Exploring the inner side of bespoke jackets added texture to Mark Weston’s established proposition.
For spring, Mark Weston grabbed his polished aesthetic and took a spin in the construction process. Over several seasons now, he’s built a distinctive style for Dunhill befitting a quintessentially British label — elegant with a subversive bent, showing patches of bare chest under suit jackets, for example, or pushing Eighties favorites, like pegged-leg trousers, into chic territory.
This was all there, while his fresh exploration added texture to an established proposition.
“I love the honesty of it — this is what we do, how we think, how we engineer, how we construct, how we fit,” he explained from a showroom through Zoom, holding pieces up to the camera to show details like external stitches.
A crisp, ivory wrap shirt had short sleeves that were left unfinished, showing a crease mark where it would normally be folded and tidily sewn up.
“Freezing construction in time has a new beauty of its own,” he remarked. “Let’s just keep it raw.”
Mark Weston
Weston made ample use of materials like Holland linen, which is used for building pockets, and chest canvas, working the materials into the label’s signature wrap suit jackets and shirts as well as ample bomber jackets. Suit coats were slightly shorter this season, while added volumes were also a focus — adding to the pleasure of wearing that bomber jacket, he suggested.
The designer likened the process to Bowellism architecture, which throws the inner workings of buildings to the exterior, maximizing the space inside — the Pompidou Center being a prominent example. Only here it was bespoke jackets.
“It’s about the application of craft, about the joy of creating,” said Weston, who noted he felt energized by the sense of community that has been forged by working together in a time of crisis.
The Lock Bag continues to be an emphasis, and came in a powdery white eel skin. Also on offer, a a canvas tote bag with short grab handles, and an over-the-shoulder strap.
“This collection is not simply about deconstruction, but construction. It’s about the joy of making clothes and the emotional investment in them. These things felt particularly resonant at this time. Fundamentally, there is a notion of utility and elegance – it’s almost a new view of ‘workwear’. There’s an evolution of ‘high Eighties’ style in the collection, culminating at today. There is a fusing of ‘New Romanticism’ with relaxed Japanese and Italian tailoring, together with our long-held and timeless traditions of British tailoring. There is an overall sense of culmination; a reflection of the many things we have invested in the collections at dunhill – of dunhill past, present and future.”
Mark Weston, Creative Director
“We need this sense of comfort, sense of fluidity but also a sense of ease,” Weston said. The collection was presented via a live-streamed runway film, which paused on occasion to show the looks at various angles and zooming in on details — set to fast paced jazzy electronic track from Moses Boyd.
Creative Director: #MarkWeston
Creative Consultant & Stylist: #ElliottSmedley
Photography: @jasonlloydevans
Model: @bodienkgnr@knownmodelmanagement
