A familiar sight for my green eyes...

Casely-Hayford AW10. Plaited leather sits on top of padded leather to create a biker jacket bursting with protection and style.

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to take a sneak peek at Casely-Hayford AW10 after I was invited to The Showroom Next Door. The Touba Distribution curated showroom allowed me the opportunity to inspect and salivate over a few of my favourite brands and introduced me to a few new ones. I spent the best part of two hours fully immersing myself in the new collections of Mr. Hare, Casely-Hayford, H by Harris and Bruno Chaussingnand before being acquainted with Japanese denim specialist Sable Clutch and amazing knitwear by The Inoue Brothers. After my first post, I returned to the the Showroom to show EJ the items that I have been obsessing about ever since my first visit. In recent weeks I've had a recurring dream that sees me wake up inside of the showroom and everything was mine. The space becomes my ultimate wardrobe and I can choose between The Inoue Brothers' hand knit chunky bubble cardigans or Casely-Hayford's military influenced outerwear. Unfortunately the dream always ends the same. I awake and my bleary eyes are greeted with a view of my messy room that houses none of these fabulous items.

The object of my obsession and fascination.

A number of labels attempt to combine a street and sport aesthetic with formal tailoring but very few truly pull it off. Casely-Hayford are leading the few who have done just that throughout their first three collections. Men's tailoring has certainly moved on since the days of the Duke of Windsor, and although he is a great inspiration and a foundation for the brand, the modern sartorialist has a different appetite. The modern sartorialist's requirements, desires, and practical needs have been drawn towards this synergy between the formal and athletic. For AW10, the design duo include the requirement and need for protection. The leather and wool biker jacket took my breath away the moment I saw it and it embodies this new element to the design mix wonderfully. The military influences can be seen in the battle friendly palette and the armour like finishing. I love the shoulder detailing in particular and I've never seen anything quite like it before. Plaited leather sitting atop padded leather to create a biker jacket bursting with protection and style in equal measure.

A familiar sight. A close up of John's leather biker jacket from Gieves & Hawkes

I've since been waxing lyrical to anyone who would listen about the latest object of my obsessions and this led to one of my friends, John Howard Little, taunting me with the revelation that he owns a Gieves & Hawkes leather biker jacket possessing a number of similar key features. Regular readers and style buffs will know that Joe Casely-Hayford is the former Creative Director Gieves & Hawkes and has been justifiably credited for bringing the Savile Row company into the twenty first century. As John's jacket is a few years old I would not be too surprised if Joe had a hand in its design. If I were not jealous enough, he then proceeded to run salt in to the wounds surrounding my green eyes by conceding that the jacket was a complete bargain because he managed to pick it up from Bicester Village a few years ago for £100. It was 90% off from the original price. I've been meaning to make my way to this outlet shopping mecca for some time now and this is the final kick I needed to make my first excited trip to discount shopping paradise. John worse the jacket out yesterday and I could not resist taking a few shots of the object of my envy. Still, I always have my dreams. One day that Casely-Hayford jacket will be mine but in the meantime I am planning a weekend jaunt to Bicester Village.

John modelling his bargain jacket.

Magazines In The Spotlight...Dapper Dan

Regular readers might have noticed that it has been six months now since our last 'Magazine In The Spotlight' post but this is not want of trying. I have been frequently and somewhat furiously finger flick my way through the racks at my local newsagents but instead have been nonchalantly flicking through them before placing them back only to walk glumly out empty handed. To be honest my heart is longing for the next installment of Fantastic Man and all other forms of printed men's style journalism pales in comparison. Fortunately, it isn't all doom and gloom though as we stumbled across a fine specimen of a gentleman's magazine, Dapper Dan. I found myself in the Parisian sunshine for two glorious days this week but with my return train trip home looming I needed to source reading material. I found myself drawn to the always busy and bustling Colette and thankfully discovered the ideal travel companion. Dapper Dan is a men's fashion and philosophy bi-annual edited by Nicholas Georgiou and Vassilis Kardis and backed up by a team of talented contributors including one of my favourite bloggers, Filep Motwary.

