Jack WardlawThe King of wool suits, Thom Browne, has just launched a capsule collection for online menswear retail giant Mr Porter. The fifty shades of grey, the cuffed trousers and the skinny shapes have become synonymous with the brand and now he has redefined his signature suit for Autumn/Winter 2014 in collaboration with Mr Porter.
Senior Mr Porter buyer Sam Lobban said of the collection: “We loved the show in Paris in January and asked Thom Browne to create a Mr Porter version of it – which is exactly what he has done”.
The nine-piece collection draws inspiration directly from Browne’s AW14 runway show, and revolves around his iconic suit. The collection includes a jacket, trousers, overcoat, Oxford shirt, cardigan, sweatshirt, tie, chukka boots and beanie hat, all in grey wool and tweed. “The clever thing is, he keeps deconstructing and reconstructing it so that it stays fresh,” said Lobban.
The capsule collection utilises herringbone and Shetland wool, with patterns mixed together to create a “fun-mix” that ran through the runway show. Perhaps most interesting about this collection is the variations on the single grey colour.
The jacket and coat are made from two halves of grey herringbone in different shades, and each leg on the trousers is different for example.
According to Browne himself, the collection is all about “keeping it simple”. “There is something beautiful about creating a uniform for yourself so that it almost looks as if you don’t think about it in the morning”.
Well, despite the monochromatic colours, this collaboration most certainly isn’t going to blend in to a crowd. Who knew that fifty shades of grey could be so exciting?