Long before waxed cotton and tweed gave way to Gore-Tex and fleece, a tailored jacket was one of the most popular pieces of sportswear for men. Initially designed for the horsey set, the hacking jacket—hacking being the term for riding cross-country—was a linchpin of the male wardrobe in the UK, where it originated, and in America. It was built to withstand thornbushes and passing branches while providing warmth in the saddle. By the 1930s, the jacket had become a fixture even for non-riders, a way to say, “I may be off duty but I’m still keeping up appearances.”
Back then, the jacket was made of tweed, often with pronounced patterns in natural, country-inspired colors, and finished with details like slanted pockets and throat latches to make long rides more comfortable. Crucially, none of this had much to do with fashion. It was all about function, with a necessary nod to remaining presentable even when wandering around the outskirts of some far-flung estate. Fast-forward a century and the hacking jacket remains—blissfully—largely unchanged. The equestrian details are still there. The fabric is reliably a variation on tweed. And it’s still a great way to elevate your wardrobe without getting too fussy about things. Now you might find yourself pairing it just as comfortably with denim and loafers as corduroy and brogues. And the tie—much like the horse—is entirely optional.
Photographs by Ryan Slack
Styling by Andrea Rios
Grooming by Devra Kinery
Model: Thomas Gibbons at State Management
Originally published on Esquire UK
It is September, the month magazines typically turn their attention to the subject of style. Esquire Singapore may be far less conformist than many of this city-state’s publications, but delivering a fashion-centric September issue is one rule we’re glad to adhere to.
For much of my 20 years as a journalist and editor, I’ve covered fashion, among other subjects of vital socioeconomic importance.
Up until the pandemic, I would often spend much of each January and June at Pitti Uomo and the fashion weeks in London, Paris and Milan. Though I mostly focus on menswear, on several occasions, I had the privilege of attending the women’s couture presentations in Paris.
Being lucky enough to see Raf Simons’s spring 2013 Christian Dior couture show remains one of my most memorable fashion moments. Then a newbie to couture, Raf brought a crisp futurism to this classic discipline, creating structured gowns and mellifluous frocks that were ‘pretty’ and glamorous yet modern, and immaculately tailored suits that lent couture an almost everyday practicality.
(DIOR MEN'S SUMMER 2024)
The 2015 documentary Dior and I, which explored the frenzied eight-week creative process behind Raf’s first couture collection as artistic director for Dior, brought into sharp focus not only his passionate perfectionism but the incredible skill of the artisans toiling in Dior’s Avenue Montaigne ateliers. As much as the designer’s vision, it is these craftspeople’s painstaking execution of minute details that gives a couture garment its magic—contributing to a price tag that can stretch well into six figures.
It was details that distinguished the experience when I recently became one of the first customers of the Dior spa on Belmond’s Eastern & Oriental Express train, travelling through the jungles of Malaysia. Operating some of the world’s most elegant hotels, as well as several gracious sleeper trains and boats, Belmond was acquired several years ago by Dior-allied LVMH, making this collaboration very much a family affair.
Positioned between the dining and bar cars, the spa comprises two treatment rooms clad in rich tropical wood panelling carrying Dior’s canework motif, which figured prominently in Kim Jones’ spring 2024 Dior Men’s collection. Feature walls and bedspreads are dressed in Dior’s Toile de Jouy print, a graphic used across an array of apparel and accessories by the house’s current women’s artistic director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. The rooms look gorgeous, but where the Dior spa really impressed was in its attention to certain points that many five-star spas fumble.
(LUDOVIC BALAY)
Whatever plush fleecy textile was used to cover the massage table, it felt like lying on a cloud, and somehow, the face cradle miraculously avoided giving me the throbbing forehead-ache that most do. The music steered clear of meditative chants, nature sounds and panpipe cliché, instead opting for the type of laidback sounds you’d hear in a chic Parisian bar. (At several points, I wished I’d had Shazam handy. And a martini.)
Protecting my modesty, a zephyr-like cotton sheet of incalculable thread count was draped across me. It carried an embroidered quote from Monsieur Dior: “Au fond d’un cœur sommeille toujours un rêve,” which translates as “Deep inside a heart, there always lies a dream”—apt, as this spa experience was indeed dreamy. The massage itself was very nice, I might add. The vibrations as we rattled down the tracks added a certain je ne sais quoi.
(LUDOVIC BALAY)
I’d never been on a luxury sleeper train before, and it proved a terribly stylish way to travel. There’s an ineffable elegance to journeying at a pace far slower than an aircraft, relaxing and enjoying lush palm-treed scenery with a cocktail in one hand, a paperback of Paul Theroux’s Great Railway Bazaar in the other. “If a train is large and comfortable you don’t even need a destination; a corner seat is enough, and you can be one of those travellers who stay in motion, straddling the tracks, and never arrive or feel they ought to,” Theroux writes. Can confirm.