We believe that a man’s style is something that derives from his own personality, not from ephemeral “trends”. We enjoy opinionated men. Men with a sense of purpose and a soul. Smart, intelligent and creative; Men with ideas and ideology. Men who are their own men, who don’t fit others’ standards. Dapper Dan Manifesto

Spring/Summer 10 sees the first issue of Dapper Dan. The title might be found lacking for some but the contents more than make up for this notion as the pages entertained me for my entire Eurostar journey home and I am still eager to flick through those pages the morning after. Aesthetically it is difficult not to think of the obvious influences of Fantastic Man but this is no bad thing, the magazine simply doffs its cap to one of the solitary beacons of men's style journalism. The content is undoubtedly its own and the first issue proves to be a wonderful read. The articles are varied enough to keep even the most wandering of minds focused and inspired. Your eyes are drawn to Reiner Zimmick's illustrated book Drummers of Dreams, the next moment you are reading a Filep Motwary interview with Juergen Teller, the next learning about the self proclaimed multimedia in a box magazine Aspen, quickly followed by the work of Marc Le Bihan before being treated to a number of strong editorials...

From the Various Voices editorial by Vassilis Karidis. The shifu vest

The highlight of them all has to be a spread that uses clothes that date back to the early part of the Edo period in seventeenth century Japan. The garments are made out of paper using two methods, shifu and kamiko. Alongside the images the article explains the history of these breathtaking pieces. Shifu clothes are made out of paper that is cut in to thin strips, twisted in to strips, twisted in to compact threads and then woven in "fabric." The process was developed by the impoverished rural population of the fourteenth century but it was not long before the upper classes noticed this textile and the Japanese warrior elite, the Samurai, refined the technique further.

The shifu vest would be worn as the first layer of clothing, directly against the skin.

The almost forgotten history of this unusual textile was rediscovered by ATOPOS while the organisation was researching for its 2007 exhibition, RRRIPP!! Paper Fashion. To look at the garments know it blows my mind to contemplate the avante-garde nature of these four hundred year old designs. They should make us consider anew the possibilities of raw materials, eco design and contemporary haute couture. We can undoubtedly move forward by researching further in to the histories of diverse cultures and by rethinking even the most basic materials that surround us today.

The Kamiko cape would have been worn by porters to cover the parcels on their back. It fans out to cover large packages, while the back bears the emblem of the patron.

Filep Motwary pops up again to interview one of the shining lights of men's fashion design, Damir Doma. Doma is a designer following his own path, refusing to follow trends and instead carves out the shape of a new kind of man. Under Raf Simons' mentorship, Doma was encouraged to develop an intensely personal vision of masculinity; for him, fashion design is a means of exploring the fragile nature of the body. He showed his first menswear collection in 2007 and has just unveiled his first womenswear line this week in Paris. He concedes that his eponymous label has never really aimed for commercial success, for him it is a 'huge art project.' This art project has certainly proven to be a success and I'm looking forward to watch this designer develop of both fronts.

An editorial accompanied the Damir Doma interview.

Regular readers will know that I am a huge fanboy of Lucas Ossendrijver so I was pleased to read an interview with the visionary behind Lanvin's menswear. He has managed to maintain an outsiders' perspective on fashion despite being at the forefront of the industry so I strive to learn more about the man. "Fashion can be a means of escape, to be somebody else or simply a way to dream. At Lanvin we try to be as open - as non-exclusive - as possible. For me, Lanvin is first and foremost a state of mind. I want our men's stores to be seen as a luxury supermarket, with a bit of everything for everyone, no matter their body type."

An editorial accompanied the Lucas Ossendrijver interview, all clothes Lanvin of course.

During the last twelve months (if not longer now) there have been a number of ominous grey clouds hovering over an industry struggling against an economic downturn induced advertising slump and a general state of publishing soul searching. When a new publication like Dapper Dan is released it restores your faith in printed media. The magazine is currently only available in Paris but global stockists are expected very soon so you shouldn't have to wait too long before getting your grubby mitts on your own copy. If you simply can't wait, take my advice and order online at Colette.

Spread from the Island of the day before editorial by Vassilis Karidis.

