Fashion is cyclical. What was once in style will, in all likelihood, return to the cultural zeitgeist (sans a few God awful trends). And then there are some styles that remain timeless, above the flux and trends. The real mastery within the sartorial arts has always been in creating something that is of a consistently classical aesthetic, regardless of the changing contexts. Which is exactly what Mr Porter has set out to achieve.
The celebrated retailer has just unveiled their debut ready-to-wear line, the product of a seven year research undertaking initiated at the launch of their site back in February 2011.
“We have been talking about this for a while – we wanted something that was of the highest quality, that appeals to a wide section of people,” says Olie Arnold, Mr Porter style director. “We didn’t want it to be a niche brand. We know what our customers like and we wanted to offer them pillars of a man’s wardrobe.”
The collection features 53 items, with 24 styles available year round, and 29 seasonal pieces inspired by British painter, Lucian Freud.
“The core pieces are building blocks, where a man can create an evolving, modular wardrobe perfect to expand upon with seasonal style and colour,” says Fiona Firth, buying director. “Silhouettes will change, but a white oxford shirt, stone-coloured chinos or a white t-shirt are timeless.”
As you can imagine, inspiration and influences were drawn from a wide variety of sources. Though I need not tell you. A passing glance at Mr P’s modernised Oxfords, cashmere knitwear, or Japanese selvedge denim will practically speak for itself.
“We pour over everything that we do,” says Arnold. “We spent a long time working on this with our customers… Classics are always moving and so we have looked at updating the fit of things… It might have started off as a jogger, worn at home or in the gym, but now we see it in wool or cashmere. It has become more than just a fad. It’s now an integral part of a man’s wardrobe.”
The collection will be ready for purchase from November 7th onwards. Further details are available at the Mr Porter website.
