made & Crafted designer Nick Rendic spells out the brand’s design DNA and what Iceland has got to do with premium denim

There are instances when a brand becomes the product they make. They define the market in such a holistic way that the brand name is synonymous with one product, even though countless other manufactures sell the same thing. Levi’s, and their world-famous jeans, is a prime example: known and worn all over the world, the jeans have been around since late 19th century, long enough to hammer home a message that simply says: jeans equals Levi’s.

Ironically, such dominance is not without problems and challenges. How do you move on from there? How do you continue to develop and improve the product? When you are world No. 1 it’s easy to rest on your laurels. In the case of Levi’s, the answer – or at least part of the solution – was to push on and elevate the brand. Levi’s Made & Crafted, which originally launched in 2009, is a premium line of Levi’s jeans and apparel that caters to anyone who wants more than a great fit from their jeans.

Like any fashion brand, Made & Crafted and its seasonal collections are built on themes and concepts. Each season, together with the design directors, menswear expert Nick Rendic and womenswear designer Nicolle Arbour look to the world for inspiration. Quite literally. Travel is a big part of the brand as it resonates with the nomadic 21st century lifestyle of its customers. For AW17 the duo went to Iceland and investigated the Nordic Hygge phenomena. The result is a collection of Levi’s staples with added ‘statement pieces’, the type of garments you need in order to add personality to the basic denim foundation of any wardrobe. Here, Nick Rendic explains the reasoning behind the brand and the collection…

What defines Made & Crafted, and makes it different from other Levi’s lines?

Levi’s Made & Crafted acts as a modern expression of the Levi’s brand that stands out as an elevated member of the Levi’s family through styling, price point and placement. We also make our jeans using more elevated construction techniques while making sure the collection is still rooted in classic Levi’s styling.

What is the design process like?

We travel to trendsetting destinations that inspire us to experience firsthand not only the (sometimes extreme) elements but to explore the culture, try the food, meet locals and immerse ourselves in the country. By doing this, we get such a strong sense of the silhouettes we are planning to introduce for each season as well as the textures and fabrics we want to use and how products can be styled. For us, each season, it’s an incredibly humbling yet satisfying experience.

How much is Made & Crafted a denim line, and how much a lifestyle brand? You obviously carry jeans, but it’s not the focus?

This is a collection with the soul of the Levi’s brand: it’s firmly rooted in California and builds on the Levi’s legacy by designing tomorrow’s classics. It’s design-obsessed. Levi’s Made & Crafted embodies artful construction and elevated details and of course denim is always a focus. We have our own proprietary Indigo selvedge and our own sundries, a blue tab, distinctive back patch as well as a hidden arcuate which reveals itself as you wear in the denim: it builds upon the notion that denim gets better with age. We also use the finest construction techniques and materials. For example, our denim comes from Japan’s renowned Kaihara and Nishinbo Mills and the Orta Mill in Turkey and Candiani in Italy.

What was the thinking behind the AW17 season?

It started by exploring the art of the everyday and its attitude: Hygge, a Nordic term evoking a sense of total ease and community rooted in coziness. Exploring this further, the collection sought inspiration in Iceland, which is known as the land of ice and fire.

What does Hygge mean to you?

For me, Hygge is the art of building sanctuary and community to create well-being, connection & warmth. Hygge is about celebrating the everyday in total ease and enjoying the good life – comfort as a whole.

How was that worked into the clothing?

We were charmed by the attitude of Hygge and Iceland captured our imagination with its mystical and otherworldly essence, so we poured that into the collection. From mossy hills and steaming springs to volcanic terrain and soft, snowy glaciers, these are some of Iceland’s awe-inspiring extreme elements that are reflected in the colours and textures of the collection. Icy blues and crisp blacks set the tone for a beautiful range of denim with heavyweight fabrications for an authentic feel and wool blends add texture. In tops, cotton cashmere knits and fleece exemplify premium quality and luxury fabrication. Further Nordic details come from organic indigo dyed embroidery that mimics the snow flowers of Iceland.

 

 

Made & Crafted is seasonal, but would you describe it as fashion, or style?

It’s a mixture of style and heritage! We take what everybody knows and loves about the Levi’s brand and celebrate it in an updated way. We utilise a heightened level of craftsmanship and mix it with more progressive silhouettes and premium fabrications. Artful construction, elevated details rooted in California. This is the mission of Levi’s Made & Crafted.

What item best sums up the season?

