Coco Chanel began to ply her trade as a milliner of note when she opened her hat boutique in Paris in 1910. She soon expanded to include ready-to-wear tailored coats and sporting pieces to ensure the fashionable ladies of Parisian society were appropriately attired for their various sporting and leisure pursuits. Her designs featured elegant yet defined silhouettes and luxurious but practical materials which quickly came to define her house style and remain iconic and distinct today. The Chanel house would continue to grow, offering all manner of luxury goods, leather goods, perfumes and, eventually, couture designs. The brand is widely regarded as one of the world’s pre-eminent high-end luxury fashion brands.
Tag Archives: FASHION
AQUASCUTUM
A legendary outfitter, famous, particularly, for their trench coats which rivalled that of Burberry and DAKS, Aquascutum was founded in 1851 and introduced their iconic waterproof outerwear range in 1853. The firm grew to become cherished by London’s most distinguished clientele, including a great many royals whom bestowed their respective warrants upon the brand. Aquascutum expanded their range to include a full suite of fashions, menswear, womenswear, accessories and tailored items, many featuring their distinctive house check. The brand has undergone a series of ownership changes in recent years with varying degrees of success.
DUNHILL
An iconic British gentleman’s brand, Dunhill, like so many of its peers, started out as a saddlery business that offered various equestrian accessories for well-heeled customers. When Alfred Dunhill took over the family business he began to manufacture various accessories for the motoring enthusiast and for wealthy travellers. A successful foray into smoking accessories for the travel market opened an entirely new business for the brand which opened its first tobacco shop in 1907 and continues to trade in cigars and smoking instruments today, now under the watchful eye of its parent company, Richemont. Dunhill is a quintessential English gentleman’s outfitter, continuing its tradition of supplying “everything but the motor”, with various accessories, leather goods, apparel and even bespoke tailoring.
HERMÈS
The ultimate in luxury brands, Hermès is synonymous with opulent and sumptuous goods, finished to the highest standards. This house has perfected the art of luxury since its foundation as a saddlery in 1837. From the outset, the Hermès brand was a favourite of the highest of nobility and the Parisian elite who would seek out no other maker for their equestrian and carriage equipment. The maison would use it’s leather-making expertise to craft various other accoutrement essential to the comfortable travel of its distinguished customers, including luggage and travel cases. With the advent of the automotive age, the brand would apply its prestige and know-how to upholstering the very best motor cars and expanding into leather goods, such as handbags, belts, boots and so forth. This also marked the transformation of the brand into a high fashion label, renowned for their selection of the best materials and elaborate prints to create beautiful accessories and apparel. Today the brand stands as the height of luxury, admired and desired throughout the world.
DAKS
When discussing traditional, iconic trenchcoats fashion experts often cite Aquascutum and Burberry as the classic choices. However, another great house with a similar history and status exists: Daks of London. The label was founded in 1894 and has garnered a loyal customer base and a reputation for excellence in the manufacture of tailored outerwear. The brand also offers a full range of tailored pieces, apparel and accessories for men and women, making it an outfitter of distinction for the well-dressed. Similar to those other rival brands noted above, Daks is also famous for its’ own house check.
MAX MARA
Few items of apparel are as iconic as Max Mara’s camel coat, a cashmere wrap coat that is, arguably, one of the most in-demand pieces of womenswear ever produced. It has been the mainstay of the Max Mara house, founded in 1951 as a Ready-to-Wear high fashion designer. Initially focussed on the Italian marker, the Reggio Emilia outfitters offer a full range of fashions, accessories, fragrances and jewellery to an international customer base. The label has also ventured into couture and has an acclaimed bridalwear range.
ZILLI: A LEATHER JACKET EMPIRE IS BORN
The Zilli story begins in 1965 with the foundation of the iconic brand which, today, is synonymous with luxurious apparel and stylish, tailored pieces, especially leather apparel. It was then that a collaboration would begin which would shape the direction of the Maison Zilli line – a collaboration between a French entrepreneur and an established Italian tailor with a reputation for sleek and elegant designs for discerning customers.
COLHAY’S: A LUXURIOUS MODERN TWIST ON AN ANCIENT KNITWEAR TRADITION
Colhay’s is a luxury knitwear brand that produces some of the world’s finest cashmere and lambswool sweaters. They are known for their high quality materials, craftsmanship, and timeless designs. Their sweaters are handmade in Scotland using traditional methods and are designed to be passed down from generation to generation.
CORNELIANI: ARCHTYPAL ITALIAN TAILORED STYLES FROM A RENOWNED FASHION HOUSE
Corneliani is an Italian luxury menswear brand known for its impeccable tailoring, sophisticated designs, and commitment to timeless elegance. Founded in 1930 by Carlalberto and Claudio Corneliani in Mantua, Italy, the brand has established itself as a leader in the world of high-end men’s fashion offering a broad range of quality knitwear, fashions and tailored pieces which may be customised through their made-to-measure service.
LUXURY SHIRT & SHIRTMAKER BRANDS
Many of the world’s most iconic fashion and tailoring brands began as by making shirts. Most of these houses still continue that tradition today, offering bespoke, made-to-measure or ready-to-wear shirts to their discerning clientele. Indeed, a well-fitted shirt is often the difference between being well-dressed and being poorly dressed. The subtle detailing and nuancing of a well-made shirt are often signifiers of one’s status and one’s mindset.
FITZGABRIELS 