It’s back to business for Mark Weston, who embraced formality, structure and the rigor of uniform dressing for the man who’s no longer working from home. Other designers may still be dwelling in a world of hybrid dressing, cozy comfort and untucked silhouettes, but for Weston, it was tailoring (with a few subversive touches) all the way. During a walk-through in London, the designer referred to it as as “twisted classicism.”
Two-button jackets were shapely and sculptural, made from sturdy hopsack, or wool backed with Neoprene, while shirts came with button-on, removable collars. A paper-coated cotton raincoat had rounded, kimono sleeves, and was layered over a jacket and tie. Ties still fly at Dunhill, and this season they came in tone-on-tone diagonal stripes, or in solid colors to match the shirt.
There were military details galore, including a rail full of tailored shirts with epaulettes, and a lovely, safari-style jacket that had patch pockets with soft, puckered edges, for a “couture finish,” Weston said.
Top coats were sharp and sturdy. They came in kimono shapes and wrap styles, and were paired with the designer’s signature split-hem trousers, and leather briefcases. Remember those? They’re back, along with quilted backpacks and soft messenger bags.
Weston slipped in a few knits, too, layering slim turtlenecks under tailored jackets, or fuzzy, open-knit sweaters over shirt-and-tie combos. Even the less formal clothing had an elegant touch, as in Michelin Man-grade puffers covered with a wool check fabric, anoraks made with a bottle green technical moiré, and Chelsea boots with thick tractor soles for the inevitable trudge back to work.
