The Brief .01
“ Style is an extension of yourself. My approach is to enhance the personality of the wearer, so he has his own voice.”
Ozwald Boateng, ‘Why Style Matters’ - BBC4
(Cut)
/kʌt/ noun t 1° Clean lines, shape defined. t 2° The perfect balance of style and form. t 3° A silhouette which is distinct yet adaptable to all shapes and forms, established by Mr Boateng over 25 years of evolution through design. t 4° Absolute precision in the execution. t 5° The essence of a traditional Savile Row cut has been revolutionized.
(Refinement)
/r I ’fa I nmənt/ noun t 1° Fineness or elegance of feeling, taste, manners, language. t 2° A subtle point or distinction. t 3° An improved, higher, or extreme form of something - luxury menswear with foundations in both tradition and contemporary design.
(Detail)
/d I ’te I l/ noun t 1° Exact attention to the subject throughout the design process. t 2° Intricate aspects enhancing the depth of the attire. t 3° Continuously discovering new elements to a piece builds upon the bond between garment and wearer. t 4° Carefully considered features give substance to the style.
O Design Philosophy
Ozwald Boateng’s appreciation of tradition and intrinsic understanding of contemporary design define his distinctive approach to tailoring. He has fused expert cutting skills with a sublime use of colour and deep textures. Exquisite artistry meets innovative classicism. The result is men’s luxury. The design evokes the essence of a man’s spirituality and character through the enhancement of the physical being. The acknowledgement that style is an extension of one’s self culminates in the wearer having their own voice, creating a unique covenant with the beholder.
Ozwald Boateng once asserted that he took Savile Row to the Paris Catwalk because he loved tradition but also knew that; “If traditions don’t evolve, they can die.” Alongside the tradition he sought to catalyze, Boateng has also evolved over the years. It has been an ongoing commitment to the refinement of his distinct stylistic cocktail with a focus on the signature Boeteng cut famously elongating the client’s stature with a higher break and delivering an easy cosmopolitan confidence with a straight shoulder and a pronounced sleeve roll. Orchestrated within the unique shape and drape of his designs he fine-tunes a subtle arsenal of stealth and sophisticated detailing that run through each garment. But it is the color that amplifies these quieter acts of respectful revolution, the cuts and the detailing. It’s the colour that does what colour in clothing does best.
Colour makes the heart beat faster. Since the days of Beau Brummell, tailors have boasted about broadening a man’s shoulder, narrowing his waist and other feats of anatomical transformation. But what about his circulation? What about his nervous system? What about his heartbeat? Boateng’s pallet is propelled by hues so deeply saturated they seem to soak right back through time itself as they transform traditional birds-eye and mohair cloth from something classic and staid to something elegant, dynamic and completely unafraid. Colours that would surely seem to be mistakes on paper are transformed and exalted by the fabrics they imbue and colors that seem untamable are harnessed and harmonized by the unexpectedly complimenting hues against which they’re placed. Fearless but also virtuoso colour is the potent current that connects Boateng’s hard earned reputation for worldly elegance with the more faint but important echoes of the youthful, cocky and charismatic Portobello stance of his London boyhood. Like he’s said with a wink about those times; “We were superheroes.” That cut in those colours? It is this particular light-bending fashion alchemy that continues to transform his clients into superheroes today.
A Man’s Story New Collection 2010/11
A Man’s Story is Ozwald Boateng’s most striking and definitive collection to date. Unifying the depth of tradition with enamouring modernism to present the profound evolution of a man through style. Appreciation for the experience of the individual and the enhancement of the within is the foundation of the collection. Illustrious arrays of British cloths are apparent with a signature use of colour. An incredible sense of depth runs throughout the fabric range. Included is the finest super 150s wool with silk blends, cool wool and mohair mixes, 100% lightweight cashmere and fine-gauge mercerized wool and cotton ranges in a variety of deep textures and finishes. Technical, waterproof and breathable nylons along with wax cottons will be shown, with luxurious leathers also evident. The rich colour palette is a sophisticated spectrum with most notable use of greens, blues and signature purple. Styles represented in A Man’s Story are well balanced in Ozwald’s signature cut with refined attention to detail. Most prominent are set-in and high-notch lapels, with a variety of trouser cuts to give alternative styling. Within Ozwald Boateng’s extensive shirting range is the distinctive chisel tip collar. The collection features styles that are true to the Savile Row etiquette yet can be worn casually. Bold linings in twill and tweed textures are offered in a commanding turquoise, an enchanting green and a powerful two-tone purple-blue. Expansion of product lines sees a magnitude of lifestyle pieces included: luggage, footwear, knitwear, jersey shirts, socks, gloves, scarves and belts. Ozwald Boateng presents a new collection with the energy and strong sense of identity that embodies the definitive man. Distinguishing the journey of the individual, the story behind the character, as a platform for enlightenment and inspiration.