Unpicking the seams of Menswear Day: Tim Soar AW10

Tim Soar AW10

As promised on Monday, over the coming weeks we aim to seek out the designs that captured our collective imagination on that hectic, frantic Menswear Day and will take the odd time out with the designers and their creations. Catwalk shows are pure theatre and rarely fail to demonstrate the emotions and themes of the collections but most of the time, both of us are left wanting more. This young Oliver feeling was particularly resonant with Soar's show because the streetcasted models had a 'blink and you'll miss me' pace. We really needed to inspect Soar's relaxed luxury pieces in more detail. We kicked off the series with a closer inspection of Carolyn Massey's Obsolete Prototype C53 collection and continue the series with a swooning gaze at Tim Soar's 'Greatest Hits of Menswear' collection...

Two of my favourite show looks.

After a number of successful seasons exploring modernism with his signature style of well made menswear that sees him fuse minimalism with sportswear and tailoring while showcasing unusual fabrications Soar was inspired to look back in order to look forward. With Soar, his music and designs are always intrinsically linked so he looked to New Wave of Neo-Victoriana, some Studio 54 disco classics and a dash of post Mod English pop with some Vaudeville accents for inspiration. Soar "wanted to produce a collection that was warm and familiar, one that would have many overlapping memories and echoes from the past." Ultimately then for Aw10, Soar condenses the last one hundred and fifty years of menswear, picking out key pieces and exploring the shifts in the social constructs of masculinity as he goes, to create a collection fit for any modern day gentleman. The focus is on making each piece desirable in its own right. So, armed with my camera I met up with the designer on Wednesday afternoon to both congratulate him on a wonderful show and to learn as much as we could about the collection itself. Be warned, the result is quite a meaty post but it's definitely worth the read as we talk to the designer about his inspirations, his thoughts on how men dress and learn that he has just been taken on to the CFE's Venture program...

A backstage shot demonstrating the different trouser cuts. Shot for Dazed Digital by Saga Sigurdardottir

SS: I love how you've described the collection as a 'Greatest Hits of Menswear' and there is a definite sense of re-imagined classics throughout the collection. What was the starting point?
Tim Soar: The starting point was for the collection to have a vintage-y feel, this suddenly felt right again after a number of seasons of no-holds-barred modernism. I have brought beautiful old men's clothes for many years, and there was an Edwardian dinner suit that I used to wear a lot 8 or 9 years ago, that drew my gaze, again. The jacket has a very old fashioned four panel cut - it has an extremely high waist with a lot of 'hip. This slightly odd silhouette was first thing that was established.

SS:How did you condense over one hundred and fifty years of menswear in to the collection we see today?
Tim Soar: We developed a mood board that ran chronologically from mid-victorian times through to the late 70s. It then became easy to pick out themes to explore. Some of the themes where about detailing, some where about fabric and some about cut and construction.

What could feel more luxurious and dandy than a velvet jacket?

SS: The overall mood of the collection is best described as late Victorian/early Edwardian but there are glimpses of 70's Parisian style as well. Looking back, are these your favourite eras of menswear?
Tim Soar: Well, yes and no. As mentioned above, I loved to mood and slightly uncomfortable silhouette of the Edwardian dinner suit. I also knew that I wanted to some sort of frock-coat overcoats. Victorian menswear is interesting because it is so tied up with their ideas about masculinity: stoic, visually discrete, not displaying strong emotions, paternalistic, etc, etc. So it still sends strong messages. Then about a month into the design process I was again looking through the clothing archive and I pulled out two exquisite hand made 70s silk dress shirts that had been kicking around for ages. They where very long and fluid, but quite precise at the same time. And I suddenly saw this connection between the Victorian/Edwardian aesthetic and classy Parisian feeling mid-70s menswear. As soon as I had made that connection, it all fell into place. And I would say, unexpectedly, this Parisian louche but precise 70s mood is the one that will probably have real legs over the next few seasons.

