Alan Taylor II

"The main inspiration this season was the theory of the 4th dimension: if we were 4-dimensional beings looking at a 3-dimensional object, we wouldn't see the 2-dimensional view that our eyes perceive in reality. Theoretically, we would see every single side of the object simultaneously." Alan Taylor

 Exploring this notion  Alan Taylor has created whispers of other dimensions with translucent layers and dual fronted jackets.

Thank you

Alan Taylor I

I am really excited by the fresh approaches to menswear that are surfacing in this years collections. Here are some of Alan Taylor's AW 2013 collections with beautiful wool and tweeds treated to some sharp asymmetric tailoring and unusual styling such as the slash elbows.

"A friend of mine who was on my course recommend Magee Tweed to me and I just loved what they were doing and I liked the idea of working with an Irish company. They are incredible. It is a sixth generation family Mill, so much heritage but they are doing some amazingly innovative things with the tweeds. For my last collection, I used a mix that is woven using the classic tweed techniques but with an added silk yarn, so it is much lighter and much more breathable. I was blown away. It was the same again this season when the Head Designer proudly brought out the latest tweeds. They were amazing. I just had to have them."

Alan Taylor's collection has beautiful clean elegant lines and has bold diversification of the traditional male silhouette and to this end he has used and restyled the kilt.

In autumn 2012 he told ID; "I want to make an ‘Alan Taylor’ kilt – a very masculine and understated garment that, when he puts it on, the wearer is so comfortable with the idea of wearing that he completely forgets he is wearing it at all." Alan Taylor
Thank you

Workhouse

 Peter and Ryoko Leveritt are riding a turning tide, that will hopefully bring great changes to the fashion and clothing industry in Britain.

They believe in sourcing all their raw materials in Britain using traditional skills and craftsmanship and making clothing of a quality that harks back to an era when clothes were made to last because they had to. 

Peter and Ryoko are also ahead in that quest to revamp and get a pride back into men's fashion and clothing, creating timeless enigmatic style. 

"The clothes start with a historical reference point such as an old jacket or a picture. I like the idea of tailored, slightly dandyish coats that fit the body and collars that stand up." Peter Leveritt

Workhouse has been growing as a brand for over twenty years and has an annual turnover of £50000, with strong exports links with Japan. Hopefully following the recent launch of their online shop  they will go from strength to strength and encourage others to follow their lead.

J W Anderson

There is a lot of discussion about a renaissance in menswear this winter and suddenly very exciting and amazing collections are appearing.  
These are some examples from the androgynous collection for AW2013 by J.W Anderson. The winner of the British Fashion Award for Emerging Talent - Ready to Wear 2012
The design signature or inspiration is "Things that can be borrowed from a man to a woman and from a woman to a man". J.W Anderson
You can see the catwalk presentation of this collection here.

E Tautz : Patrick Grant

E. Tautz was founded in 1867 by Edward Tautz. In 1968, E. Tautz was incorporated into Savile Row tailor Norton & Sons. Headed by creative director Patrick Grant, E. Tautz was re-branded in 2009 and launched as a ready to wear label to wide critical acclaim. 

Tautz tweed is woven in the Outer Hebrides and according to Tautz folklore the knitwear is knitted by eight grannies in Wales. 

Modern dynamic design is blended with quality classic fabrics and Savile Row tailoring.

Patrick Grant is from Edinburgh and trained in Leeds and Oxford he has a passion about menswear and has been known to state that 'the state of British menswear made him want to cry'.

Excitingly for Scotland the company is moving to the Isle of Harris in 2013 and making tentative steps into womanswear.