Ernest W. Baker founders Reid Baker and Ines Amorim are doing things their own way and hitting their stride from their new home base in Portugal.
As it eases toward its fifth anniversary, the brand they established in the image of Reid’s grandfather—a Midwestern ad man of a gentler era—can pride itself on having been shortlisted for the LVMH Prize in 2018 and winning international accounts at Dover Street Market, 10 Corso Como and Ssense.
For fall, the duo stuck with their core character, laying new ideas and accessories onto “the well-put-together Milanese man from the ’60s,” as Baker put it (being Italian on his mother’s side, Baker had points of reference to hand).
The designers clearly know their way around tailoring: sharp jackets and coats, whether in pin stripes or faux fur, are their strong suit, paired with trousers cut long and lean. A cardigan made according to a Portuguese finger-knitting technique that mimics shearling managed to look both crisp and cozy (no mean feat), while a faux mink belted coat tacked toward retro-fabulous. A jacquard zip cardigan with a rose motif—in black on beige or the brand’s signature red—was far from the only piece that suggested crossover appeal.
“When we’re developing a character for a season, it could very well be a woman too,” Baker allowed, hinting at possible developments on the near horizon. We’ll be tuning back in for those.
