1205 AW11

We have long been interested in the interplay between the social constructs of masculinity with style and menswear. On a number of occassions we have attempted to explore the myriad of influences on how men dress but tend to struggle. Thankfully a number of designers are posing and examining the questions for us and the resulting collections are full of variety and interest. Paul Garbase eloquently explores the tension between masculinity and femininity in everything she designs. She manages to capture both the femininity inside very masculine garments and the masculinity inside more feminine pieces. Now, we first introduced her label 1205 back in April last year and have kept an interested eye on the designer ever since. Fresh after the widely acclaimed debut unveiling of her designs for Woolrich Black Label during New York Fashion Week, the designer has returned to London to reveal 1205's AW11 collection. 

Once again, regardless of gender, this 1205 collection showcases Gerbase’s trademark sensitive use of luxury fabrics and erudite pattern construction for a modern, contemporary muse. When I spoke to the design talent about the evolution of the label last year, she professed that it was a natural progression from what she had learned in pure tailoring and signaled a return to her original design passion. Having learned the strict rules of tailoring at Hardy Amies and Kilgour alike, Gerbase is now in the knowledgeable position to ignore a few of them along the way. Her mantra of "I think if something is well made and the fabric is great then it should not matter whose wearing it" still echoes in my ears as I admire the latest collection...

Look book images supplied by 1205
Photography: Ben Dunbar-Brunton. Art Direction: Paula Gerbase. Styling: Jakob Brondum

The balance between menswear and womenswear or masculine and feminine has been an intriguing and thought provoking facet of each of her collections. Here, Gerbase plays with fabric in a menswear way for women and experiments in a womenswear way with cutting.  As a consequence of her menswear and couture training, quality of cut and fabric are paramount in Gerbase’s designs. The design process begins with fabric, looking at everything in a microscopic way, resulting in a unique, modern, almost clinical point of view.

For AW11, the designer has looked towards creating texture and pairing more functional fabrics with traditional fabrics. A combination of the finest English, Swiss and Italian fabrics. Earlier this week I was invited to see the latest collection of menswear, womenswear and unisex pieces at her studio space in Bloomsbury and could not resist taking a few detail shots. We have long declared that the real beauty of menswear is in the details and will never tire of taking the time to celebrate the finer details of men's style. Here, Gerbase experiments with fabric combinations and cut to create timeless and utilitarian clothing which is detail rich for both sexes.

Deatil shots of a number of items that caught my eye.

With each season you only ever really encounter a handful of collections which leave you truly excited, inspired and questioning your own current wardrobe. The return of Paula Gerbase's 1205 is certainly one for AW11. Building on the success of her first two collections and her work with Woolrich Black Label, I'm sure 2011 is going to be an even bigger year for this design talent.