It was also pleasant to be in the company of travellers who’d made an effort to dress in key with the sophisticated surroundings. Prompting this, passengers on the Eastern & Oriental Express are issued with dress code guidance pre-departure, noting that the “atmosphere aboard is one of relaxed refinement,” suggesting that gentlemen should wear a sports coat or blazer for dinner, and to please avoid jeans or sneakers during meal times (where acclaimed chef André Chiang’s cuisine is served). Nearly everyone aboard stepped up sartorially, with a couple of gents going so far as to don a tuxedo one evening, adding to the sense of occasion and Agatha Christie-esque atmosphere.
(FRANKIE LIN)
Relaunched this year after a pandemic hiatus and a periodic spruce-up of its Art Deco interiors, the Eastern & Oriental Express currently navigates several different itineraries across Malaysia, and will soon also explore Thailand. Belmond operates classic trains in South America, Europe and Great Britain, but the man responsible for running the company’s mobile hospitality offering has a particular fondness for our local route, shunting from Woodlands to Penang and back.
“People always ask me which is my favourite train, and it’s like choosing between children—you’re not really allowed to say,” Gary Franklin, the vice president for Belmond trains and cruises, tells me. “But spending time on that train, sitting in the observation car, watching the Asian countryside go by, is amazing.”
Belmond’s philosophy centres on savouring both the destination and the journey, travelling in style, and much like the Dior atelier, having skilled personnel in place to ensure all the fiddly details are “just so”. “Luxury is evolving, it’s less about formality and more about genuine care. The art of hospitality is about creating an atmosphere where guests feel that everything is taken care of and that they are special,” Franklin believes.
“It’s about making guests feel comfortable, well looked after, and relaxed, creating an environment where people feel like they’re at home—but better,” he explains. “It’s not just about the tangible things like the quality of the food or the type of champagne served, though those are important, of course. It’s more about the people who make you feel at ease, the generosity and care that go beyond what’s expected.” In couture or hospitality, it’s the personal touch that makes all the difference. That, and a sense of style. Human qualities AI has fortunately not yet learnt to imitate.
Long before fashion houses consciously co-opted colours as brand identifiers, Dior was one of the first few to have incorporated the colour grey (specifically Trianon Grey or Montaigne Grey) as part of its visual vocabulary. Grey has become such an integral colour for the house that you’d be hard-pressed to find a single collection without the use of it.
It is said that Monsieur Dior’s fascination with the hue first began when he was establishing the couture house on the now-historic 30 Avenue Montaigne address. He drew inspiration from his childhood home in Granville, which featured hues of blush pink and grey. The latter, he regarded as a practical and neutral shade that’s elegant in every material expression from wool to tweed.
Grey continues to be a core element of the House and one that Dior Men artistic director Kim Jones refreshes time and time again. Across renewed menswear tailoring, reimagined bag silhouettes as well as modern classic pieces, Jones typically includes grey as a part of an item’s colourway. We reckon it’s equal parts to honour Monsieur Dior as it is exemplifying just how elegant the pigment truly is.
As one of Dior Men’s explorations of reimagining its icons, the recently released Dior Gravity series now receives a greyed out treatment. The embossed Dior Oblique motif is achieved through a delicate technique that marks the leather with the aid of gravity—hence the name. The latest iteration of Dior Gravity adds another layer of craftsmanship with a gradient of greys beautiful executed through a hand-spraying process. Dior artisans then cut, assemble and sew the elements one by one.
A duo of backpacks and messenger bags as well as a clutch are dressed in the gradient Dior Gravity. And just as how Monsieur Dior himself had envisioned, the distinct Dior elegance is apparent despite the pieces crafted as more modern, casual accessories. The Dior Oblique motif is slightly obscured as the shift from life to dark glides over each piece, adding a sort of dramatic subtlety—a kind of intricate element you'd find on a couture piece.
Before he was a prince, a wizard and a master of the air, Callum Turner was a model. Runway. High fashion. Louis Vuitton Spring 2009: the London lad was clad in an all-white 'fit of Paul Helbers' design.
So, becoming an ambassador for the luxury stalwart feels like a 360° moment for the actor who’s just a swish and a flick away from becoming a household name.
“I’ve always loved LV from way back when, and I truly enjoy the full circle part of joining the guys,” he exclusively tells Esquire.
For the customary announcement shoot, LV kitted him out in its yet-to-release men's Spring/Summer 2025 collection (his prop, a supersized sakura shade Speedy) showcased in June at Paris Fashion Week Men's.
