Last year when I was thinking of our Spring 21 collection in the middle of lockdown, I couldn’t help but think of all the postponed occasions that happened. I could only imagine the disappointment of having to put on hold meaningful moments in the lives of so many people who had put so much into a wedding plan, a family get-together, a bar mitzvah, perhaps a special birthday dinner, a graduation, and all those missed moments put on hold indefinitely.
This year, it would seem that people are tentatively making plans again, planning ahead, perhaps on a much smaller scale in an attempt to find something to look forward to after a long year of sacrifices.
Consequentially, I was hopeful at that time last year, with the start of spring and a new season, there would be a renewed interest in suiting and dressing for special occasions. This prompted me to really focus on our offering and imagining what someone could be looking for.
I know that for any special occasions, not all budgets are the same, and building choices that could offer something wonderful at every price point was an important strategy. I didn’t forget that it is also a moment, especially a wedding, when a groom may want to splash out on a very special tailored choice, custom-made not only for his body but to celebrate the moment for himself and his spouse.
The Spring Suiting takes inspiration from a family wedding in Provence. It’s an incredibly romantic place, with rolling hills filled with flowers and crops of herbs used in the local fragrance industry which supplies global fragrance houses. Scattered amongst these fragrant hills are quaint French villages and farms, with rustic charm and simple, rural architecture that is at the heart of Provincial Style – which is known colloquially as ‘Shabby Chic”. Having lived in Monaco for 9 years, we would often drive up into the hills of Provence, just north of the coast, to discover the towns and countryside of the area. We’d always return with great food and wine purchases not least, wonderful memories.
My palette is really an homage to the shades of lavender, faded blues of paintwork and herbal greens with some pale greys inspired by the stonework found in this region of Southern France. When working with our J.Hilburn mills, I set off to find really special fabrics that could reflect in a subtle way all the richness of Provence, and like memories themselves, capture complexity in a simple and effortless way.
The patterns are ultra-fine with plaids almost appearing and disappearing, they are so subtle, but at the same time, deep in texture with a multitude of accent colors hidden in the weave. This suiting collection really has some of the most handsome fabrics from our partners, Ermenegildo Zegna, Loro Piana, Vitale Barberis, Trabaldo Togna and Reda. It reaffirms our essential collection too, with the introduction of some timely updates in new soft colors enhancing our offering for Spring.
In shirting, aside from the essential favorites, I have chosen some new shirting from a Turkish Mill – Soktas, which adds affordability to the spring checklist. The Turkish cotton is known for its softness and we all probably own towels or robes made from Turkish cotton. Soktas has always specialized in shirting, evolving the collection to keep up with European taste and demand not least, technology. The stretch jacquard swatches are quite special with modernity and performance. I love how detailed these weaves are and I styled them out using each other as subtle contrast for details that make the difference. The Italian neckwear and pocket-squares from Ratti really are the finishing touch for a special day, with micro designs in print and colorations that only an Italian eye can achieve.
Whilst building the spring suiting collection, I realized that these suits are also perfect for our many clients who are still having to or choose to wear a suit for work. They really give the client something special to discover this spring with a new and widened range of our exclusive suiting fabric to add to his J.Hilburn custom-made wardrobe.
