Subscribe to Port Magazine annually and receive each issue to your door.
Get PORT in printSubscribe to Port Magazine annually and receive each issue to your door.
Get PORT in printThe British designer enlisted a skilled gymnastic troupe to showcase his latest tailoring collection inside the Hauser and Wirth gallery
Follow our coverage of London Collections: Men.
Illustration by Clara Lacy
Belstaff’s vice president of design Frederik Dyhr explains the background to the biker brand’s signature Heycroft jacket
“The Heycroft jacket is a brand new style for AW15 and really embodies the ‘ton-up’ theme of the collection. Just as the ‘ton-up boys’ of the 1950s would customise their bikes in order to push the limits of speed, they would also customise their jackets to define their unique personalities and riding affiliations. The hand-painted leather logo and phoenix symbol represent this.
“The Haycroft mixes materials with hand painted white leather sitting along side black hand waxed cotton, keeping the look monochrome and modern. The two fabrics sit alongside each other in the classic Belstaff four pocket jacket style, the protective quilting on the shoulders and elbows adds the moto edge, which is synonymous with Belstaff. The large hand painted Phoenix symbol on the back is inspired by the Ton Up jackets of the era and adds a unique edge to the jacket.”
Watch our exclusive trailer of The Greasy Hands Preachers – the Belstaff-sponsored biker film by Clement Beauvais and Arthur de Kersauson.
Photographer Morgan O’Donovan documents John Ray’s first London Collections: Men show
Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Harry Diamond and Lucian Freud. These artists pretty much embody British art and photography from the mid-20th century. Their work summarises the post-war era; their distinctive styles defined a generation. And today it’s not only their art that inspires a new generation, but also the clothes. A case in point is the latest collection from Dunhill. Creative director John Ray seems to have gone back in time, to 1950s Soho when the British equivalent of the US Beat Generation dominated London’s creative scene.
Dunhill’s AW15 collection, as these exclusive images show, proves that in order to design the future we need to understand our history.
Photography by Morgan O’Donovan
John Lobb’s new creative director, Paula Gerbase, unveils her influences for the upcoming footwear season
“In 1851, a farmer’s son by the name of John Lobb set foot on what was to become an exceptional journey of accomplishment. Aged 22, Lobb left his home in rural Cornwall and walked to London carried only by his handmade boots. The John Lobb AW15 collection celebrates the legacy of Lobb’s heroic walk as the label strides towards the future. The AW15 presentation aims to both recreate and deconstruct the natural journey experienced by John Lobb, focusing on motion and the experience of a singular solitary walk.”
The experienced menswear designer continued to refine her sub-cultural silhouette with subtle checks and high-tech sportswear fabrics
Illustration by Clara Lacy
Soulland co-founder Silas Adler on his first ever London presentation and attempting to create a sixth sense
“Manifesto, this is what we want to see happen.”
That’s how Talib Kweli starts his track, Manifesto, from Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1, a compilation released on Rawkus Records in 1998.
If you know more than two of the first words from the lyric above, there’s a good chance that you were into hip-hop and vinyl culture around the end of the 90s. I was, for sure! The first line always pops up in my head whenever I hear the word manifesto. But this January at London Collections: Men, Kweli’s line will have a completely new meaning to me.
For me, clothing and its presentation is all about senses. The vision comes first. Being able to see the clothing as a spectator is a given, but right after that comes the sense of feeling. What you see is automatically connected with the experience you have when feeling stuff. Raw denim is… well, raw; a chunky knit can feel foamy and soft, while a technical jacket can make you feel like you’re wearing a piece of paper. You see, you digest, you feel. Even without feeling… there is hearing. Your ears and the sounds that go into them can trigger so many emotions, and it can often come crawling from behind. Hard techno with a high BPM count gets your heart pumping and makes you feel energised – or maybe even stressed – while classical music can make you emotional, calm or perhaps even bored. All those musical references you have built up throughout your entire life are in your mind somewhere and that can also reflect your different emotions. Sounds can even change your body temperature. Your sense of smell and sense of taste are said to be less active while at a fashion shows… but are they really?
All these emotions mixed together become the endorphins that turn into joy. At times, the sensation of an amazing show can give you the feeling of being madly in love. It can also turn in to the complete opposite – the feeling of wanting to get the fuck out of there.
“The sensation of an amazing show can give you the
feeling of being madly in love”
I had a vision.
What if I could trigger all these emotions, senses and feelings? What if I could create a sixth sense? What if there could be an element that was both present and not present? Here, we go back to where all this blabbering begun. Kweli’s manifesto was based on what he wanted to see happen. In turn, mine is what I want you to see and not see. I don’t quite get it myself. But my iPhone in combination with the application that we’ve developed does… that is the sixty sense for our presentation.
So why is this manifesto not about the collection? Because the clothing should speak for itself.
Photography by Sascha Oda
As London Collections: Men kicks off, Barbour’s head of menswear Ian Bergin unveils his inspiration and explains why the British brand is about more than waxed coats
Barbour is one of Britain’s classic brands, bridging the gap between heritage and contemporary menswear. The South Shields label has found a natural home in a 21st century urban environment, as well as in the countryside, and is no longer just a staple for well-dressed farmers. Known for its waxed-cotton jackets, the 121-year-old company is now keen to showcase its other pieces, be it tops, trousers and even footwear. Ahead of the debut of its AW15 collection at LC:M, Barbour’s head of menswear, Ian Bergin, made it clear that the brand won’t rest on its laurels.
“The Heritage Tweed collection takes its inspiration from the 1919 Barbour catalogue where ‘Donegal Homespuns’ tweed is referred to as a ‘lasting friend.’ In this collection, Barbour demonstrates how its in-house design team incorporates the brand’s rich history into contemporary pieces relevant to today’s consumer,” Bergin says.
“By teaming this collection with pieces from the brand’s Core Essentials range, the presentation becomes the best of Barbour – strong, coordinated head-to-toe looks. It’s no longer just about outerwear.”
To further reinforce that point, Barbour will today present the follow-up season to its SS15 collaboration with the Japanese brand White Mountaineering.
Watch our exclusive Barbour Originals film.