Gieves & Hawkes changes direction under the Creative Direction of John Harrison. This Autumn/Winter season the English label reinterprets naval tradition for the contemporary man. Classic British dress codes and some of the House’s iconic details come to life with a modern sensibility for a forward-looking collection.
Since the mid-1900s, Gieves & Hawkes has been the outfitter of the British Navy’s officer class. For this new collection, Harrison turned to the brand’s archives. Harrison turned to the brand’s archives for inspiration. Drawing on this rich naval heritage, he has incorporated long-forgotten motifs into the graphics and subtle details that adorn the various garments of the collection. An example of these is the octopus symbol, popular among naval equipment including the brand’s 1772 Crown Monogram and Victorian era mess jars found in the Gieves & Hawkes’ archives, now appears as one of the predominant motifs.
The new collection marks a return to naval outfitting tradition merging functionality with Gieves & Hawkes’ bespoke tailoring. Contemporary British suits are dressed up for business and down for pleasure. This season proposes a refined yet structured silhouette. Suits afford a longer line with squared notched wide lapel feature patterns of checked fabrics. Weekend jackets add a touch of contrast with a less rigid structure in soft textured fabrics and knits. The jackets also feature either half or full floating canvas construction and improved sleeve setting that adds comfort and longevity.
The color palette for the collection is autumnal and masculine, ranging from cool ocean grey to deep royal blue, English navy and maroon, with highlights in cream, tobacco and ginger. Textures are soft and utilize woolen flannels and tonal checked fabrics suited for sophisticated business use and smart-casual dress codes. The navy tonal windowpane checked suit featured in colors of the Royal Navy, is paired with crisp sky blue dress shirts and tonal silk jacquard tie. Gieves & Hawkes’ signature dove grey Prince-of-Wales checked suit is layered with rugby shirts and quarter-zip sweater, lending it a sporty edge. Maintaining the collection’s regal color scheme, maroon double-breasted flannel suits are styled with a modern raglan overcoat, in the best Scottish wool, combined with and a simple fine merino rollneck.
Eveningwear is cool and clean. The classic dinner suit, cut from luminous English woolen ribbed cloth or contemporary silk jacquard is cut with shawl lapels, jetted pockets and paired with elegant satin-trimmed dress trousers. Both evening jackets incorporate the Victorian octopus motif in sartorial midnight blue, either in English-woven silk jacquard or silk taffeta, for a modern, yet fashionable context. The octopus design has also been incorporated into the design of midnight blue silk jacquard evening jackets that are perfectly paired with a merino crewneck for a more relaxed evening. Timeless black dinner suits in ribbed wool with elegant shawl lapels cut to a new pattern, are accessorized with a satin bow tie and complemented with a fur-collared evening coat to complete the look.