“We established codes, we know who we are, and what we’re doing,” says Reid Baker over Zoom from Viana do Castelo, Portugal. “It’s not a season-defining collection, it’s more of a season-refining collection.” Despite being only four-ish years into their business, Baker and Inês Amorim have clearly laid out their Ernest W. Baker dude: Flared pants, sensual suiting, and a sort of punky-louche spirit.
For spring 2022 they’re adding to the emotionality of their offering. The first look, a red brocade double-breasted suit, is one they describe as “roses rained into the fabric.” It’s as though the red petals have bled into the material. The floral motif is carried into a large leather gardener bag and hand-crochet flowers on nerdy little sweater vests. A golden tooth necklace is picked up from a Portuguese tradition where a mother wears the first tooth her child loses as a necklace. Even if they want you to wear knee-length shorts with cowboy boots—a look somehow both quirky and kinky—you can’t shake the wholesomeness of their brand.
Despite being adamant that they’re just doing business as usual but better, there is plenty of new, too. A cobalt tracksuit and a caramel leather one are what Baker and Amorim call “grandpa athleisure.” A check longline jacket is unshakably elegant, and they’ve made Mary Jane sneakers in black check gingham as well as white/black derbies with a slight platform. The lapels of their long vests are dotted with hand-painted ceramic pins, and roses are lasered into jeans—there is a lot of soulfulness here and a lot of salability, too.
