Season after season Menswear Day gets stronger and stronger. For SS11 it was particularly exciting to see stalwarts of Savile Row sit comfortably alongside the high street and established designers and exciting new talent alike cause a sartorial stir or two. Presentations, catwalk shows and film screenings all celebrated the exciting diversity of menswear design talent which uniquely exists in this capital of ours. Over the coming week we will dissect the collections that caused our collective heart to skip a beat or two and we'd like to kick things off with Style Salvage favourite, Carolyn Massey.
As mentioned earlier this week, Massey's SS11 collection was influenced by two books, Tibor Kalman's 'Un-Fashion' and Jackie Nickerson's 'Farm'. Nickerson photographed the small towns and corporate plantations of Mozambique, making portraits of workers in their workplace resulting in the forging of a new visual language that creates a sense of elegance, dignity and compassion in the face of daily toil. "Farm" is a view of Africa outside the language of photojournalism and the previous depictions of the glories of tribal culture. Massey was inspired by the essentially masculine and functional dressing portrayed in both bodies of work. The SS11 collection balances her eye for the quintessentially 'English' tailoring and signature detailing with a fond nod to Eastern elegance (no more obvious than the headwear which saw the desinger collaborate with Justin Smith. The collection showcases mature fabrication. Cotton drill from Italy, Japanese cotton shirting, merino wool. Cream, stone, mustard and rust are used alongside Indian ilk, petrol blue and navy to seamlessly complement Massey's play on proportion and shape throughout the collection. These are clothes you and I will want to wear. Many of the garments have an aged and lived in look which is something that I really love. This of course comes from Massey's interest in handing down garments from generation to generation and there is undoubtedly a timeless quality that runs through much of the collection.
As mentioned earlier this week, Massey's SS11 collection was influenced by two books, Tibor Kalman's 'Un-Fashion' and Jackie Nickerson's 'Farm'. Nickerson photographed the small towns and corporate plantations of Mozambique, making portraits of workers in their workplace resulting in the forging of a new visual language that creates a sense of elegance, dignity and compassion in the face of daily toil. "Farm" is a view of Africa outside the language of photojournalism and the previous depictions of the glories of tribal culture. Massey was inspired by the essentially masculine and functional dressing portrayed in both bodies of work. The SS11 collection balances her eye for the quintessentially 'English' tailoring and signature detailing with a fond nod to Eastern elegance (no more obvious than the headwear which saw the desinger collaborate with Justin Smith. The collection showcases mature fabrication. Cotton drill from Italy, Japanese cotton shirting, merino wool. Cream, stone, mustard and rust are used alongside Indian ilk, petrol blue and navy to seamlessly complement Massey's play on proportion and shape throughout the collection. These are clothes you and I will want to wear. Many of the garments have an aged and lived in look which is something that I really love. This of course comes from Massey's interest in handing down garments from generation to generation and there is undoubtedly a timeless quality that runs through much of the collection.
This season the designer took full advantage of the presentation format and presented a V shaped wall of models clad in the finest Spring garb. A catwalk show comes and goes but with a presentation there is a physical element and visitors can walk around and explore it at their own leisure. Armed with my camera I did just that. As her SS11 film played on the surrounding walls and guests admired the collection and sipped on Gin and Tonics I excitedly shot the relaxed elegance of the collection and captured as much detailing as possible...we all know by now that Massey celebrates the beauty of details in menswear...
Accessories have become a key facet of the label's offering in recent seasons and here they have continued to evolve, providing a number of items that many of us will covet. Highlights include shoes inspired by those created for the British for wear in the desert, a new line of bags including the ultimate statement accessories in an oversize doctor's bag and a backpack with detachable box bags.
Our sartorial love affair with Carolyn Massey is well documented on the pages of this blog, with this collection that obsessive love just got deeper. Every once in a while you encounter a collection that you wish hanged in your closet and for me this is my dream Spring/Summer wardrobe. I want it all. If my images aren't enough in demonstrating how beautiful this collection is then please watch the below video. Shot at various locations around the Isle of Sheppey by Chris Brooks it demonstrates something quite stunning in the wilderness...
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