LONDON CALLING: MENSWEAR’S LEADING DESIGNERS
It’s classic yet cutting edge. Sophisticated but subversive. Wildly creative and wearable, too. London’s menswear scene might be frustratingly difficult to sum up, but according to Harrods head of menswear Simon Longland, it’s our designers’ dualities that makes them so singular.
“The uniqueness of London’s menswear lies in the combination of our history, which is grounded in a very sartorial tradition, and our sense of anti-establishment,” he explains. “The best London-based brands have the talent to be able to tailor and cut patterns beautifully, but they aren’t afraid to treat clothes in an experimental way that feels modern and rebellious.”
Vivienne Westwood AW20
Alexander McQueen AW20
Wales Bonner AW20
Edward Crutchley AW20
JW Anderson AW20
A-Cold-Wall* AW20
Burberry AW20
Craig Green AW20
That sense of provocation is plain to see in Vivienne Westwood, the progenitor of punk’s shift from counterculture to the catwalk in the ‘70s, whose menswear collections have riffed on references as eclectic as ‘50s revivalism, historical dress and S&M.
And the anarchist-turned-activist’s iconoclastic approach, in turn, paved the way for the late Lee Alexander McQueen. A school dropout, the designer became a Savile Row apprentice at the age of 16, and his legacy of subverted tailoring still reverberates through the collections created by the house’s current creative director, Sarah Burton. A case in point: this season’s Scottish Highlands-inspired collection was a tour-de-force of slim-cut tailoring emblazoned with painterly thistles and swirling brushstrokes.
JW Anderson AW20
Innovation is another of London menswear’s key calling cards. Burberry – creator of the trench coat and, in more recent times, livestreaming pioneer – is the most obvious example. And with Riccardo Tisci at its helm, the house is a headline act: at his (entirely carbon-neutral) AW20 show, the runway was awash with clever takes on deconstruction, pattern cutting and interesting fabrications. JW Anderson’s boundary pushing, meanwhile, has helped bring menswear into a new era – think gender blurring and a focus on craft.
SIMON LONGLAND, HEAD OF MENSWEAR
“When it comes to creativity and expression, there’s really nowhere better than London”
Burberry AW20
Ultimately, it’s London’s unique blend of history and irreverence, its world-class universities and the fact it’s a veritable melting pot of culture, that ensure there are always new flagbearers for British style emerging. “In London, it’s very much about the small, young, independent and energetic brands,” says Longland. “There’s really nowhere better for creativity and expression.”
The New Guard
EDWARD CRUTCHLEY
Having collaborated with Kim Jones for nearly a decade, Edward Crutchley is now a star in his own right. Artisanal fabrics – sourced from the best mills in Europe – and ornate prints give his collections a couture feel. “And his techniques are exceptional,” says Longland, “turn a piece inside out and it’s just as beautiful.”
A-COLD-WALL*
It’s no surprise that Brixton-born Samuel Ross is a design master, given he was mentored by Virgil Abloh. His collections are complex, multi-layered affairs, with his tailoring expertise and love of experimentation setting him apart from his peers.
CRAIG GREEN
Fans of Craig Green have learnt to expect the unexpected. His inspirations are esoteric and collections conceptual, but the clothes themselves are compellingly wearable.
WALES BONNER
One of the new leading lights of London’s menswear scene, Bonner’s academic approach to menswear sees her explore themes such as race (her own Jamaican-British heritage is a leitmotif) and masculine identity as seen through a female gaze.
