Here’s a crazy idea: What if everything just worked? What if all the so-close-but-not-quites of modern life evaporated and the cuff of your pants hit perfectly above your sneaker, and the chest rig vest fit snuggly under or over that corduroy blazer? Wouldn’t that make life easier? That is the general principle of Engineered Garments, a brand that takes its commitment to function so seriously, it’s literally in the name. With workwear on the rise, and on the backs of everyone from Daniel Day-Lewis to Brooklyn Beckham, the moment is right for Engineered Garments.
What sets designer Daiki Suzuki’s vision of supreme functionality apart from more mass makers of painter pants and button-downs is his artistry and devotion to materials. This season, Suzuki drew from the New Romantics, cutting a loose silhouette in velvet, wide-weft corduroy, and rich brocades alongside the more standard-fare cottons and a custom double-face dull satin inspired by army fatigues. A jacket comes with a button detail pulled from Tyrolean coats, while another outerwear piece is a supersize take on medical gowns. It’s all just peculiar enough to stand out but just normal enough to qualify as everyday wear—and it all fits together like a garmento’s jigsaw puzzle. Trends would point to Engineered Garments as a must for this season, with leopard spots and patchwork trousers, but the simple suiting and sloped-shoulder bombers are worthy of mention, too. Put simply, they just work.
