The rural southwest of England is on the rise.
There was first Louis Vuitton which, in its last men's spring - summer show, recalled that in 2005, Marc Jacobs (then the artistic director of the trunk maker) had drawn his inspiration from
Retour à Brideshead
, a novel by Evelyn Waugh. set in Wiltshire (soon to be adapted by Luca Guadagnino for the BBC).
Then, a little further north in Gloucestershire, the eyes of
The Crown
fans
turned to the immaculate suits of Josh O'Connor, as Prince Charles, hands in pockets, at Highgrove.
And now Luke Edward Hall is restoring the landscapes of the same county (where he lives) for his collaboration with Gant, on sale since November 5.
To read also: The secrets of the costumes of "The Crown"
,
the Netflix series on the British royal family
“
I was keen to develop a cloakroom dedicated to the English countryside because I now spend all my time there
,” explains the artist from London through Zoom.
We therefore find tweeds for long walks in the open air, but also silk shirts for dinners.
The look is colorful, faithful to the aesthetic of Hall, whose designs have won over the
Financial Times
(he holds a column there), Liberty and even Habitat.
A rugby polo shirt is adorned with horizontal lilac and green stripes.
Pale pink dresses oxford and end-to-end shirts.
The corduroy suits are reminiscent of the 1970s with their short shape and generous lapels.
“
When I think of the British style, I obviously think of the mixture of bright colors and bold patterns, and therefore of Luke
, acknowledges Christopher Bastin, artistic director of Gant.
He knew how to adopt our codes, those of very preppy American sportswear, and infuse them with his fantastic sense of color.
It was he who personally contacted the artist on Instagram to offer him this collaboration.
“
We are in the process of rejuvenating the brand's image.
As soon as we started to think about people to partner with, Luke was at the top of the list.
I really like his job, and I noticed that he was wearing models that I had designed for our Gant Rugger line, which no longer exists.
"
The collection was shot at the artist's home, with his friends Luke Edward Hall / Gant
Gant's know-how is used in the works of the British artist on several pieces.
A jacquard sweater and printed dresses representing her house.
The shirts take the cut of the brand's old models, and the materials have been chosen with care.
“
We wanted the pieces to give the impression of having been worn and cherished
,
even new
,” explains Christopher Bastin.
However, this patina is only possible if the fabrics are of high quality.
"
As more and more urbanites wonder about their future in the city, devoting a collection to the assets of the country house is timely.
Still, most of the collaboration was conceived before the crisis, in February, when Luke Edward Hall traveled to Stockholm to tour the brand's archives.
“
If this collection was not influenced by confinement
,
it is true that its comfortable shapes are, in the end, very current
, recognizes Hall.
After all, I got my inspiration from weekends spent at home with my friends.
"
