LONDON — It’s been a frenetic six months for Dunhill’s artistic director Simon Holloway. In February, he made his debut for the model with a fall 2024 assortment proven throughout London Trend Week and now he’s all prepared to indicate spring 2025 — in Milan.
The narrative for his sophomore assortment was constructed on the concept of a quintessentially British wardrobe full of tailoring, knitwear, wealthy leathers, delicate suedes and English wool. It noticed him diving deeper into the Dunhill archive, reimagining outerwear and making use of a lighter hand to the tailoring.
Holloway is fascinated by the English custom of carrying tailoring for day and night, and stated the gathering explores “an idealized, pinnacle life-style of a British gentleman — a journey from sensible garments for city by way of the summer season season to the coast.”
Males within the rain on the races, circa 1990.
Courtesy of Dunhill
“It’s a chic expression for off-duty [dressing]. I wouldn’t say we’re exhibiting seaside garments, nevertheless it’s about wanting sensible when touring,” he stated.
Holloway was additionally impressed by summer season racket sports activities — “the temper, the garments — each the gamers and the spectators. That conflict of athleticism and ritual in sport that solely exists in England. That heritage of dressing for sport that’s nonetheless related at this time,” he added.
American actor Robert Montgomery in 1932, shot by John Kobal.
Courtesy of Dunhill
The weather of sports activities are in all places, within the relaxed shoulders; feather-light jackets; tailor-made sneakers constructed from pure rubber, and silk jacquard jackets for the tuxedos and eveningwear.
The pale shade palette nods to the outside with shades of grey, softer variations of navy and ivory present in English rose gardens.
The feel and sample of an umbrella.
Courtesy of Dunhill
The present will happen within the middle of Milan in a leafy backyard that evokes the sensation of an English backyard social gathering, just like the one the designer attended a number of weeks again at Buckingham Palace, which was hosted by King Charles.
Holloway was nicely dressed for the unreliable English climate, and he hopes that Dunhill’s shoppers will take his cue going ahead. “I used to be carrying a morning coat and a high hat with a pair of sun shades and carrying an umbrella. It was sunny one minute, after which the clouds got here, [and then there was a] downpour,” stated the designer.
Dunhill advert, circa 1980.
Courtesy of Dunhill
Operations at Dunhill moved to Milan on the finish of 2022 with the industrial showroom, pre-collections and gross sales groups relocating there.
“Milan is the house of great basic menswear and that’s the place we should be,” stated the designer, who’s British and who lived for years in Italy, working for manufacturers akin to Agnona and Hogan.
Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby in “The Nice Gatsby.”
CBS through Getty Photographs
That’s additionally why the model has chosen to indicate within the Italian metropolis. “Though our desire would at all times be to indicate at residence in London, there may be nearly no attendance from a menswear viewers on a global stage from the U.S., Asia and Europe. It actually limits our publicity, and Dunhill is a global home,” he stated.
In its year-end outcomes assertion, Dunhill’s mum or dad Compagnie Financière Richemont stated the newest collections by Chloé and Dunhill had carried out nicely commercially. Richemont doesn’t escape outcomes for its particular person manufacturers.
Dunhill’s artistic director, Simon Holloway.
Courtesy of Dunhill
A spokesperson for the model stated the suggestions from clientele following Holloway’s debut had been optimistic. WWD named the Dunhill present because the winner of Who Gained the Day? for the primary day of London Trend Week for making tailoring thrilling once more
Following the success of fall 2024, the model has been increasing within the U.S. market, partnering solely with Neiman Marcus in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco. The model can be reentering the South Korean market, the place its light-weight materials have been nicely acquired.
“Our strategy to neighborhood constructing can be actually key for us,” stated the model spokesperson. “We glance to construct real, natural communities of like-minded folks — not mass teams of followers. Whether or not it’s supporting the Frieze Masters Talks or our ongoing Profiles sequence [which spotlights influential members of the Dunhill community], we glance to attach on a deeper, resonant emotional stage.”