Turner says they're the kind of pieces he would wear for “going out out”—a phrase we're sure went over a few heads in Paris—but also “for every day”. He's not surprised that Pharrell, “a constant influence” in his sartorial choices, designs clothes that align with his style. “I love Pharrell in everything he does,” expresses Turner. “His clothes are incredible, [and] the collection is fresh and cool and exciting.”
Speaking of fresh and cool and exciting, Gabriel Moses was the photographer on set, much to Turner's delight: “It was nice to work with a fellow south London boy all the way in Paris. We had a lot of fun.”
The buzzy British-Nigerian photographer is something of an LV ambassador himself, having shot several moments for the maison during Pharrell's reign and walked in the first show designed by the musician-turned-creative director.
Once a Louis Vuitton man, always a Louis Vuitton man, it seems.
Originally published on Esquire UK
Singapore's design scene has got a major upgrade as Beyond The Vines opens the doors to its first-ever Design House in the country. Located in the latest lifestyle hotspot New Bahru, the Design House is not only the brand's largest space to date, but also a bold celebration of creativity and its local roots.
Spanning an impressive 3,800 square feet, the Design House is more than just a retail experience. It's a visual and tactile journey, featuring geometric shapes, vibrant colours, and a mix of textures that invite exploration. From brushed stainless steel and raw concrete walls to glossy tiles and mirrored surfaces, the space blends industrial elements with playful design touches, creating an atmosphere that feels both modern and fun.
Step inside and you'll be greeted by a striking showcase of Beyond The Vines' iconic Dumpling bag series. The pieces are set against a wave-like structure in the brand's signature Engineer Blue colour as a nod to the brand's design philosophy of mixing the bold with the understated.
For Beyond The Vines' littlest customers, a whimsical kids' section inspired by building blocks, invites them to explore pillars stacked with geometric shapes. For adults and children alike, an immersive tunnel adds an element of wonder, making the Design House feel like a space for discovery as much as shopping.
Adding on to the already stacked design intricacies, Beyond The Vines debuts its first-ever customisation area within the Design House. Personalise accessories with in-house-designed lettered key tags to add playful and bespoke touches to everything from the Dumpling bags to Crunch Carryall to the Poofy series.
Beyond The Vines opened its first Design House in CentralWorld Bangkok a couple of months ago that was then, its biggest store. Its first Singapore Design House only proves that the brand continues to grow and push for good design that's accessible to all.
The Beyond The Vines Design House, New Bahru is located at 46 Kim Yam Rd, New Bahru Big Block #01-07.
It's become almost a given that a brand would look outside of its own homeground for celebrities and personalities who embody what it stands for. The world isn't confined to just one country or continent, after all. Burberry realises this, already tapping into a globally diverse range of faces and bringing them into the fold as brand ambassadors.
One of Burberry's brightest ambassadors is Bright Vachirawit. The Thai actor has been a constant presence in almost all of Burberry's activations around the world as well as its runway shows in London. It's no surprise then that Bright has grown to be accustomed to London, its people, and of course, its weather.
In the brand's extension of its "Burberry Outerwear" campaign, Bright stars solo as he regales about his experiences in London and waxing lyrical about the undoubtedly "Burberry weather" of the city and its romantic nuances. His outerwear of choice to tackle the unpredictability of London is none other than the Burberry trench—a piece that in essence, is ubiquitously London.
ESQUIRE SINGAPORE: What does London mean to you?
BRIGHT: Burberry makes London special to me. Every time I'm here, it's always with Burberry—they make it feel like a second home.
ESQ: Was London how you expected it to be the first time you visited?
B: It was better than I had expected. At first, I thought it would be sad and maybe moody. But when I got here, it was moody—but in a beautiful way. It made me feel romantic in some way.
ESQ: What was the weather like?
B: The weather was cold and windy, but sunny. I'd heard of the "British weather"!
ESQ: What item of clothing do you always rely on when you're in London?
B: London weather is always unpredictable. You need something that can protect you from all conditions while looking effortless, like a Burberry trench coat.
ESQ: What do you enjoy doing when you're in the city?
B: I love going to bars at night to see live music, and going to football stadiums. Every time I travel, I like to experience as many stadiums as I can. There are a few more I'd love to go to in London.
ESQ: How would you describe Londoners?
B: People in London are so friendly. The way they dress is very classic. It's not just in fashion, but it's part of the culture and the rich heritage; it's the way Londoners dress themselves.
ESQ: What were some of your most memorable moments from the Burberry Outerwear shoot?
B: The entire shoot was very memorable for me. It was another great opportunity for me to work with new people. It was a truly impressive new experience. If I had to choose one moment, it would be the time we cruised along the Thames River on the boat. The vibe was really good and it was a time when you get to see the city, its scenery, and interact with everyone on the boat. It was truly a memorable time.
