Streetwear’s great, but boy is it nice to see a man in tailoring. The best part of NewGen designer Luke Derrick’s work? His suits bring a little bit of both.
The LVMH Prize semi-finalist, who did stints at Brioni, Dunhill, and Savile Row, modernizes his traditional tailoring background through references to London’s diverse street style.
“You’re encountering kids throwing Nike windbreakers over their school uniforms or Air Maxes under jalabiyas,” he explained. “The modern makeup of multicultural London is much more free to pick and choose traditional and new things – to mix fabrics and cut in a way that’s just about self-expression.”
Classic silhouettes — tuxedo jackets, double-breasted suits, and slouchy trousers — came refreshed via unexpected materials, like Japanese wool jersey, iridescent chambray, micro-corduray, and funny velveteen in offbeat, but divine, navy, yellows, and greens.
“There’s an idea that traditionally, British tailoring is meant to be quite structured and like armor,” said Derrick. “So, that’s happening. But up close, the garments are compressible and comfortable.”
That came through in the squidgy overcoats and scarves, padded with an ultra-thin layer of ethically and sustainably sourced duck feathers.
British menswear can often feel reserved for the snootiest, suit-iest Savile Row bunch. Derrick is making wearable tailoring for cool, confident, and modern men with pieces that aren’t so histrionic.
They’re just the sort of handsome pieces – worn by handsome men, like actors Khalid Abdalla and Jonathan Aris, who walked in the show – that you’d admire on the street.
