Way back in the land before time (aka Fashion Week) I visited the Jacket Required show. A brilliant showcase of new menswear design from established brands such as Oliver Spencer and Mr Start, there were a few I had genuinely never heard of, and amongst those, one or two brands launching their very first collection.Genuinely it's not laziness not covering these brands until now. I just didn't want these great menswear designers to vanish in the sea of London Fashion Week. So over the coming days and weeks I'll be posting my reviews of the collections I saw. Not just established menswear collections but also one's to watch.
One of these was the very lovely Smith-Wykes, in a sea of the new Scandi-lite heritage brands this collection really stood out for me. Inspired by and large by early Woody Allen films the collection revels in a slightly geeky sphere, and also draws from the burgeoning rise of Scandi style.
Based between London and Paris the brand has been founded by Rory Wykes & Michael Smith are really driven in their brand ideas. Rory has a great menswear background having worked for the likes of Baracuta and Carven. Meanwhile Michael, originally from New York now living in Paris, brings a business edge and an eye for upcoming artists and musicians. Music and fashion have gone hand in hand since before Anna was an editor, and it's great to see a collection having a definite soundtrack.
The tailoring is sharp yet soft, the shirting is of a great quality, and having tried on the above check flannel harrington their cut is great. As ever it's about being slim and fitted without being skinny. I often end up asking brands if their fit is actually true to size, a small ask may be, but one some brands are way off. I never ever want to go up a size when trying things on. Yes this may be vain, but I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks this.
The colour palette ranges from strong blues to gingers, ambers then back to more commercial greys. The colours are all strong and will form a great core to your winter wardrobe. More importantly the pricing structure of the brand will be very reasonable in terms of luxe sportswear and heritage brands. Jeans should retail around £110.
My favourite pieces were certainly the check harrington, navy hoody and fur trimmed Caban jacket. This is brand I really hope this brand grows well in their opening season. Oh and remember where you heard of Smith-Wykes first.