ESQ: What is “Burberry weather” to you?
B: I think “Burberry Weather” is... a little gloomy sky with unpredictable weather. Never too sure if it’s going to be sunny or rainy. It also reminds me of cool air but windy. And a sense of cosiness. This is why I love a Burberry trench. It protects me from those kinds of weather.
ESQ: What's the best drink to have in rainy London?
B: Tea is good. A cup of earl grey tea will freshen up the moment.
ESQ: You have visited London for a few times with Burberry. What's your favourite seasons and why?
B: I like how it is in February. It's still very cold, which I enjoy. I get to play with my wardrobe, layering up with clothes, outerwear, scarf, and accessories. It's a time of year with weather we don't have in Thailand.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
It's not quite the festive season in London until famed department store Harrods is completely decked out and lit up. And this year, Loro Piana has gone full on with a complete takeover of Harrods' façade and more.
Across 36 windows of Harrods, the Italian brand invites everyone on a fantastical journey of its inner workings. The various animations showcase Loro Piana's 100-year-long heritage and savoir-faire as quality materials and brand icons are transported from one scenography to the other in beautifully intricate displays. It's like a grown-up, more luxurious version of Santa's workshop where, instead of toys, cashmere creations and bags such as the Loom bag are the gifts. Each window is also a lesson into the Loro Piana story with blurbs of descriptions to things like its Coat of Arms, the Gift of Kings series, technology like the Storm System, and more.
Beyond the splendour of the windows and decorations, the Loro Piana takeover includes two special pop-ups stocked with a series of gift ideas made exclusively for Harrods. They span across both women's and men's ready-to-wear rendered in winter-ready fabrications the likes of Sopra Visso wool, Baby Cashmere, and Vicuña. Timeless pieces like scarves (in a variety of materials and designs) and a slate of tailored selections offer everyday style accompaniments with a British undercurrent of equestrian touches, checks and classic solid hues. A selection of scarves can also be customised with initials for that extra personalised touch.
While the takeover and pop-ups are temporary, they herald Loro Piana's expansion within Harrods. Two permanent spaces are due to open—one dedicated to a kids' collection, and another to Loro Piana Interiors. It's safe to say that with its 100th anniversary this year, the Maison definitely wants to end it big.
The Loro Piana takeover of Harrods London will run until 7 January 2025.
“We’re all going to die. So let’s mess it up”. It may not be the most profound of life philosophies, but Brad Pitt’s words on the red carpet in 2022 sought to answer a much more basic question: why was the Hollywood star wearing a skirt? Indeed, perhaps the more incisive question would have been, ‘Brad, why does anyone care that you’re wearing a skirt?’.
If gender identity has become a hot-button topic of late, the gender divide in the way a man and a woman dress has been prevalent for much longer. Challenging the codes—received ideas as to what constitutes "masculine" and what "feminine" in dress—has been commonplace since the 1960s, when rock stars the likes of Mick Jagger and David Bowie started picking at the fabric of the debate. Of course, arguably they had licence too: as with Pitt—or Jared Leto, Lenny Kravitz or Steven Tyler, Travis Scott or Jaden Smith—being a performer gives a free pass to buck convention not afforded to the man on the street.
Yet the conventional does look to be increasingly fragile. The last few years have seen a proliferation of independent brands like Cold Laundry, Story MFG and LaneFortyFive opting not to state whether their clothing is for a man or a woman. Bigger brands—from Zara to H&M, Gucci to Marc Jacobs—have created ‘gender neutral’ lines, with designer Haider Ackermann saying he’d like his customers to wear his clothing without the notion of menswear or womenswear “dictating their choices”. Meanwhile, the Council of Fashion Designers of America—which awards the Oscars of the fashion industry—has added a "unisex/non-binary" category for its fashion week shows.
They are trying to capture a Gen Z culture that, according to a 2016 J WalterThompson study, shows that less than half of that demographic always shops according to gender, especially in specialty stores where men’s and women’s wear aren’t neatly segregated. And maybe they are simply following similar recent shifts to “de-gender” in other industries, from bedding to toys, cosmetics to fragrances.
Take, for example, the designer NickHart, best known as the man behind the Spencer Hart label, pioneering the modernising of sharp suiting, but now flipping that on its head with his new, eponymous, but still minimalistic brand, focused as it is around avant-garde, outsized and deconstructed clothing that he sees as being for both a man and a woman. There are echoes perhaps of 1980s Armani, who proposed Emporio piecesto the same end, long before “gender” had become a buzzword. But, Hart stresses, finding one style to suit both men and women need not be the only direction for unisex clothing.
