The seventh edition of London menswear trade show Jacket Required (July 30-31) came to a close on Thursday. The two-day event presented the spring/summer 2015 offerings of some 220 brands across apparel, accessories, footwear and lifestyle products. Native Youth, DKNY Men, Elvine, Replay, Denim is Everything, Stighlorgan, Boy London, The Earth and Lacoste Chaussures were among the names presented within the vast space of The Old Truman Brewery, which served as jacket Required’s home for the second time.
A plethora of denim styles was served up and most brands offered a generous choice of fits, from skinny and straight through to tapered and slouchy. Repairs and heavy washings appeared often, but cleaner looks were just as important. New denim label Wåven, which exhibited at Jacket Required for the second time, had applied distinctive whiskering to add interest to different shades of blue denim. Meanwhile, startup label Duel Denim enjoyed its first ever outing at Jacket Required this season. The London based contender’s premise is to offer premium denim at affordable prices. Said co-founder Jasmijn Rijcken :“It’s unfair that only people with lots of money are able to buy high quality jeans – we intend to break that pattern by spending less on advertising and producing our collections in-house. That way we can keep prices down.” Duel Denim uses Italian fabrics and manufactures its wares in its own factory in Pakistan. Wholesale prices for jeans range from €20- 38.
A fresher palette had replaced the more exuberant color scheme of last summer– this tendency was evident across apparel, footwear and accessories. The combination of blue and white appeared in many collections; Libertine Libertine applied it to striped shirts, Gloverall had chosen it for its gingham check and Soulland used it for abstract all-over prints that adorned anything from backpacks to shirts. Innovative prints featured elsewhere, too – Edwin’s hand-drawn Japanese inspired variants appealed, and so did Wesc’s multicolored affair combining dandelions, hibiscus, mountainous landscape scenery and classic Volvo cars. The brand celebrates its 15th anniversary this year and the cheerful artwork serves as a worthy tribute to its Swedish skater roots.
As for the mood of the show, the first day saw a steady stream of visitors and exhibitors seemed contented. Said Zaza de la Hey of Edwin Europe: “We have ticked off all our pre-arranged appointments with buyers and members of the press, most of whom are UK based, and we’re pleased with the turnout of the show in general.” Despite the significant growth of the show, the brand mix is consistent and the adjacencies work well. The deliberately fuss-free nature of the booths and the layout in general gives the show credibility. But while it’s refreshing to visit a fair that shuns contrived formatting in order to focus entirely on the product, some variation in the expansive Jacket Required landscape wouldn’t go amiss. As for the growing line-up, here’s hoping that further startup labels will join the growing roster of established brands come next season.
Denim label Wåven’s spring/summer 2015 wares, at Jacket Required
A blue and white combo at Libertine Libertine, at Jacket Required
As for the mood of the show, the first day saw a steady stream of visitors and exhibitors seemed contented. Said Zaza de la Hey of Edwin Europe: “We have ticked off all our pre-arranged appointments with buyers and members of the press, most of whom are UK based, and we’re pleased with the turnout of the show in general.” Despite the significant growth of the show, the brand mix is consistent and the adjacencies work well. The deliberately fuss-free nature of the booths and the layout in general gives the show credibility. But while it’s refreshing to visit a fair that shuns contrived formatting in order to focus entirely on the product, some variation in the expansive Jacket Required landscape wouldn’t go amiss. As for the growing line-up, here’s hoping that further startup labels will join the growing roster of established brands come next season.
