Girls Who are boys Who like Boys to be Girls

Blame it on the overcast of grey that has descended on London or the number of Death Cab for Cutie songs that have dour and minor base chords on my iTunes.  Whichever it is, I've suddenly turned to the more sturdy collections of A/W 11-12 which I've been storing up ready to bring out on days like this in this unpredictable summer, to remind us that 'WE' (the collective British consumer of course…) should turn to jackets, coats and jumpers once again.

There's nothing 'dour' or 'minor' about these two collections here, especially when you consider their simultaneous mens and womenswear offerings.  Both labels 1205 and The Only Son have tackled both mens and womenswear at the same time without prioritising one over the other.  Seeing each sector as equals doesn't necessarily mean we get gender-less unisex garb.  In the case of most pieces, the distinction is made pretty clear especially in terms of cuts and silhouettes and it is this unison between both collections that are making propositions by designers such as J.W. Anderson (whose womenswear and menswear tie in together completely) and now Tim Soar, who has just dipped his toes into womenswear quite appealing.  Ultimately it's this bravada of tackling the two collections at once with a united vision that means shopping with your man friends doesn't necessarily mean you need to scurry off into separate sections nor does it mean dressing in cheesy his n' hers ensembles.  I spoke to both Paula Gerbase of 1205 and Au Ekbutr Udomphol of The Only Son about co-ordinating their mens and womenswear offerings together and the cohesion beween the two. 

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1205

It's been a while since I caught up with Paula Gerbase's label 1205.  After Gerbase's Kingly Court store coming to an end, she has become the creative director of Woolrich Black Label but continues to plough on with 1205, sticking to her concise and clinical vision for menswear, womenswear and unisex pieces as well as her uncompromising view on luxury fabrics.  It is the latter which makes looking at her pieces up close such a pleasure.  You're really FEELING quality with every patch of tweed, wool and cotton and in this collection, there are jackets and coats that you know before slipping on, that fit and feel will be top notch.  In terms of straddling both genders at once as well as the additional crossover pot of unisexwear, Gerbase has the freedom to adjust the levels of feminity or masculinity to suit her needs.  

"I see the collection as one whole, with mens, womens and unisex pieces all seen as part of one collection. This means that when I am working the ideas can flow from one to the other. The garments all play between masculinity and femininity and the best way to develop that tension for me is to be able to go from more feminine garments to more masculine garments, through the unisex pieces which are an interplay of both. Having all three parts of the collection allows me to explore my ideas further than I would have if I was limiting myself to only one gender. The core of the product plays on this tension between structured and fluid, masculine and feminine, traditional and new, and having one cohesive collection featuring both mens womens and unisex pieces allows me to develop my ideas further without feeling limited."

I've always wondered whether there is a question of 'cut' compromise when it comes to doing unisex pieces or even doing both womenswear and menswear but Gerbase embraces the idea of both sexes borrowing proportions from the other that only affirms the way my own group of male friends borrow from womenswear and vice versa. 

"Sometimes a man will buy a jacket in a smaller size to fit in a very slim way and a girl will buy it two sizes larger to wear it as a more draped piece. I really enjoy seeing that most pieces can be worn by either gender, and take particular pleasure in seeing individuals take the pieces and wear them in their own way, in a way that fits with their own personal sensibility to cut and proportion."

For A/W 11-12, Gerbase continues to be sparing and stringent when it comes to palette and print but it's in details such as leather panelling, mother of pearl buttons and pleats in the shoulders that make the collection lovely to behold up close and even lovelier to wear.  Note the use of Harris Tweed in the first dress below which gets a thumbs up of course after my jaunt up to the Outer Hebrides.   Though it's not featured in the womenswear I particularly love the 'Village Scene' print that features all over on a Swiss cotton shirt as well as on the cuffs of a more subtle white shirt.  There's no stopping me from nicking it from the other half which is what I think is Gerbase's intention. 

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The Only Son

The Only Son have made good strides since I last wrote about them and they continue to pave the way for a burgeoning group of Thai designers, who have garnered a strong local following before breaking internationally with key stockists such as ASOS on board.  Designer Au Ekbutr Udomphol has a strong CV having worked for the likes of Ksubi, Imitation of Christ and Sass & Bide, which gives him a steadfastly wearable approach in his own collections but thankfully, he has carved out a signature of his own that sees him co-ordinating men and womenswear effortlessly.  Udomphol sees a great deal of fluidity between womens and menswear, that in effect makes it less confusing for men and women by limiting choice. 

"My philosophy is to limit the incredibly overwhelming choice for each sex.  Women can pick the same designs as men and even some pieces in the same fit. I‚Äôm always drawn to women who favour a tailored and masculine look, yet still remain very feminine and sensual in their presence. And the same goes for men who are not afraid to experiment, wearing certain shapes you would typically see on a woman."

As per what Gerbase said, Udomphol also likes the idea of clothes swapping between the sexes with one borrowing each other's sensibilities as opposed to creating a big grey area of undistinctive unisex wear. 

"We use the term ‚Äòunisex‚Äô to identify certain pieces in the collection, and also for the entire jewellery collection. However, I do see it as one cohesive collection, where customers have more options to fit in with their style, regardless of gender. During fittings I‚Äôve put a girl in men‚Äôs trousers or jackets as starting points.  I sometimes find it sexier to see them in a man‚Äôs silhouette. There are standard fittings that we go through for both men‚Äôs and women‚Äôs, but occasionally we shuffle the process around in search of something new."

With a stronger focus on draped pieces and perhaps slightly more assymetry than say 1205's collection, The Only Son's A/W 11-12 collection that was apparently inspired by the poet Aurthur Rimbaud.  The 19th century libertine influences the prints in the collection, the folding and curling of papers mimicked in the waistbands and pockets of skirts and trousers and the general use of layering.  As per 1205's collection, I spy a men's shirt with pockets illustrated as stacks of paper, that I'd wear without hesitation. 

The typewriter-inspired jewellery is a more obvious writer-inspired touch with the ends of typebars gracing rings, necklaces and bracelets is as important to The Only Son's collection as the clothing.