“Particularly in big, more metropolitan cities, you see more and more men in floral prints, sheer fabrics, tight-fitting clothing. You see more adventurousness when it comes to hats and accessories, ”he says. “The message doesn’t have to be that this is men wearing more obviously ‘feminine’ clothing, even if these things would have been considered as much not that long ago. I think it’s probably all part of men going through identity issues more broadly now, questioning their place in the world and ideas of masculinity. That’s why Brad Pitt in a skirt is such an interesting image: it’s both empowering but also challenging to traditional men and society”.
Tanmay Saxena, the founder of LaneFortyFive, has seen both sides, having worked as a business analyst in the City of London—one of the most sartorially conservative enclaves—before leaving to launch his “gender-neutral” clothing line in 2016. “This does not mean that we make one shape/size-fits-all clothing,” he says, more that it comes from the notion of equalism, the idea of treating all things equally. That means an aesthetic that works for both men and women. That draws a distinction between traditionally gendered clothing that seeks to cross the divide that has long been there and clothing that doesn’t impose a gender divide in the first place. “Terms like ‘unisex’ or ‘gender-free’ in clothing are rather like the term ‘sustainable’ a decade ago: it was once sneered at, but now we’re more accepting of it. It’s part of the conversation now, and part of society’s betterment,” reckons Saxena. “For me, it’s a moral choice rather than a fashion trend, though it is part of style now. I’ve seen men pick up a pair of our trousers, ask if they’re actually women’s, be a bit confused by the answer and just buy them anyway.”
But is there scope for gendered clothing to cross the divide? After all, it’s hard to get Harry Styles out of his lace collars and gauzy pussy-bow blouses. He looks good in them too. But then the apparel in his own ‘life brand’, Pleasing, is mostly T-shirts, shorts, and hoodies. And therein lies one of the obvious hurdles: form and sizing. While we’re all different shapes, men and women fall into broad archetypes—broad shoulders and slim hips on men, breasts and wide hips on women—that can make fitting both a design challenge. Not for nothing have collections claiming to be unisex—sometimes for the purpose of virtue-signaling—so often amounted to little more than athleisure, long considered gender-less anyway.
Rob Smith, founder of the New York-based “gender-free” brand The Phluid Project, started out along similar lines, but Smith is bravely taking the next step with his brand’s new incarnation, launching next spring: think cropped tops, lacy shirts, and suiting with back-baring cut-outs for whoever wants them. He says that these clothes are about ditching stereotypes and applauding the simple idea of “wearing whatever it is that makes you feel good,” though he concedes that such garments are both harder to design, and to sell. “There’s a generation now that defines itself through dress very differently [from those before] and who, while many of them will dress this way as an experimental phase, also see [gender-free clothing] as being about greater openness and broad-mindedness,” says Smith. “There’s a readiness to embrace all those things that once only women were ‘allowed’ to wear—tight tops, certain fabrics, clothes that reveal certain parts of the body and so on. For a man to wear a pearl necklace or nail varnish is getting to be as ordinary as it is to see one with earrings now,” he adds, “and if you’d have asked me just a few years ago if they’d have worn those things I would have said you were nuts. I think this is an opportunity for men to embrace their sexiness more. But a lot of retailers are risk-averse and aren’t looking to the future that this generation represents.”
Maybe it will be different this time. For there is a history of attempts to break down the barriers between men’s and womenswear and the track record is not one of success. Jessica Glasscock, a fashion historian at Parsons School of Design, New York, and author of Wigging Out: Fake Hair That Made Real History, notes how the 1970s saw a wave of gender-fluid unisex lines, with leading department stores the likes of Bloomingdales in New York opening a unisex department. “But the result was mostly matchy-matchy outfits and looked quite awful,” she says. “They all closed within three years.”
In part, Glasscock notes, that’s because these things—hard though it may be to admit—tend to have dubious aesthetic appeal beyond a certain age; perhaps this is why the same J Walter Thompson study found that Millennials—those in their 30s and early 40s—did not tend to cross gender lines in their consumer choices anywhere near as much as Gen-Zers.
Dressing across the gender divide is an idea that has more readily appealed to the young: “It’s typically been part of youth culture because it works for lithe, youthful, more androgynous, ectomorphic bodies,” she says. Not for nothing is The Phluid Project aimed at 20somethings. Indeed, one further reason why gender-free lines have so often come unstuck, Glasscock argues, is that this same youth market doesn’t want the notion to be neatly packaged and sold to them.
“Youth culture is a resistant one. It’s not necessarily about being in political opposition to [the dominant] culture but transitioning between men’s and women’s clothing is part of that,” she explains—it’s long been considered bohemian and edgy. “[For them] it’s playful, more free, maybe about prolonging their childhood. But they don’t need unisex clothing to be made for them because they’ve already decided what unisex is.” We saw the same thing happen when designer brands tried to sell grunge style, she adds.