A backstage shot for Dazed Digital by Saga Sigurdardottir

SS: There is a definite sense of subtle luxury running throughout the collection, from the classic fabric choices (cashmeres/velvets/silks/wool etc) right through to the finishing details (for example the appliqued leather cuff details).
Tim Soar: With menswear you only have three main things to play with: silhouette, fabrics/fabrication and detailing. As the collection is not about really dramatic silhouettes, the fabric and detailing became key. And one of the themes that came out of the mood board - and it sounds obvious with the benefit of hindsight - was classic menswear fabrics. I guess I am known for using fairly unusual fabrics and fabric combinations. But this season it was quickly apparent that the only way to go was for really classic, luxury menswear fabrics. The detailing - the leather cuffs, the heavy use of piping and binding, and the subtle inside-out features - where mostly ideas that I had started to explore last season, where they where used in a very dramatic way. This season I revisited them, and made them a little more understated. I wanted every garment to have at least one or two features that would become apparent on closer inspection, and that once you knew those features where there, it would change the way you felt about, and wore, the garment.

This piece grabbed my attention on the runway and was even better up close, a beautiful knit!

SS: You are known for your unusual fabrications but with this collection you worked with British heritage knitwear company Corgi...
Tim Soar: Corgi are exactly what British manufacturers should be about, making an extremely high quality product that does not try to compete with the Far East on price. We developed boil washed cashmere sweaters, some heavy cable knits and some with leather applique. I will most certainly be working with them again.

A wonderfully cut pin stripe suit jacket.

SS: There seems to be a real focus on making each piece desirable. For me, the best menswear pieces are the ones that you appreciate initially but then you keep discovering design facets which make you love the piece even more the more you look and wear it. This collection seems to be full of such pieces. Would you say that this is a key feature of your design signature?
Tim Soar: Yes, indeed. The more you discover in a garment, the more lovely it becomes. Jodie Barnes, my stylist, and I where brainstorming the styling of the collection early on. We wanted to focus on how most men really dress. That is, men - me included - tend to buy pieces, they don't really buy whole 'looks'. This reinforced the idea of 'Greatest Hits of Menswear' - its a beautiful jacket or a beautiful shirt or a beautiful sweater. You can put it together how you please. I think that my key design signature is about mood rather than a tangible 'thing'. In all my work - fashion, music, graphics - there is a tension between nostalgia and and modernism. This collection is a little more nostalgic, last seasons was a little more modernist.

I love the simplicity of this print and the texture it creates.

SS: Proportions feel a little more constrained than previous seasons yet you've still experimented with the silhouette by combining outerwear with defined waists with a number of trouser cuts.
Tim Soar: As I said earlier, the three main things to play with: silhouette, fabrics/fabrication and detailing. The defined waist of the outerwear was a perfect example of where Victorian/Edwardian and 70s silhouettes are very similar. I also think that the whole boxy mood of menswear of the last three or four years is becoming a bit tired. Perhaps one other thing I am know for is my trousers. This season, I wanted to keep them really chic, and flares suddenly felt very chic, again.

A close up of one of my favourite leather appliqued knits.

SS: Do you have favourite look/standout piece from the collection?
Tim Soar: I think I will be wearing the leather appliqued knits a lot. And I also suspect I will be wearing the flares quite a lot, too.
SS: What can we expect from Tim Soar over the coming seasons?
Tim Soar: Well, I have been taken on to the CFE's Venture program. It should give me a really strong base for growth over the next couple of years. There are also a big project in negotiation. Usually hush-hush stuff at the moment, but provided we reach the right agreement, it will be a really interesting outlet for my lux sportswear work.

-----

Just before I left Tim showed me the first few designs from his AW10 t shirt range. Given that I have a mild case of Coulrophobia I was a little freaked out but despite the mocking, somewhat haunting face of the clown, I left the showroom extremely happy. Something tells me 2010 is going to be a huge year for this designer...

He is definitely mocking me!

LFW: Lou Dalton AW10

Competition for a showing space for Menswear Day is fast becoming a struggle as competition is growing ever more fierce by the season. Lou Dalton narrowly missed out on a catwalk schedule spot but Fashion East stepped in and asked her to present her latest offering alongside their Menswear Installations. The runways loss is our gain because the presentation format allowed far greater opportunity to study the designs up close. In this environment it was impossible not to marvel at her rebellious tailoring and Fair Isle knits...

