Advertisement

For fall, Woolrich Woolen Mills goes to the dark side

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.


Reporting from Milan -- For Woolrich Woolen Mills Fall/Winter 2010 collection, presented to buyers and media during men’s fashion week here Monday, designer Daiki Suzuki abandoned the red and black hunting plaids that have defined the line’s signature look in seasons past, opting instead for a sleek black-and-blue color scheme that might not be safe for deer season, but could certainly give you a tactical advantage at the next rod and gun club singles mixer.

‘I wanted to do something different,’ the designer explained. ‘I grew up in Japan in the ‘70s and ‘80s and I remember when Comme des Garcons Homme came out, and I was really influenced by that -- and by Yohji Yamamoto. It was a time when there were no limits for a designer.’

Advertisement

So this season Suzuki combined patterns and fabrics from Woolrich’s archives (including herringbones, hunting plaids and Hudson Bay stripes) with influences from those two labels to create a ‘hunting noir’ capsule collection of inky dark blues and blacks that includes a toggle-button pea coat, a reversible fisherman’s jacket (and matching hat with a button flap pocket) and a wool-cotton blend pair of jeans.

Suzuki noted that, in order to look their sharpest and sleekest, the final garments were not pre-washed as they have been in past seasons. (So, yes, those jeans will fade, and yes, they’ll probably look good when they do.)

It’s the most upscale iteration of the Woolrich Woolen Mills line to date, and as the popularity of heritage brands continues to grow, it’s likely the pieces in his collection will be among the most hunted come next fall.

-- Adam Tschorn

-- Adam Tschorn

Follow the Image section on Twitter

More from Milan Fashion Week

Advertisement