Behind the Design: Our new summer collection
This season, Hawes & Curtis presents a collection inspired by our past clients and the Great British summer. We caught up with our resident menswear designer, Kate, to discuss how she finds inspiration, her favourite fabrics and why details matter.
THE INSPIRATION
"We always look to our heritage for every collection. Hawes & Curtis has such a rich history and archive that it’s always a natural starting point. We found this wonderful ad from 1931 from the Punch Almanack that states Hawes & Curtis are 'Hosiers, Shirtmakers and Tailors to the Best Dressed Men in the World'. It was such a simple statement and it really inspired us to think about how we dressed our past clients and how we could bring that spirit forward into the summer."
THE FABRIC
"Fabric choice is really the crux of our design process and it’s the thing that dictates most of our decisions. Whether it's for shirts, suits or even chinos, fabric texture and colour is so important to us. We spend so much time on getting it right because we want our customers to see our clothes as a collection."
"I love our Bengal stripes for this season. Stripes are so easy to wear, so we did them in a range of fresh colours, making it an effortless way for men to incorporate colour into their office wardrobe. I think our customers appreciate that we make dressing well as easy as possible."
THE DETAILS
"Details are key and I think it’s our focus that sets us apart. Take our Curtis collection, for example. From digital patterns, placket stitching, buttons, collar contrasts to even buttonholes - we’re always pushing ourselves to make shirts that speak volumes about our craftsmanship and the eventual wearer’s passion for design."
THE STYLE
"Just imagine either the Duke of Windsor or Cary Grant escaping the city to one of their country estates for the summer. That was the style we wanted to translate into the summer collection. You could be a city worker, wearing a light formal shirt and a textured tie and become the holidaymaker in garment-dyed chinos and the perfect washed button-down without much effort at all."
Discover the new collection here.