Paradoxically, it’s the young, of course, who, for the moment at least, are also more likely to embrace the very traditional gender divides now dominant in bodily appearance: for women, a blend of affordable cosmetic surgery and trends for hair extensions and outsized lashes, and for men, a gym and creatine culture, has led to a revival of—as older generations might welcome—women to look very much ‘like women’, and men who look ‘like men’. At least when they’re naked.
Maybe it is precisely because younger men are so overly masculine in their physiques that they feel safe to explore the feminine in their dress—without the concern that any onlooker will question their machismo. Hart calls it the Love Island Effect. It’s why nobody is wondering whether Brad Pitt is, after all, a bit fey or camp because he’s in a skirt—though he was careful to wear his with combat boots just to make sure.
And yet even with this toying with the codes of the masculine and the feminine, there are limits. Glasscock argues that, try as designers might to get Joe Average into skirts—from Jean-Paul Gaultier to, more recently, Thom Browne—it remains what she calls “a bright line” that cannot readily be crossed in developed countries (though she notes that in some still very much patriarchal cultures it’s commonplace for a man to wear a skirt-like form of traditional clothing). He can’t quite put his finger on why but Saxena can’t buy into the idea of skirts for a man either.
“Things that are made for women that I feel will look good on me—that I like—I will wear,” as Gen Xer Pharrell Williams said in 2019. “[But] I do have my lines. Like, I can’t wear no skirt. Nor am I interested in wearing a blouse. That’s not my deal.”
Maybe it can be argued that while women have now been largely, if not yet completely, free to embrace wearing a version of menswear for decades—from Coco Chanel pushing men’s tailoring for women, through to The Gap’s proposal of the “boyfriend jean”—this is one way in which men don’t have an equal right. They are not equal with women in their sartorial self-expression.
“Men have a lot of freedom but it is in a specific context,” as Glasscock explains, “and I think a lot of spaces are still fundamentally conservative. [More feminine dressing] may be more accepted in some creative professions, such as in the advertising or the graphics department, but probably not in accounting. Do men have a desire to push the boundaries of what they can wear? Maybe. But do men have a burning desire to push themselves so far they can wear a skirt to the office? Maybe not.”
It’s why, she suspects, interest in gender-fluid dressing is likely ultimately more a matter of fashion than of seeking new freedoms, with the pendulum eventually, inevitably, set to swing back to established convention. After all, the codes that define menswear—through the boardroom, formal events, institutions, and so on—are deeply ingrained. They are going to take some shifting.
While there have been utopian visions of the beautiful, comfortable unisex uniform before—or more dystopian, if the likes of Mao’s Communist China are considered—Glasscock argues it may be some time before we’re genuinely oblivious to whether a garment has been made and marketed for a man or a woman and can look on all clothing as just being clothing.
For all the interest in the current exploration, gender-free clothing—whether that be unisex, or womenswear for men, so to speak—may forever be a niche interest and little more than a recurring fad or intellectual exercise. As Thom Browne has said about introducing a below-the-knee Harris tweed skirt for a man in his winter collection last year, “I don’t really care if anybody wants to wear it, but I think it looks good, and it’s an interesting proposition for anyone who does.”
“For the moment [for a man to wear distinctly female clothing] seems to me like a very intentional, spectacular act,” Glasscock agrees. “Once it’s not confrontational and just one of your wardrobe options, well then we’ll see."
These days, it's no longer enough to be produce an It bag. The 2000s and their stylings may be back and experiencing a (rather long) resurgence, but the trendy mindset of the times aren't being adopted as much. We're more cognisant of our purchases—buying designs and pieces as investments instead of fleeting of-the-moment wants.
The Hermès Birkin has unwittingly become the benchmark for this enlightened approach to luxury fashion and it's not difficult to see why. It-bag status has been replaced with a flagship investment bag so tied to a fashion house that it's bound to be a perennial hallmark unaffected by trends; the Birkin's continuously sought-after demand and distinct aesthetic has made in an icon of design as well as status.
That's not to say that a fashion house like Balenciaga hasn't had hits or isn't known for a particular style. In fact, the Balenciaga City bag by former creative director Nicolas Ghesquière was an indelible part of the noughties that the House brought it back into rotation since 2021 under a rebranded Le City tag. It also became a point of reference for the Le Cagole line, featuring the former's signature studs. But a Birkin-equivalent, Le City is not.