A trip to Skye inspired Lou Dalton's AW10 collection. Its rugged landscape, turbulent weather and it's rich history. Dalton wanted to capture the spirit and passion of the Jacobite Rebellion in particular. Those well versed in the history of the British Isles should be familiar with this series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars which occurred between 1688 and 1746. Dalton was particularly taken with the romanticised lullaby of Flora MacDonald's aiding of 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' in 1745. The aesthetic created here comprises a number of key pieces, each with their own identity, come together to form a unity as strong as though they were each a Clan at Culloden Moor. The muted tartans are a nod to those rebellious to the subsequent ban on highland dress and Fair Isle knits celebrate the earthy palette of the Scottish West Coast Glens while a punkish and defiant attitude runs through the collection.

Inspired by the troubled past of the region, the colour palette echoes the tones of rich ember, charcoal and heather mixed with black through to decadent shades of midnight blue while the wild sense of rebellion bleeds through with the use of silver lurex, faux fur fair isles and silk tartans. As always with this exciting design talent, knitwear is a key facet of the collection. This season bobble lambs wool knits and textured fair isle sweaters sit alongside luxury loop knit crews and tartan jacquards in tone on tone wool Alpaca.

Dalton continued to practice and hone her signature of rebellious English sportswear with a strong sense of detail and this was no more apparent than in the tailoring pieces which experimented with punkish elements, exposed zip detail in particular featured heavily.

Despite the obvious aesthetic impact of the tartan and fair isle knits, the real highlight look for me personally is the subtle yet richly textured and protective ensemble below. It captures the spirit of the collection perfectly. I could definitely see myself being a little rebellious in the quilted waist coast, exposed zip trousers and quilted waistcoat.

Just this morning I discovered that Dalton has collaborated with one of my favourite image makers, Laurence Ellis to create a film which explores the collections emotional journey quite beautifully (the film can be viewed over on Another). This collection was one of the real highlights of Menswear Day and I hope the designer continues to battle for her platform to show her collections for many seasons to come.

H by Harris AW10: Manouevre

H by Harris' collection for AW10, Manoeuvre.

Regular readers will recall that the debut H by Harris collection comprised itself of two lines, the Q hand quilted nappa leather and the SH wax hide leather collection. Both left me wanting to sell an organ or turn to a life of crime just to have one hanging off his arm. Fast forward to a new season and although I have all of my organs in tact and have yet to don a mask or swing a swag bag over my shoulder, I fear the new temptation might push me over the edge...

The revised H jacket. Something that I've been drooling over ever since I first saw it on Style Bubble

Over the last week I have had two opportunities to inspect H by Harris' offering for AW10, first at the showroom next door and then again inside the Fashion East Menswear Installations. Both times Harris' creations were giving me that come hither look and what can I say aside from the fact that I am weak willed and easily led astray. The collection, titled Manoeuvre, is based on the desire to travel effortlessly, be that through familiar territory or foreign landscapes. This collection aspires to a freedom of movement with courier inspired stealth and ease. Here, H by Harris presents a series of luggage which fuses function with design to enable it to withstand any daily routine.

Quilted luggage that made my heart skip at the Showroom Next Door.

AW10 sees the introduction of two new ranges to the luxurious tactile, leather luggage mix, Co and L. The Co (Courier) features deluxe duffel bags in nappa and soft hides, incorporating the 'H' diamond quilt that I've been salivating over for some time. A play on scale and tessellation sees the development of the H jacket in to the H Biker. The L (laundry) range excuse the virtues of simplicity. Simplicity at its finest in fact. Voluminous bags with a single detail, each made from nuback and soft hides.

Where the line evolved from. Harris' personal need to find a stylish yet practical laptop case. he result is one sexy home for you macbook.

Harris' personal need to find a stylish yet practical laptop case has continued to evolve into a thoroughly modern, yet understated luxury luggage brand which is designed and manufactured in the UK. For AW10, the muse is the fixed gear individual. The men and women who traverse with deft and skill through fast paced environments. Seeing fixed gear bikes as objects of great design, H by Harris has developed a collection that is inspired by motion, using the riders and their needs as the main point of reference. I have been toying with the idea of getting off my ever expanding ass and on to a bike each morning but thus far despite the obvious attractions of a fixed gear bike, my fleshy tush has alluded the pull of any saddle. As I cannot speak from experience I look for examples where I've seen fixed gear bikes in action and I can instantly recall The Tweed Run as featured on ACL and The Sunday Best respectively (though the latter deleted the post and a number of other beauties in a moment of madness). This exhibition of fixed gear sartorial prowess was found wanting in the luggage department. No longer thanks to H by Harris' latest offering

Temptation was at every turn inside his installation for Fashion East.

