Turnbull & Asser SS16 at London Collections:Men

When a creative team contains my favourite tie maker, the ever-dapper Shaun Gordon, and Dean Gomilsek-Cole, who helped me recently on an article I wrote for The Rake, I expect it to produce something special. T&A's SS16 collection was a highlight of London Collections:Men, one with its roots in the classic, but which had so many original and creative elements, yet was still a very wearable assembly of menswear. I would have happily left with most of the clothes on display.

Classic shapes given a modern twist with interesting mixes of shapes, cheerful checks, colours and textures, all with the best fabrics to complement these characteristics. These are ideal for men of style of whatever age and I hope to see more of these clothes this year and to report back further. Turnbull & Asser.

For a report on my recent visit to their shirt factory, click here.

Grey Fox talks to Oliver Spencer about his SS16 collection and the future of style

Oliver Spencer's designs are favourites of mine as they straddle the gap between very classic menswear and something a little original and exciting. For SS16 they have brought together a wide range of colours and styles in 'Harmonious Discord' with muted colours and modern shapes and textures. While not everything will be for everybody (when is it?) there is always something for the slightly more adventurous man of style. He is also one of the very few using grey-haired models, reassuring us that the clothes are for all men.

Read below what Oliver Spencer told me about his SS16 collection.

Oliver Spencer SS16

Oliver Spencer SS16

GF. What’s the theme for the SS16 collection shown at this LC:M?

OS. The  theme for SS16 came from the work of sculptor Richard Serra. I've interpreted his use of non-traditional materials by using a wide selection of textures, colours and lines. The collection includes a lot of new styles, as well as checks, tartans, florals and stripes. There's a lot of summer tailoring as well as an eclectic mix of fabrics and colours layered up.

GF. Your show is one of the few that includes models with a few grey hairs. Is this a deliberate policy? How do you select your models?

OS. Absolutely. It's all about having a cross section of interesting people. I want models with character.

GF. What sort of man do you design for? Are you thinking of a certain age, interest or style?

OS. I'd say he's an independent-thinking, informed guy who's not necessarily after the most obvious things in life.

GF. You make some of your clothes in the UK. What is your view on making menswear in the UK?

OS. If the garment fits with the factory, then I will absolutely manufacture in the UK. If it's the best place for that specific item to be made - then I make it there.

GF. What major changes do you see to menswear styles over the next year or two? For example, are skinny fits on the way out – what styles will be filtering through to the high street?

OS. I think we're going to see more 'boxy' fits, with cleaner, straighter lines. I think things will get more interesting and more unusual.

See Oliver Spencer to see and buy.

Oliver Spencer SS16

London Collections:Men, an overview of SS16

The diversity of styles on show at London Collections:Men earlier month showed the richness of the British Menswear market. I was looking for clothes that I like, or which might appeal to the older man; meaning good tailoring and well-made casual wear that is different, but not extreme. Most brands used young models to show their clothes, giving the older man little chance to see the possibilities, so well done to Duchamp (below) for showing models with grey hair. (See here my recent post on this topic).

Duchamp SS16

The variety of menswear on show makes spotting trends, so loved by newspaper fashion editors, very hard to do. My earlier prediction of looser cuts and the demise of skinny-fit trousers was accurate, but slim-fits (unloved by many older men) are still here. Double-breasted jackets, ties, pocket squares, Harrington or safari jackets and chunky shoes give a fair overview of the looks for next year. Evening and party wear becomes more varied. Overall, colours remain rich but muted, without the splashes of colour we saw last year - not that this will stop you adding colour in shirts, ties, pocket squares etc.

Here are a few of the many brands that caught my eye with links to their websites (I'll look at Oliver Spencer and Turnbull & Asser in separate posts). The products shown here will be for sale next summer (SS16).  For more information, see London Collections:Men.

     

Duchamp's use of beautiful fabrics made their SS16 collection stand out for me. The feel of a suit or jacket is so important and emphasis has been placed by Duchamp on the tactile nature of the materials. As usual, the tailoring is immaculate with a wide range of lapel and button styles to suit all tastes for day or evening wear. 

Duchamp SS16

Hardy Amies is one of the traditional Savile Row brands that is reinventing itself. I have heard complaints about this trend to streamline and update such labels, but to me it makes sense. A man of style needs a choice and the businesses that are moving forward and exploring new horizons provide the richness that is needed to prevent stagnation. Hardy Amies, Kilgour and a few others are part of this. They are not replacing classic tailoring, but updating it for the modern man. The Hardy Amies SS16 show did this to perfection. 

Private White VC's offering gains in maturity and style with each season. Moving away from pure workwear style, this autumn see suits and the tailoring theme continues in their SS16 collection here. Remember, these are made in Manchester, reason enough to support this exciting brand.

Private White VC SS16

Nigel Cabourn is another British-made label. The vintage military/explorer/outdoor themes rely on recreating the genuine durability and quality found in original clothing of that type. I'm keen to explore further and hope to feature their clothes in more detail later this year. No sharply tailored evening suits here - this is for practical smart casual.

Nigel Cabourn SS16

Universal Works 'Not Another Catwalk' show was one of the most enjoyable and original presentations of LC:M and typical of the creative style of this brand. The aim is to make clothes that people want to wear, retaining a British feel with comfortable casual wear which has a distinct workwear feel to it. Clothes for every man, you can wear them, rather than vice versa.

Universal Works SS16

Chester Barrie is a brand that my generation associates with grey high street tailoring, so I was quite unprepared for the superbly updated classic styles on show in their SS16 collection. Seersucker, silk blends, sharply-shaped lapels and everything from casual to evening wear interpreted in an interesting way. These themes are less extreme than Hardy Amies, so their quiet classic 'with a twist' style will suit many Grey Fox readers. One to explore at a future date. I was unable to obtain any images in time from them, so here is one I took on my phone of a rather nice seersucker suit.

Gieves & Hawkes is, in common with others on Savile Row, updating its image and styles while retaining the sharp and tailored look that we associate with this very British-style brand. The  casual look and the suit below are typical of SS16's snappy, colourful looks.