What makes a bag worthy of being exalted to Birkin status, you ask? For one, a design that's quite unlike any other with elements you'd immediately associate it with. Like the Birkin, an icon hopeful needs to have a versatile everyday appeal and practicality while exuding a sense of elegance—you should just as easily bring it to the office and still stuff it to the brim with groceries and all manner of randomness. Then, there's the potential for it to age and age well, meaning that it has to be made with stellar craftsmanship and material. And of course, there's the aspirational pricing that offers some sort of exclusivity to owning one.
The Balenciaga Bel Air could potentially be Balenciaga's answer to the Birkin.
A completely new design by creative director Demna for Balenciaga, the Bel Air made its first appearance only this year and had already appeared in a campaign fronted by brand ambassadors Isabelle Huppert and Michelle Yeoh, and Naomi Watts in August. In the latest Bel Air campaign, Balenciaga positions the bag as a gender-neutral option with the XL iteration worn by model Kit Butler and Juyeon of K-pop group THE BOYZ.
The Bel Air is in some ways a follow-up to the Balenciaga Rodeo but packed with a bit more functionality. Unlike the latter, the Bel Air is constructed with gussets at the sides that unbuttons to transform it into a roomier piece with extended sides. The front of the Bel Air (like the Rodeo) is interchangeable as well between a clean exterior and that of a more relaxed folded front that's instantly recognisable. Space-wise, the XL version (it's also available in small and medium) is massive with a wide inner zipped compartment and a fully unobstructed interior space.
There's no denying that the Bel Air is well made too. It's crafted from smooth calfskin that's also soft enough to give that supple drape at the front. Yet at the same time, it's a sturdy piece. And going at SGD10,900 for the XL size, it isn't something that's easily accessible to a lot of people.
It may be too soon to predict how the Bel Air will fare in the luxury market. But given all that it has going for it, this could potentially be Balenciaga's next big thing, and if done right, it's very own answer to the Birkin.
When Lewis Hamilton was announced as Dior’s brand ambassador in July this year, it probably came as a shock to no one. The multiple Formula 1 record holder—the man has the most career wins and world championship titles to date—isn’t just a blur on the racetrack, he’s quite the snazzy dresser off of it. Specifically, Hamilton had been spotted wearing Dior Men on multiple occasions while making the F1 Grand Prix circuit this season.
Brand ambassadorships are a well-established concept that works. But at the rate persons of note are being conferred the title, it’s nigh impossible to keep track of who’s affiliated to which brand. What is rare, however, is a brand ambassador whois more than just a physical embodiment of what a brand represents.
Hamilton seems to have a knack for taking his involvement with fashion brands a step further than the norm. With Tommy Hilfiger, Hamilton co-created four TommyXLewis capsule collections from 2018 to 2020, imbuing his own personal sense of style to that of the American brand. And now at Dior Men, he’s charging ahead with a capsule collection designed together with artistic director Kim Jones.
“Working with Kim and the talented team at Dior has been a dream, and I was honoured when Kim asked if I’d like to do this with him. Our values and ideas are aligned, making it easy to bring to life a creative collection infused with our shared experiences,” Hamilton expresses.
The new Dior Men Lifestyle Capsule collection is not F1 , or even racing-related, because that would be far too predictable and Hamilton is a multi-faceted individual. Instead, the collection revolves around skiing and snowboarding as a personal celebration of Hamilton’s love for an outdoor-centric winter lifestyle. He’s an adrenaline junkie and has a love for extreme sports aside from motorsports.
“We share a love of nature, a desire to celebrate Africa and an interest in the artisanal processes and techniques that unite craftspeople in Africa with the savoir-faire of the Dior ateliers. Added to that, this collection also reflects Lewis’ sporting side, his virtuosity and our functionality,” says Jones.
In many ways, the Lifestyle Capsule collection is a global effort. African-inspired motifs are incorporated within the collection (Jones grew up in African countries in his early years), adding vibrancy to technical functionalities. African weaves made in Burkina Faso, for example, have been crafted into casual suiting by the Dior ateliers, and custom snowboards by Switzerland-based Factory 9 feature Dior branding set against graphic African-inspired motifs. The collection’s technical skiwear by Japanese sportswear brand Descente too are made to withstand the harsh cold conditions on the slopes. The expertise rendered by these different “global ateliers” all ensure that not only do the pieces look exceptional and on par with Dior’s craftsmanship, but that they also function on the same level.
Hamilton has taken it a step further by pushing the boundaries of the Dior ateliers in ensuring that sustainability isn’t an afterthought to the creation of the collection. Having been on a plant-based diet since 2017, Hamilton insisted that no animal leather is to be used for any of the pieces in the Lifestyle Capsule collection. He’s pushed for more conscious choices in terms of materiality. The collection’s ready-to-wear such as slouchy denims, knitwear, and fleeces are made partly using organic or recycled textiles. A micro-fibre snow shoe, the Dior Snow derby, has been designed to serve as a casual pair of footwear while simultaneously being capable of performing on the slopes over a snowboard—a cleverly designed versatile pair.
