LC: M AW15 round-up: day 3

Catch up here on all the action that took place at day 3 of LC: M. From formalwear at Richard James, Duchamp and Gieves & Hawkes to a seriously cool presentation from Belstaff – day three had everything on offer, even if we were run off our feet trying to make it to every show in time!

RICHARD JAMES

Sat with anticipation in the BMW flagship showroom on Park Lane, we were launched into a journey with Richard James, signalled by the sound of a classic steam train. As models descended the runway we travelled through the “towering, snow-peaked and sun-stippled mountains of South America.” South American style printed shawls were perfectly draped over corduroy trouser and Aztec-printed roll-necks worn with dubarry boots opened the show. With an over-riding colour palette of natural greys and browns, with much needed shots of brighter turquoise, red and yellows throughout – there was a lot to take in. TGJ readers will be relived to know that there was plenty of country heritage pieces, such as brown herringbone field jackets and charcoal over-coats. A dark turquoise silk evening jacket rounded up the show perfectly, and was a particular favourite of ours – matching slippers included.

TURNBULL & ASSER

Turnbull & Asser have a long history of being associated with James Bond, so it’s very fitting that their AW15 collection was based around a ‘spy’ theme. Eccentrically-patterns dinner jackets were placed alongside expertly combined, layered ensembles, which we can’t wait to see in action come next winter.

BELSTAFF

If anyone was going to take the concept of the presentation and throw it out of left field, it was always going to be Belstaff. Set within an underground car park in Westminster, we descended down the concrete ramp in the spitting rain into an underground world that anyone would want to be a part of. With David Gandy standing in a brown bomber jacket to our right and a row of classic vintage motorbikes to our left – we knew we were in for a treat. The name of the show made reference to the collection’s inspiration from the 1950s ‘Ton-Up-Boys’ who, as the brand tell us, were “heavily into their rock‘n’roll and motorcycles, these ‘greasers’ (as they would become known) would rendezvous at cafés and attempt to ‘do a ton’ (exceed speeds of 100mph) on their custom-made bikes.” Taking our pick between bottled beers or hot coffees, rock music drifting through the petrol fumed underground, we wandered around the transformed venue which had taken on a 1950s feel with motorbikes and classic cafes – models clad head to toe in the coolest of gear, from luxuriously rebellious leather biker jackets to staple waxed cotton field jackets – sturdy boots and leather and shearling flying jackets in greys, blacks and even bright turquoise sat perfectly over thick knitwear and rollneck jumpers.

DUNHILL

Much of Dunhill’s show erred on the more casual end of the spectrum, with loose-cut, rolled trousers, oversized flannel shirts and jumpers and tucked-in ties. The ‘50s and ‘60s influences were quite apparent from the off-set, veering the collection away from tailoring, which we’ve become accustomed to expect from Dunhill. The suiting was top notch though, with wide-shouldered, three-buttoned jackets and wider-legged trousers taking us back to the Mad Men era.

GIEVES & HAWKES

We don’t like to play favourites, but there’s just something about Gieves & Hawkes that we will never tire of. Since Creative Director Jason Basmajian revived the brand, the residents of No. 1 have simply improved season after season and within the grand space of Christie’s, they delivered in abundance at Day 3 of LC: M. Between the dark shadows of the venue and the spotlit models, opinions between our editorial team were divided over the leather and alligator skin trainers, but personal taste aside, it’s clear that the Gieves man will be wearing theirs with ample style next season – who says casual wear can’t be opulent? A real show stopper was a striking black pony skin biker jacket which simply screamed luxury, with other highlights of the collection being sumptuous shearling coats over suit jackets and beautifully tailored trousers in black, grey and burgundy colour palettes. All we can say is “hear, hear” to Gieves & Hawkes, who yet again delivered everything we could have wanted from a gentleman’s wardrobe, and more.

KILGOUR

Despite being rooted in the fine traditions and rule books of Savile Row, Kilgour’s AW15 collection was especially forward-thinking. There were asymmetric layering jacket/waistcoat combinations and quirky details including ‘floating lapels’, which gave the tailoring a distinctly contemporary edge. Of course, Kilgour’s exceptional quality and impeccable use of material, including a glimmering velvet number, impressed all who attended. The entire collection perfectly encapsulated the monochrome trend also, with blacks and greys dominating.

DUCHAMP

, Yet again we found ourselves at the stunning Rosewood Hotel for the Duchamp presentation and, as always, it was a feast for all the senses. Live jazz playing in one corner, delicious cocktails and canapés circulating the room and of course a perfectly cast host of models dressed immaculately in signature Duchamp tailoring. Evening wear came in the form of of English silk and Italian velvet dinner jackets in paisley and floral prints. For the more relaxed gentleman, Duchamp showcased equally as beautiful soft tailoring with textured slim line suits – had day 3 not been so busy, we would happily have stayed there all day – because who doesn’t like to sip cocktails in the Rosewood Hotel while imagining themselves dressed head to toe in Duchamp?

MR PORTER PRESENTS KINGSMAN

One of our most anticipated films of 2015, Kingsman: The Secret Service is hitting theatres soon, and having seen the trailer we got particularly excited about the wardrobe. Luckily for us, Mr Porter have curated a collection taken straight from the film which was unveiled on Day 3 of LC: M. Classic British tailoring is the order of the day, with pinstripes, double-breasted blazers and velvet dinner jackets being particular highlights. There was also a collection of accessories including George Cleverly shoes, Bremont watches, Cutler and Gross sunglasses and Drake’s ties.

By Holly Macnaghten & Charlie Thomas