To coincide with the launch of the launch of Manouevre, Harris has collaborated with the director Manny Bonett to create a viral campaign featuring some of the UK's finest fixed gear cyclists. The soon to be released short film 'Fixed' presents a sartorial gang of riders spiraling the ramps of a car park where they perform stunts. Having caught a glimpse of the film at LFW, it is an altogether different type of fashion video that we have all come to accustomed to viewing alongside a new collection. "The aim of the film was to create beautiful with energy that has you on the edge as you are certain what is coming next." At some point over the next few weeks we will unveil the video but until then we'll just have to collectively drool over H by Harris' latest series of luxurious and tactile luggage.

Two messenger bags from the new Co range.

The beauty of A Single Man

Tom Ford's A Single Man.

For many months now, I've been hearing that Tom Ford’s debut feature is a sumptuous mix of Mad Men and Far From Heaven and I cannot recall ever being as excited by a films style credentials. On Sunday afternoon I finally grasped the opportunity to watch Ford's directorial debut. Armed with a colossal coke and a ponderous tub of popcorn I took my slightly uncomfortable seat, ready to watch the beauty wash over me. It certainly didn't disappoint in this regard. The film is a thing of beauty. From a lingering shot of a perfectly placed tie bar to a languarous close up of plump lips dragging on a cigarette, Eros makes his presence felt at every turn. The Ninety nine minutes of running time can reduced succinctly and accurately in a mere sentence or two. The rest of the film demonstrates a number of shooting techniques including countless saturation changes but very little else other than a splendidly rose tinted snapshot of 60's American style...

"It takes time in the morning for me to become George, time to adjust to what is expected of George and how he is to behave. By the time I have dressed and put the final layer of polish on the now slightly stiff but quite perfect George I know fully what part I'm suppose to play." George Falconer.

As expected, A Single Man is as impeccable as the director's own crisp, exact menswear collections."It was clear in the script how meticulous George is," says costume designer Arianne Phillips. "There was a fastidiousness and perfectness to the way he was planning the last day of his life." George is the type of man who has a daily uniform, a drawer full of perfectly starched, crisp white cotton shirts which reminded me of our post on Personal Uniforms last year. Phillips started her research with 1960s sack suits, then made the silhouette more appealing to the contemporary eye. Produced in Ford's factory in Italy, Falconer's suits manage to be both boxy and form fitting at the same time but a part of me would have preferred to have seen the sack suits.

The costumes on the supporting players are just as memorable. Kenny (played by Nicholas Hoult attempting an interesting American accent), a student who comes to Falconer's emotional rescue, appears somewhat angel-esque in a white mohair sweater. The sweater was modeled after one Phillips discovered in a book of 1960s street-wear photos taken by Swiss photographer Karlheinz Weinberger. "It was one of my inspiration photos for the character, so Tom suggested we make a sweater like it. We had a weaver in London do it." For the benefits of a style blog, style over substance is no bad thing, let the following images wash over and inspire you...

Unpicking the seams of Menswear Day: Carolyn Massey AW10

Patterns on display at Massey's studio.

As we've said countless times in recent posts, Menswear Day was a huge success as the diversity of menswear design talent on show was both staggering and exciting. However, now that a few days days have past and countless show reports have been penned and posted across the online landscape some would like to draw a line under the day and move on. Not us. As much as we enjoyed the day itself we felt a definite need to learn more about our favourite collections by speaking to the designers themselves and by getting up close and personal to their designs. Catwalk shows are pure theatre and rarely fail to demonstrate the emotions and themes of the collections but most of the time, both of us are left wanting more. With this as our driving motivation, over the coming couple of weeks we will seek out the designs that caught our eye on that hectic, frantic day and take the odd time out with the designers and their creations. Given our well documented sartorial love affair with Carolyn Massey and the fact that she kicked off proceedings at the day itself, it is only fitting that we begin this series of posts with her.