I wouldn’t go for just one item but a complete look to sum up this season’s collection: Our tack slim jean is my favourite. It’s such a great-fitting pair of jeans that sits at the waist with a tapered leg for an exceptionally clean look. On top, our cotton cashmere T-shirts – I never want to take them off, they’re so good – and the shawl collar Sherpa Trucker fuses nostalgia and modernity.

Levi’s Made & Crafted A/W collection is available now

Posturing: Photographing the Body

Helena Fletcher talks to Holly Hay and Shonagh Marshall, curators of a new exhibition that documents a change in aesthetic representations of the body 

Photograph by Reto Schmid from Lurve Magazine, Issue 10, Spring/Summer 2016

Over the last decade there has been a remarkable shift in the approach to representing the body in fashion photography. A new generation of contemporary image-makers have been part of a movement of remarkably playful gestures, postures and poses, and a new exhibition, co-curated by Holly Hay, an independent image director and art buyer, and curator Shonagh Marshall – investigates this off-piste and tongue-in-cheek approach to the human form.

Photograph by Marton Perlaki, ‘Female Torso’ from L’imparfaite Magazine, 2014

“The idea for the project started with a real shift that Shonagh had noticed in the way that gesture and pose had been explored in contemporary fashion images,” Hay tells me. “It made me realise the images I was commissioning at AnOther had a really playful approach to the body and its placement. There had been a movement away from more sexualised or fantastical images and the clothing being exhibited on the body in a conventional way.”

Posturing: Photographing the Body in Fashion consists of nearly 50 photographs that fill the whitewashed walls of 10 Thurloe Place, an empty retail space almost directly across the road from the V&A museum in London’s South Kensington. With a focus on the female body, the images on display are taken from editorials shot over the last seven years for publications such as i-D, AnOther, Self-Service and Dazed & Confused.

Photograph by Pascal Gambarte, from Marfa Journal, Issue 6, November 2016

“There’s a real tongue-in-cheek humour around these images, but that’s not to say the photographers are any less serious about their work,” says Marshall. “They just see a space to have fun rather than having a serious approach to fashion, I think they see the lightness in it.”

“The photographers chosen all have a very specific and very dedicated approach to the body in their work,” continues Hay. “It was really important that this approach to the body sung through all of their work, from their personal practice and commissions for magazines through to advertising and so on.”

Photograph by Brianna Capozzi, ‘Laura Ashley’ from Double Magazine, Autumn/Winter 2016

Exhibitions of fashion photography can tend to take the form of retrospectives or singular monographs of a photographer’s career, often presenting the images as the autonomous creation of the photographer. But collaboration is key to the creation of the images exhibited in Posturing. “Instead of employing a model, the photographers really think of their characters as a collaborator and they are as much part of the making of the image as say the hair, makeup and styling, and that feels quite different,” says Marshall. “It’s a group of people coming together to make an image rather than just a photographer on an independent journey.”

Photograph by Blommers & Schumm, ‘Navy’ from The Gentlewomen, Autumn/Winter 2010

Reflecting this, the curation of Posturing takes a more comprehensive approach. The exhibition is divided into six sections inspired by a shoot call sheet: styling, casting, location, set design, hair and make-up, and layout, and the accompanying captions credit not only the photographer and the publication, but names of the other collaborators where applicable.

“Although we have created something very traditional in the initial display, the hang is very odd,” laughs Marshall. “The introductory panel, for example, is across a mirror and we allude to Lena C. Emery’s ‘Practice’, the naked yoga shoot. Her image is reflected in the mirror behind and so from the very beginning it asks you to use your body to look at the work.”

Photograph by Lena C. Emery, ‘The Practice’ from The Gentlewoman, Spring/Summer 2014

The exhibition comes as the premier offering of The Ground Floor Project, Hay and Marshall’s initiative founded earlier this year, and the first instalment of three-part project created in collaboration and with the support of luxury online retailer, The Outnet. The second segment, Filming the Body, takes the form of a film specially commissioned by the pair, which will be launched with a screening event at Miami Art Basel. The third and final realisation, a book titled Posturing: Writing the Body in Fashion, launched in conjunction with Art Basel at an event in Hong Kong and available from March 2018.

Posturing: The Body in Fashion Photography is open to the public at 10 Thurloe Place, from 2-12 November, 2017.