These new touches serve to enhance the collection while retaining the essence of a Kim Jones Dior Men collection. The B44 Blade sneaker is a new addition to Jones’ expanding sneaker offerings for Dior Men. Conceptualised with a decidedly 2000s silhouette in mind, it’s undoubtedly sporty in its allure and rendered in tasteful gradations of colours. It’s too early to say if the design will become a mainstay for Dior Men but it definitely fits in with the existing Dior Men universe.
In an interview with WWD, Jones hints that there will be more to come. “This is almost like a taste, and then we get into bigger collections,” he said of the partnership with Hamilton. And to that, we’ll just have to wait and see what comes next, because this collection, in essence, is quite a game-changer for a house like Dior.
The fact that Tod's has been around for over a century is not lost on those who have ever slipped their feet into its shoes, myself included. Tod’s time-honed expertise and craftsmanship of its artisans are apparent in the make and feel—from the iconic classics to newer iterations developed from its archives.
The deep dives are constant, and why shouldn’t they be? The brand’s heritage is founded on craftsmanship and referencing it only serves to further emphasise the quality of its creations.
For example, the T Timeless series is characterised by the T symbol, an iconic detail that has become an instantly recognisable identifier of Tod’s. It makes its presence felt on a slew of bags, shoes and accessories, both as a mark of the brand as well as a reiteration of the item’s timeless appeal.
The series consists of true Tod’s staples. The ever iconic Gommino loafers—the pebbled sole footwear that made the brand a household name—is branded with the T Timeless hardware that sits seamlessly on the shoe’s bridge. Then, there’s the T Timeless crossbody bag (seen here on global brand ambassador Xiao Zhan) is affixed with the symbol as a sleek buckle that adds a refined character to the clean lines of the bag.
Tod’s skilful way of designing and crafting timeless pieces is exemplified in its latest T Vintage shoes. As the name suggests, the new sneaker references the sporty styles of the ’80s and ’90s, with topstitched detailing to highlight its more casual aesthetic. The wedge sole is designed to provide exceptional comfort and support, lined with the signature Gommino pebble rubber sole for that grip and durability. The T Vintage is available in a number of colourways true to its sporty inspiration, but a duo of sleek, all-leather variations are understated elegance at its best.
Our possessions do get beat up pretty easily especially if they’re continuously used. But the thing with Tod’s is you can rest easy knowing that for the entire lifespan of your item, the design will stand the test of time. T for Tod’s; T for timeless.
No, there isn’t a new artistic director at Berluti. In fact, there hasn’t been one since Kris Van Assche left the Maison in 2021. There is, however, a new CEO in the form of Jean-Marc Mansvelt.
Mansvelt has been in the LVMH Group of brands for decades. He had spent about 10 years in Louis Vuitton before moving to become jewellery house Chaumet’s CEO in 2015, focusing on storytelling to revive what was often referred to as the “sleeping beauty” of the jewellery world. And while high jewellery is far from the world of luxury fashion, Mansvelt is likely to enact a somewhat similar approach to Berluti as its CEO.
The Maison’s latest campaign is the first of what is certain to be many new directional changes for Berluti. Lensed by Bastian Archard, whose works often capture objects and people in a quiet and intimate manner, the 17-image campaign zeroes in on the Maison’s emblematic pieces. They’re treated like objets d’art—shoes and bags positioned on pedestals, while ready-to-wear pieces envelope and take on the personalities of the models they’re put on.
There’s no distinguishing the timeless Berluti classics from pieces picked out from the latest collections. It’s a strategic and artful approach to signal this new chapter of Berluti where seasonality is seemingly obsolete. Instead, the focus is on the craft honed by its artisans. A number of the images from the campaign highlight the design intricacies and details that are easily recognisable for those already familiar with Berluti, while serving as a reminder of the hands and artistry that go behind each piece. The tone-on-tone hand-stitching of the Andy loafers, and the sliver of the contemporary on the sporty-soled Fast Track leather sneakers showcase time-honoured expertise, and are essentially a snapshot of the artisans themselves. The scuffed up and worn out soles of a pair of Alessandro lace-ups demonstrate that Berluti’s pieces are meant to be lived in and remain dependable for years to come.
Perhaps, the most drastic change is the return of the classic Berluti logo. The serif typography has been revived, given due prominence with each and every campaign image bearing the mark—even alongside the Van Assche-initiated trademark onto the sole of a pair of boots. And like the creations it’s featured against, the emblem radiates character and renewed energy, a signifier of the history and upcoming stories yet to be told with the brand.
All that is to say: Berluti is home.
