Preppy accessories brand and friend of Preposity, Smart Turnout currently have a pop-up shop in Selfridges here in London for the next 4 weeks. Until now the only way to buy Smart Turnout products was via their website, so for the first time you’ll be able to sample their wares in person.
I popped down to have a look. They have a great range of accessories on display, all with their signature authentic military regimental stripes, from surcingle belts and wallets to watches and braces.
Read our previous interview with Smart Turnout founder Philip Turner
http://www.smartturnout.co.uk/
It doesn’t seem like that long since I was donning my tweed and riding off in a group hundreds strong for the Tweed Run last November. And yet, somehow, 6 months have passed. And so it is that cycle enthusiasts and tweed lovers alike joined together on a cold May morning in Kensington to ride as one through the streets of London to the amusement of many a puzzled and delighted bystander.
As ever the Tweed Runners were immaculately turned out in plus fours in all varieties of tweed, and a fair few moustaches to boot.
There are even more photos of the event on the Preposity Tumblr here
Rugby Ralph Lauren hosted an event in partnership with Yacht Week to showcase their summer collection.
Here in London we’ve experienced the wettest April on record, and May looks set to be somewhat of a washout, so I can but hope that we’ll eventually see some sun, especially given how great Rugby’s summer looks.
As you’d expect from a company that prides itself on its preppy credentials, light weight fabrics such as seersucker and madras were ever-present. Something that seems to set Rugby apart from their preppy counterparts is their attention to the wash of their garments. Everything looks and feels worn-in, but not in an artificially distressed way, simply a ‘lived-in’ look – as if you’d already been wearing the garment for a few years. The madras prints are slightly desaturated, as if bleached by the summer sun.
This can be seen in the concept of Nantucket Red trousers – which are famed for their faded look, appearing a warm pink having been bleached by sun and salt air from their original red dye. Rugby have obviously been inspired by Nantucket Reds with their ‘Salt Chino Short’ whose colour feels authentically sun-bleached.
Also on display were many pieces embroidered with Rugby’s skull & crossbones motif, evidently inspired by Yale’s Skull and Bones society.
This motif has become more and more ubiquitous for Rugby, now appearing on the chest their polo shirts where Ralph Lauren’s polo pony would usually sit.
One place I think it does feel more out of place is on the Oxford Buttondowns I saw, where it seems superfluous. I’d rather a shirt with no logo.
One other noticeable theme was that of Boy Scouts. Rugby shirts with scout merit badges, backpacks and more rustic summer khakis. Maybe this was inspired by Wes Anderson’s upcoming movie Moonrise Kingdom, which is centred around a young Scout and was filmed in Rhode Island.
After drinks and Rugby RL branded cupcakes, I left inspired and praying for the start of English summer.
More photos on Tumblr
A few months ago I worked with preppy London-based accessories brand Smart Turnout to design their lookbook for Autumn/Winter 2012.
The process began with a meeting to discuss a format and select images, and then moved into design development, leading to the finished layout.
The imagery was all shot on location at Kings College School, a prep school in Wimbledon, London.
The collection sees Smart Turnout expand their range from the military-inspired accessories for which they’ve become well known, to include sweaters, suits and jackets. But fear not, the military stripes are still present, with a choice of linings hidden away inside the suit jackets.
Image selection meeting
Finalised layout in InDesign
The finished lookbook cover
Read our interview with Smart Turnout founder Philip Turner here
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Preposity
