Illustrating Menswear Day SS11: Lou Dalton

For SS11 Lou Dalton took inspiration from the nomadic lifestyle and the unconformity of the Romany people whilst giving a nod to the work of D.H Lawrence and Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. A sense of travel and fascination with different cultures was a common theme of Menswear Day and Dalton was particular taken with a nomadic lifestyle. There was a definite sense of crumpled classics throughout the presentation. Each garment, while showcasing Dalton's signature craftsmanship had a lived in quality. A life on the road doesn't allow for much other than essentials. However, the make do amend attitude of their threadbare clothes does not detract from the eccentricity of an aesthetic which is full of passion and pride for their cultural identity. The traveling life forgoes luxury, yet the utilitarian functionality of their garments embrace the breadth of cultural diversity encountered along the road. With a magpie's eye for detail, simple wears have life breathed in to them as Dalton draws on influences from their wide travels, from India through to North America and onwards through Europe. Throughout the collection there is the sense of a traveller, picking up and adapting things to suit his lifestyle along the way. As the grey damp skies loom over the city this collection and the lifestyle is celebrates are pretty inviting. Once again, Lauren Macaulay's illustrations help bring the collection to life...

Illustrations by Lauren Macaulay.