Carolyn Massey's AW10 collection takes its inspiration from a body of military patterns sourced from an anonymous donor. A few leading critics have made a real point of Massey using this archive of pieces but after having a good nosey around her workspace last year it soon became clear that Massey is at her happiest when researching something she has found, so this comes as little surprise to us. By taking elements from pieces she has seen and found while combining them with her vision for menswear she create something new. For this collection the initial inspiration came from the patterns which were toiled and fitted them and edited into a more contemporary story. A darker military aesthetic is explored in union suits, flight suits and smocks released exclusively for Massey's research.

In addition to the delicate detailing and beautiful craftsmanship we have come to expect from the designer, this season sees the label diversify in to printing techniques. Massey developed a wonderfully deconstructed print based on Ray Johnson's postal art and worked with print designer, Sam Cotton to allow the print to repeat and fade and ultimately mirroring the 'lived in' military uniforms and the nostalgic feeling running throughout this collection. You might recall that when Carolyn recently went to Tokyo she kept an image diary for us and that one particular entry confessed her love for the Tokyo morning skyline. For the AW10 collection the muted hues of the Tokyo morning sunrise inspire the colour palette and echo the rose tinted, worn and faded feel to the prints perfectly. At the show itself we were particularly struck by the layered and textured styling of the looks and to achieve this Massey has continued to build and develop her accessories line, knitted hats and scarves were presented along with lavish knitted balaclavas. Also, this season saw her unveil her collaboration with Tabio, the Japanese sock specialist and Style Salvage favourite, which has seen her produce a stunning men's collection.

Armed with a bag full of pastries and our camera we met up with the designer on Sunday morning to both congratulate her on a wonderful show and to learn as much as we could about the collection. Be warned, the result is quite a meaty post but it's definitely worth the read as we talk to the designer about her inspirations, her love of knitwear and the collaboration with Tabio and her hopes for the future...

A rail of utter temptation; a tale of textures and prints.

Style Salvage: The collection is entitled Obsolete Prototype C53 and takes its inspiration from a body of military patterns sourced from an anonymous donor. Were the patterns themselves the starting point?
Carolyn Massey: My work is always a continuing work in progress, it grows and expands with each season but yes, it was this encounter with the donor... well, actually it's an organisation. Due to my passion for reviving things from the past and bringing them in to a more contemporary light they saw that and wanted to help me and hence the donation of the patterns. We started working on them really, really quickly, toiling them up and creating looks we could experiment with. Some were awful and I always think that you have to be extremely careful when you are looking backwards to go forwards. As I've not been going sixty years and don't have an archive of my own, I am drawing on a archive of what I know.

SS: Someone like Kim Jones for example, he has a huge archive to play with at Dunhill, do you look at him with a tint of envy in your eyes?
Carolyn Massey: Exactly, I would love to work for an old house one day and that would be the first thing that I would do. I don't understand how designers can ignore the past; I think you have to contextualise where you are in order to move forward. So, for this collection, we started toiling up very early, fitting them and looking at things and binning a few things and going from there.

One of the prints designed in collaboration with print designer Sam Cotton. Massey had been to see the Ray Johnston exhibition at the Raven Row gallery and was inspired to create postal prints. The faded nature of them is reflected in the silk twill.

SS: Did you find any interesting or novel garment constructions, like you did with the cape from AW09 (which was cut in one piece)?
Carolyn Massey: There were some really great things actually. There was a coat which had a sword pocket in the back- it was all about the positioning of everything, we discovered an ergonomic line of where you would draw your sword from.

SS: There was one coat in particular that both of us loved- the voluminous grey overcoat, was this the one?
Carolyn Massey: Yes, that was the one. For me, elements like the positioning of pockets and how that changes how you stand in a garment fascinate me.

One of the grey overcoats that we both fell head over heels for!

SS: This season sees you experiment and play with the silhouette. A lot of the looks see a teaming of relaxed and loose tops with tighter bottoms...
Carolyn Massey: I think it was more balanced in regard to the collection as a whole but in terms of the styling for the show that was definitely the case. I am quite bored of this straight up and down skinny thing and I think that we are evolving beyond that and are pushing things forward.