A Quiet Revolution: dunhill AW17

Shot for dunhill by Port Creative, we reflect on the reimagined classics and relaxed shapes of the iconic brand’s Autumn Winter 2017 collection

The history of the men’s luxury retail brand dunhill has been one of constant reinvention. Founded after Alfred Dunhill inherited his father’s saddlery business in 1893 at the age of 21, the company began by offering a range of accessories deigned to capitalise on the burgeoning automobile industry, including leather overcoats, goggles and car horns. From there Dunhill moved into tobacco, patenting the ‘Windsheild Pipe’ in 1904, allowing drivers to smoke in their open top cars, and opening a tobacconists in Mayfair that became popular with the Gentlemen’s clubs in the area.

Since then, dunhill has gradually diversified and expanded to become one of the most recognisable British luxury brands operating today, and their latest reinvention this season comes courtesy of Mark Weston. Having joined dunhill as creative director earlier in the year from Burberry, where he worked as senior vice president of menswear, Weston promised “a new vision” for the brand. And it’s a vision borne out in a collection, where outerwear has been reimagined for contempoary living – overcoats having been relaxed and tailored to be suited more casual settings, and down-filled outerwear and multi-functional parkas have been teamed with suede tennis shoes to meet the demands of an active, modern lifestyle.

Evening wear, too, has been rethought, with dark chocolate velvets revitalising classic styles, while knitted merino blousons have been topped with fur-trimmed collars and paired with the ever-essential English Chelsea boot.

Together with the relaxed, casual approach to Spring Summer, dunhill is entering a new era – breaking new ground while staying true to their history by refusing to stagnate. Self-assured and confident, understated and elevated, it’s a move that is perfectly encapsulated in their collection, and bodes well for the future of Weston’s time at the brand’s helm.

https://www.dunhill.com/gb

Amsterdamøya: Where the Streets Have No Name

Port’s fashion features editor, David Hellqvist, reflects on an unusual journey to the remote Arctic archipelago of Svalbard to shoot Scotch & Soda’s A/W 17 collection

There are at least 12 places in the world called Amsterdam – but ask around and most people will only know one: the Dutch capital. Other Amsterdams include a town in eastern South Africa, a remote village in Ohio, USA, and a French island smack in the middle of the Indian Ocean. But the most outlandish one, the trickiest to reach and, ultimately, to survive on, is Amsterdamøya, a small island close to the North Pole.

Part of the Svalbard archipelago, Amsterdamøya is today Norwegian territory, but the island was discovered by Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz in 1596. Svalbard covers a relatively small area: it’s roughly the same size as Ireland, but its hostile weather condition and remote location a mere 650 miles from the absolute top of the world, means only 2,500 people reside here.

I’m writing this from the canteen on M/S Gamle Mårøy, a 199-ton boat anchored just off the Amsterdamøya coastline. No one lives on the island, except for polar bears and walruses. We’re here because Dutch brand Scotch & Soda have dispatched a film crew to the northern hemisphere’s rooftop to shoot its Autumn Winter 2017 campaign. I’m tagging along to observe and document the expedition. It’s a long journey, in more ways than one. Not only have people travelled far to come here but it’s a diverse group of individuals to start with: I count French, Turkish, Swedish, Lithuanian, Romanian, Brazilian, Portuguese, Norwegian and, of course, Dutch nationalities among the directors, photographers, technicians, stylists, assistants, guides and models.

Built in 1959 to ferry people around the local villages of northern Norway, Gamle Mårøy dutifully carries us between fierce icebergs and desolate beaches decorated with stranded logs that have floated all the way from Siberia. We eat and sleep on the boat; altogether there’s 26 of us onboard, plus the six-man crew. The sailors, all serious and experienced seamen, have had to get used to living with make-up, hair straighteners and drones scattered all over the boat. It is, to say the least, a trip defined by organised chaos.

But in a way, the whole set-up is ‘on brand’ for Scotch & Soda. The Amsterdam-based label (the Dutch Amsterdam, that is) favours an eclectic mishmash attitude to fashion: different eras, places and cultures are merged into collections that speak of a sartorial freedom, as well as a ‘free mind’. If that sounds a bit ‘happy hippy’ it’s because Scotch & Soda is a spontaneous brand, not afraid to see where the wind them. It’s a brand of the world, and for the world. And in this case, it’s taken us to Amsterdamøya because Scotch & Soda firmly believes that Amsterdam can be everywhere; it’s about more than just canals, bikes and clogs. Travelling is about the journey not the destination, as the old saying goes.

