On Saturday 9 January 2016, modern British shirt maker Thomas Pink - part of the Moet Hennessey Louis Vuitton group - unveiled Autumn/Winter 16 at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, as part of London Collections Men.
The new season takes inspiration from the romance and refuge of the British coast and countryside, uniting city-dwellers with the urgency for rural escape.
It extracts inspiration from local architecture, industry and environment - exploring built and natural elements we Brits have cultivated on our island nation: from royal retreats to the homespun craft of village industry.
Frederik Willems, Head of Design at Thomas Pink, says; “The collection takes us on a sartorial journey around the UK, visiting some our best-loved coastal towns - from Brighton with its resplendent Royal Pavilion, to Padstow and the Isle of Skye with their rugged coastlines.”
Colour plays a hugely prominent role in Thomas Pink’s Autumn/Winter 16 collection, and to highlight the five key hues of the season - cranberry, navy blue, forest green, mustard and turquoise - the modern British shirt maker showcased looks against impactful block colour screens in corresponding colours.
Florence Torrens, Creative Director at Thomas Pink, says; “The inspiration for this season’s show comes from architect Luis Barragan. Block colour in different planes was a feature of many of his buildings and designs and offered an interesting solution to displaying the collection against the highpoints of colour which run through the season.”
Models wore knitted hats from Johnstons of Elgin, eyewear from EB Meyrowitz and slippers from George Cleverley.
Guests enjoyed G+Ts made using Williams Chase British gin.
T.M.Lewin is opening its new flagship store on London’s Oxford Street, just in time to catch all the last minute festive gift hunters on London’s busiest and most famous shopping street.
Launching as a pop up in the week before Christmas, the new-look T.M.Lewin, Oxford Street will become a permanent fixture in the new year, when the fully refitted store launches officially.
Designed to compliment the 100 year-old brand’s ever-evolving collection of formal shirts,tailoring, casualwear, accessories and womenswear, the latest Lewin store is packed with new contemporary fittings and fixtures, giving London’s latest shopping destination a very fresh modern-classic feel.
The launch on Oxford Street marks the latest exciting development for the British multichannel retailer, which now operates 90 stores across the UK, a thriving online business and over 60 stores internationally.
Brian Clarke admits fashion is in his blood. As a teenager he loved to interpret street fashion and create his own style. The next obvious step was to take this creativity and learn how to make his own designs. So Brian registered at the London College of Fashion to study how to design light clothing and pattern cutting. After completing his studies, Brian worked at Berman’s & Nathan’s theatrical costumiers, honing his bespoke tailoring skills. Here he worked on costumes for Colditz, Superman and all the BBC series, but promises his own collections will not include wearing underpants over tights! However, it was when he worked as assistant designer/pattern cutter for Katherine Hamnett that a passion for fashion really got to him.
After several years of hands-on experience, Brian eventually decided to go it alone. His first independent forays found him styling and designing clothes for pop videos for numerous bands- Jackie Graham, David Grant, Imagination and Spandau ballet to name a few. He also set up a pattern cutting, sample making and small production service for emerging designer labels which included Stephen Linard, Duffer of St. George, John Giuliano, Joe Casely Hayford and Nigel Hall. But an eye for a strong commercial presence was to reveal bigger ambitions. Brian soon had his own flourishing line, stocking many of the capital’s trendier boutiques. It was then he decided to open his eponymous store in London’s Soho stocking his own name label.
The store was more than just a shop; it rapidly became a social institution for slick dressers from the worlds of film, music, art and the city of all whom were looking for the inimitable BC style. It was an instant winner and encouraged others to tap into Brian’s design talents. Deals from Japan notably Dep International - soon followed. This is when Brian had to make an agonising choice of keeping his store open or go to Japan and accept the deal to work for one of the leading young fashion companies there. Brian decided to take the offer in Japan where he could accrue more experience in fashion design. But he never gave up the idea of continuing with a London store and now he’s back after five years ready to open his new store in the West End early in the New Year. In some ways he’s come full circle, employing the artistry of the bespoke skills he learnt at the beginning in his stylish and subtle tailoring. It’s what he does best, and his return to fashion is not a moment too soon
For his spring/summer 2010 collection, Brian has used mainly crisp cotton and linen in cool blues, stone and white. For his dark dinner suit he has used a blend of wool and silk, and for the guys who don’t do plain – a broqueted jacket in black.
Brian has applied to show his new collection at next year’s London Fashion Week in February, so don’t forget to visit him there. Until his store opens, you can buy by contacting Brian via his website: www.brianclarkeclothing.com