The documentary film
A Man’s Story is a full-length documentary film covering the last 12 years of Ozwald Boateng’s life. Capturing the journey and evolution of Ozwald Boateng as a man as well as a designer. Due to be released late 2010.
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Questions
Liam Maher, 46, designer at Denham, Amsterdam Q. To what extent do you consider the fabric when choosing a garment? A. To a great extent, of course. It’s crucial. The design is the song but the fabric is the band. The wrong band is going to seriously handicap the song. That can be heartbreaking. Hell, it can even be irresponsible in a way. But the right band bringing the right song to life, that’s magic. I am particularly inspired when I can orchestrate moments where unexpected fabrics begin to stack-up on and compliment each other. Fabrics which have utility-based origins but are now often thought of more simply as traditional, being used against contemporary utility fabrics - together in an outfit it can be real cool. Q. What is the reason behind your chosen silhouette? A. My father was an officer in the Royal Navy who participated in the Normandy invasion on D-Day. He was also a distinguished professor and senior administrator in an Ivy League university. My uncle was a comic-book artist who drew the X-Men series for a decade. My great grandfather was a rural tailor in Ireland. You’d find my taste in silhouette somewhere between the frank symmetry of a military stance, the gentle slouch of the absent-minded academic, and the muscularity and slight hint of pending aggression of a comic book character. But you’d also have to accept that it was a rural Irish tailor stitching these otherwise unrelated elements together. In other words, my tastes are genetically predictable. Q. What does 25 years mean to you? A. Getting old enough to appreciate the difference between a mere “score” of twenty years and the significant achievement of crossing the Jubilee line. Something about a quarter-century implies serious achievement and consistency at the same time as representing an experience we can each appreciate in our own lifetime. Long enough to give birth to a new tradition, still recent enough to feel absolutely contemporary and relevant.
Patrik Binkowski, 34, DJ from Stockholm Q. To what extent do you consider the fabric when choosing a garment? A. A good garment has to be compelling in three ways in order for me to buy it (four, if you count in a reasonable price). First of all, the texture and colour is what catches my eye. Next step is touch, it has to feel right. What composition is it? Weaving structure? Nothing tells more about the quality of a fabric than rubbing it between your fingers, slightly pushing a finger into the cloth, stretching it... Hell, sometimes I even smell it! Q. What is the reason behind your chosen silhouette? A. I prefer a quite classic british tailored fit, simply because it’s the best for my body type. Still, for a relaxed weekend look I don’t mind wearing something truly classic, like higher and wider pants or a “regularly fitted” shirt. A good thing about a nice, tailored blazer for instance, is what it does to your posture. Same goes for shoes; it’s hard to walk sloppy in a pair of well polished brogues. Being a tall guy, I was taught early to keep my chin up and back straight, and it’s just so much easier when you take in the back of a suit jacket than wearing baggy hoody. Q. What does 25 years mean to you? A. The age where I realized who I was and what I was going to do with my life. The age I defined myself through my style and my career. The acquisition of confidence and purpose. It was the beginning of my life as an adult you could say.
Sam Putera, 22, graphic designer from London Q. To what extent do you consider the fabric when choosing a garment? A. When I buy a piece of clothing the style and fit is more important than the fabric it is made from. I tend to consider the quality of the fabric last after I have considered the construction of the garment. I prefer durable fabrics that will last the test of time and multiple use. Although when I am browsing for a new item of clothing I tend to feel the material first before picking it up, assessing the quality of the product but it is not the determining factor of purchase. I prefer a softer fabric for t-shirts and shirts so that it doesn’t rub and make my nipples bleed. Q. What is the reason behind your chosen silhouette? A. Slim fit bottoms and loose tops. Style and comfort - it’s a compromise of what looks good and what feels good. More so on the ‘looks good’ though. Q. What does 25 years mean to you? A. Er, I don’t know...a quarter of a century?
Credits Ozwald Boateng Ben Cottrell Arta Kane Sam Lambert Liam Maher Miles Warren
Special thanks to The Royal Academy of Arts
www.ozwaldboateng.co.uk