Although British Summer Time officially begins on the last Sunday of March; for many, summer only truly arrives with the first wear of your favourite pair of shorts, spending a full day basking in a sunshine-filled beer garden, an investment in a new set of sunglasses or for numerous Brits – the day covers are drawn on the grassy lawns at SW19 for the start of Wimbledon.
With all eyes on the All England Club over the course of the next two weeks, just as a grand slam isn’t quite the same without the early exit of a top seeded player, our summer season feels slightly removed without a little rain stopping play.
And so today, Jacket Required introduces a set of international labels that join us at The Old Truman Brewery this July, with an essential offering of technical outerwear in preparation for a true British spring/summer 2015.
Engineered for Motion
EFM transforms high-performance fabric into luxury urban sportswear, so it’s no surprise Donrad Duncan – the first ever designer to be granted the legendary Massimo Osti’s archive licence is the innovator behind the brand. Having carved out a reputation as one of the few designers able to understand and fuse the most technically advanced performance innovations of military, alpinist and extreme sport clothing into a new kind of tailored urban elegance, the collection takes the essentials of the active urban male’s wardrobe and reconstructs them as sharp, tailored hybrids that move better, weigh less, do more.
As concept creator and principal designer of Victorinox and founder, designer and former owner of MA.STRUM, Duncan’s reputation is built on his obsessive creative working and reworking of the milestones of post-war men’s outerwear, which in his hands are metamorphosed into radically engineered clothing for the contemporary nomad.
Henri Lloyd Black Label
Henri Lloyd’s Black Label collection embraces new technical warrior trends seen on America’s Cup sailing teams, where technical stealth was seen in battledress proportion with the sleek, industrial contemporary design of the Wally yacht.
Hybrid fashion and sport separates are at the heart of the collection, as lightweight jackets are styled with minimal sweats and tees – all lending to a clean, sharp aesthetic. Embracing a black and grey colour palette, seasonal bright orange and aqua pops lift monochrome patterns and vector graphic prints woven into the fabrics to provide a sleek reminder of the collection’s sailing influence and key inspiration behind the graphics and the collection’s technical approach to fashion, all to outfit the urban hero.
Spiewak
With 110 years heritage, American outerwear brand Spiewak maintains its military and uniform roots for spring/summer 2015. Exploring the primary needs of service men, the collection introduces a number of iconic staple pieces that work well in every wardrobe, with new fabrics adding a contemporary feel, including Squadron Flight Satin, Nocturnal Camouflage and Waxed Flight Poplin, a waterproof and breathable nylon.
The Spiewak Golden Fleece collection also continues to evolve for the new season. Made entirely in NYC, the range reinterprets a new batch of iconic styles, including the Waxed M-43 Field Jacket, Reflective Fishtail Parka, and Waxed Deck Jacket; expanding upon the use of deadstock material and signature watercolour camouflage, experimenting with reflective camouflage fabric, practically invisible under normal lighting. Now, more than a century later, the brand endures as an iconic outfitter of utilitarian clothing for today. Trusted by the soldiers of WWI, WWII, police, firefighters and first responders for generations, Spiewak embraces its heritage while also looking forward to the future.
Didriksons 1913 Originals
In 1913, Julius and Hanna Didrikson began manufacturing oil garments in Grundsund, on the rim of the western coastline where Sweden meets the ocean, in a bid to meet growing demand from the local fishing industry.
In celebration of the Scandinavian brand’s 100th anniversary in 2013, the Originals Collection was a born – a premium alternative to its acclaimed core Urban Collection. Drawing inspiration from the Swedish west coast, the brand makes a deep dive into historical archives to create a classic range for 2015, rich in style and design detail, yet high in performance. Each garment made is of limited edition – a fusion of high fashion and function with the use of highly functional waterproof and breathable materials.
G-LAB
Jacket specialist G-LAB presents its first ultra-lightweight offering for spring/summer 2015. Extending optimal functionality with each design, the collection’s three-layer fabric is breathable, wind and waterproof and as light as a feather.
Turning purist design and understatement into style and exclusivity – a light feel, dynamic and assertive look combines with established technology to take on classic styles, reinventing them in a new and ultra-lightweight fashion. With a vision to create the ultimate urban jacket for daily cosmopolitan needs, G-LAB is driven by a passion for style and function led by over two decades of performance wear development experience in its designs.