We’re not going to bang on about it, but the last 18 months or so have had such a profound influence on the way in which men are now approaching their wardrobes. We’d be the first to admit that we enjoyed wearing comfortable loungewear for days on end, but now world order has resumed (for the most part) there’s an undeniable sense of vigour towards dressing up again. With that said, our FW21 collection marks a poignant period in our history as it’s our most sophisticated and mature offering of outerwear to date. Seeing that we’re now going to be leading such exciting, dynamic and multifaceted lifestyles, we need clothing that covers all the bases and from our classic Mac (a first for us) to our popular Parka and Shell jackets, we’re positive that we have you more than covered with this Made in England collection. To launch this season’s wares, we assembled a dream team consisting of the esteemed stylist Catherine Hayward (previous Fashion Director of Esquire) and photographer extraordinaire (and all-round top man) Jamie Ferguson. We’re a British brand at heart, but also an international one, and there’s no greater City in the world than London. Its energy is incomparable but not only that, it was also where Adam and Charlotte met and started dating. So, we crammed the team into a dear friend’s black cab with the collection, whizzed around central London and visited many of the spots they have fond memories of. Much like previous seasons, we worked incredibly closely with the wonderful people at Mackintosh, the heritage coat maker that was founded in 1824. The steps and processes that are executed within their Lancashire-based factory have been perfected over the course of almost two centuries, and we can think of no better manufacturer to work with in the entire world. For us, Mackintosh is a company that’s synonymous with dependable quality, and we’re in the business of making perennial clothing that’s long-lasting. As always, we’ve paid huge attention to fabrics this season and there are many standouts, particularly the navy windowpane check fabric from Loro Piana which we’ve used to make our Parka. With a soft handfeel, the fabric is composed of an outer layer of fine Wool fabric bonded to a technical laminate to make the cloth water and wind repellent, which is exactly what a Parka should do, whilst all of the seams have been taped to ensure that no water can penetrate the coat. The Parka itself is inspired by a vintage piece in Adam’s archive, and it has a military heritage but with a modern look and feel. We love the drawstring hood, which has old-school Hangman’s knots to adjust the fit. An equally special fabric we’ve worked with this season is a khaki nylon, which we’ve used to fabricate our other Parka which can be neatly packed away into an internal compartment. Woven in Italy by the venerable technical mill Olmetex, it has everything you could want from a lightweight fabric for dreary days – it’s breathable, water and wind resistant plus, thanks to the clever milling process, it’s also crease-resistant which means it looks sharp and crisp at all times. In terms of the design, it’s simple and refined, with little ornamentation for a sleek look which Adam likes and wears often when cycling around London on his Brompton bicycle. It would have been unjust not to have produced a classic overcoat with Mackintosh for obvious reasons, and so we’ve made one from a hearty Grey Wool that’s water and wind repellent due to it being bonded. It’s such a versatile tone and now that we’re going to catch up on lost time and go out a lot more, it’s a wonderfully easy option to have in your wardrobe, one to be relied upon for looking smart and keeping you dry. This is our take on a classic style, done the TWC way. Naturally, we couldn’t not produce new iterations of The Works – which is a modular concept of interchangeable pieces of outerwear that consists of our Shell, Bomber and Gilet, which can be combined to combat seasonal changes in weather. We’ve sourced a fantastic woollen check from Fox Brothers in Somerset, which will look great with our denim. The Bomber has had a bit of a makeover, too, as it now has a quilted design which gives it more of a vintage feel. The Belted Mac is a new design for us this season which will appeal to the more sartorially inclined folk. There’s also a streamlined navy Harrington jacket that’s perfect for mooching around town or into the office, and a revised take on our Field Jacket which is made from a khaki waxed cotton from the Dundee-based Halley Stevensons. To complement this season’s outerwear offering, there’s also a wide-range of new knitwear, from cashmere quarter zips to Shetland crewnecks, tailored trousers and, of course, our Made in Japan denim. Easy to wear, imminently versatile and thoroughly well-made, we loved creating this collection and are excited to dive a little deeper into it in due course.