SS: There was evolved way of layering and a sense of the clothes being lived in and a richness of subtle textures...
Carolyn Massey: The aged and lived in look is something that I really love. It comes down from my interest of handing down garments from generation to generation. One of the first projects I did as a student was to make a suit out of one of my grandfather's and how the shapes of his body had changed the shape of the jacket. So that has always been fascinating to me.

Exquisite soft, romantic tailoring.

SS: The colour palette was inspired by the muted hues of the Tokyo morning skyline. Looking back at your Tokyo diary for us we can see a great example and can see how it translates quite beautifully in to the realised designs...
Carolyn Massey: Ha, I'm glad you remembered! Whenever I go I am just so jet lagged and this combined with excitement to be there means I am often awake at three in the morning and not able to sleep. I am always inspired by the landscape and I'm up sketching in the early hours. It is just so beautiful. The soft hues also translate to the fabrics used as well.

A quick glance at the ever expanding accessories line

SS: The textures for this season are so interesting. The Lurex jumpsuit is particularly amazing and such a statement piece.
Carolyn Massey: Well a lot of people have said that it would be great for the weekend. For me, when you are showing, you have to have pieces which are interesting and light hearted. You can take it all a bit too seriously, at the end of the day it is fashion and you should be making a statement. The model who wore that, Mathieu, was perfect. If you do those types of pieces you have to ensure that the casting is spot on.

SS: With each season you are building on your accessories line...

Carolyn Massey: Yes, we did a lot more knitwear and as you can see from the table, I love knitwear! I love working on accessories and have grown this side of the line over the last few seasons. I'm always quite obsessed with building up a silhouette around the neck with scarfs and around the head and this is something that we will continue.

Aw10 sees the second collaboration with her comrade and luxury men's jewellery designer, Hannah Martin. Hand crafted new medals and badges, these symbolic objects were given a lustrous patina for new life.

SS: This season sees the unveiling of your collaboration with Tabio. How did the collaboration arise and how happy with you with the results?
Carolyn Massey: It was amazing and I'm really pleased with it all. I started working with them a couple of seasons ago when I was just borrowing items from the shop. During my Tokyo travels I've been able to have meetings with them. They are brilliant because they are obsessed with quality of make and a huge product development section. I've always loved the brand. I proposed this to them and they were really up for it. They've never worked with designer in this way before, they have in house designers in Japan and this is the first time they've collaborated with an outside designer. So I did some designs and set them off and they looked at them and they were like "wow!" I can't wait to see them on sale!

The fruits of Massey's collaboration with Tabio.

SS: Congratulations are in order, we've only just heard the news that you've been awarded Unica's On Stage project! Well done! What can you tell us about the award?
Carolyn Massey: Thank you! I am so pleased and honoured. It was awarded by a panel of people including Vogue Italia's Franca Sozzani, and Pier Luigi Piana, Chairman of Unica. Every season they select ten designers to receive the award which involves a trip to Milan where you will be able to meet with the mills and select your fabrics and work alongside the mills. I feel so honoured because not only is it awarded internationally but across women's and men's as well. It is such a lovely thing to do so I am extremely pleased.

SS: What can we expect from Carolyn Massey over the coming seasons?
Carolyn Massey: I'd really like to build on the success of what I do with Topman and the collaborative projects that I do by working with companies that I love. The collaboration with Topman seems to be going really well. When my sales are high I am always so inspired and it pushes me forward, I am quite driven by sales really because then I know I'm doing the right thing. The bottom line of all of this is sales. It is brilliant to do catwalk shows but the real boost comes from success on the shop floor. At the end of the day we are designing for people out there. I got really excited by one of the looks in the show because it felt as though it had come 360, I tend to be inspired by the people I meet or the guys I see on the street through people watching and one of the looks is genius because I can see it walking down the streets in Hackney. For me, it is a complete validation of what I am doing, it comes from there and will go back there.

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For those eager to get their hands on a piece of Carolyn Massey we have news of a Sample Sale Spectacular. We missed out on the last one but were told tales of absolute bargains, so if you are in town over the next coming days, we suggest you swing by and take a look for yourself...