Though when you’re at Latitude 79˚ 45.403’ N and Longitude 11˚ 00.819’ E, a metaphorical stone’s throw from the actual North Pole, the destination does have some impact – especially for the four armed guards that are here to protect us from attacking polar bears. We never see a bear but we get close to a group of walruses resting on the beach, and on our way out we spot whales in the distance. Here you see animals you only read about in books.

The models are not necessarily dressed for this sub-zero climate (there’s no Gore-Tex or fleece, instead the Scotch & Soda garments are layered up to keep them warm and dry) but it doesn’t matter: “You’re living on this island, but only in your dreams,” the photographer says to one model when explaining the character he’s playing. Loosely, the models take on the roles of explorers and adventurers, all characters in Scotch & Soda’s AW17 universe. It’s not for real – but the place, the climate and the island of Amsterdamøya are very much real. Here, there’s tension between fiction and reality; the role-play is acted out but there are potential real life consequences. The Arctic can be merciless; it doesn’t take prisoners.

Scotch & Soda could have filmed this elsewhere and just called it Amsterdamøya. Iceland, for example, is a lot closer to home and it looks similar in certain places. They could even have used a green screen in a studio to add the effect of Svalbard’s brutally monochrome landscape. We’ve made the journey because there are certain things you can’t fake; one morning, while filming on Gamle Mårøy’s upper deck, it starts snowing. Heavy flakes bounce off the rolling waves and soon cover the boat. Sure, it’s July but this is the Arctic – normal rules do not apply here. But even in the toughest of circumstances the film crew pushes on: Paolo Martins, Scotch & Soda’s art director, calls it “a sensible nonsense”. It’s a state of mind, the ability to make something out of nothing. 

To reach Amsterdamøya you first fly into Longyearbyen, the biggest town on Svalbard. It’s the world’s northernmost airport for commercial airlines. From Oslo, it’s a three-hour flight, but it’s worth it just to fly in over the mountaintops, fjords and glacier. The town sits on the east coast of Isfjorden, and when I land, at 1am, it’s as light as lunchtime. It takes some time getting used to, but we’re all happy we’re here in the summertime, rather then in deepest winter when you never see daylight and you need a headlamp to go to the supermarket. Longyearbyen is beautiful place, in an eerie way. A lot of the area is classed as a cultural landmark and there’s lots of abandoned equipment scattered around from when the island was a vital centre for coal mining.

But Svalbard’s mining days are long gone. Today, tourism is a big part of the financial eco-system up here and Ny-Ålesund, another Svalbard village, houses a research lab for 150 international scientists, which keeps the economy going. It’s here on Svalbard that the Global Seed Vault store a million seeds from all over the world in case a global emergency wipes out the existing ones. Its closeness to the Pole is also of interest to the Russians, who all live in a separate settlement on the island called Barentsburg.

The remoteness here is intense, and once we‘re on Amsterdamøya the silence is deafening. The only thing that brings back reality, except for the hushed chitchat among the crew, is the roaring diesel engine onboard Gamle Mårøy as she slices through the waves on the 17-hour trip back to Longyearbyen.

At the breakfast table on Gamle Mårøy there are ongoing production meetings and creative meetings; the film crew plot their storyboard while the print photographer works out who can have what model and when. At the back, the kitchen crew is still laying out breakfast while simultaneously preparing snacks for the film crew stepping ashore, and planning tonight’s dinner. The food cooked by the chef is local, fresh and tasty; we eat red snapper fish, deer and elk – we even try seal meat. It’s like a small-scale society on the boat, governed by Captain Odd Oliver Torkildsen. Everyone has a specific job that’s carried out with precision – there’s no room for mistakes.

Inside the canteen it’s warm and cosy, but on Amsterdamøya there’s mostly wet moss and endless mountain peaks covered in snow and ice. Looking around, you sometime see another boat on the horizon, perhaps a fishing trawler, but there are no other fashion brands out here, that’s for sure. As the film crew covers yet another scene, the rest of us wander off to admire a group of beached walruses. In the water they are surprisingly agile but on land they can only crawl a few metres before having to lie down for a long break.

The Scotch & Soda brand, although over 30 years old, is like a curious and creative kid. Their want for adventure and discovery is a beautiful and child-like quality, which makes for playful clothes with a relaxed aesthetic. You can tell endless trips and adventures inspire and shape the collection. And when you’re shooting your campaign in the majestic shadow of a glacier you can’t help feel proud of Amsterdam, whatever Amsterdam you happen to find yourself in.

Photography Elizabeth Toll