Realm & Empire Autumn—Winter 15
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Our Inspiration At Realm & Empire, a fresh new season begins with a new field trip to IWM (Imperial War Museums), the museum that provides the incredible source of inspiration for our brand. With a journal in our back pocket, a camera to hand and a genuine enthusiasm for scouting out interesting pieces of the past, inspiration is sought and investigated sifting through archived garments, documents, artefacts and photographs, made accessible to us by IWM, as references for our next collection. It’s a unique collaboration that sees an archive of such overwhelming historical importance creatively interpreted by our own team into contemporary, stylish menswear collections. The authority of IWM ensures all Realm & Empire apparel is fundamentally inspired by real history and British heritage. Whilst only a relatively small percentage of IWM’s archive is on full view in the public museums, Realm & Empire has access to almost all of it. IWM was founded in 1917 when the War Cabinet approved a proposal by Sir Alfred Mond MP for the creation of a national war museum to record the events still taking place in the First World War. Since that time, its remit has grown and it now tells the story of all conflicts in which Britain or Commonwealth forces have been involved since 1914. IWM’s five branches include the transformed IWM London, IWM North in Manchester’s vibrant Quayside and IWM Duxford in Cambridgeshire. Churchill War Rooms is housed in Churchill’s secret headquarters below Whitehall and the Second World War cruiser HMS Belfast is a London landmark on the River Thames. It is considered a leading world authority on conflict and its impact. When Sir Alfred Mond originally addressed the King on behalf of the museum committee in June 1920, he said the museum “[is] not a monument of military glory, but a record of toil and sacrifice”. We see it also as a museum of the human qualities of purpose, practicality and steadfastness as well as the eccentricity and unique humour that has underpinned our country’s past – and, more often than not, with the great sense of style and design from which we are privileged and grateful to take inspiration for our collections.
RE0357: Eagle Baseball Zip Cardigan
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Colophon IWM images used in the logbook are shown cropped. The originals can be seen at IWM.org.uk
Copyright ©2011, 2014 Realm & Empire® www.realmandempire.com
Page 07: Paratroops of 2nd Indpendent Parachute Brigade in a Dakota on their way to their drop zone at Megara in Greece, 14 October 1944. © IWM (NA 19487).
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all material in this publication is copyrighted. No part of these pages, either text or images may be used for any purpose without written permission of the publisher.
Page 08: British Personalities: Squadron Leader Douglas Bader and fellow pilots, F/Lt Ball and P/O McKnight DFC, study an emblem painted on a Hawker Hurricane of 242 Squadron, Royal Air Force. © IWM (CH 1412).
Acknowledgments Special thanks to the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre for their kind permission to shoot at their wonderful museum. www.lincsaviation.co.uk
Page 10: Gunners of 102nd Medium Regiment (Pembroke Yeomanry) choose their favourite 'pin-up girl', 2 March 1944. © IWM (NA 12388). Page 11: Sgt. J.S. Wilson, USA, painting a design of prow of a bomber based at Eniwetok. ©Public Domain.
Graphic Design
Page 16: Pilot Officer Christopher Whitton Panton. © Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre.
Design and layout by Waste Studio. www.wastestudio.com
Page 20: A view of the sky over Changi Gaol with an aircraft flying overhead. There are several parachutes descending towards the treetops below. © IWM (ART 15747 196).
Typefaces Headers: Apercu, Colophon-Foundry.
Page 22: The pilot, navigator and bomb aimer at their positions in a Handley Page Halifax, October 1941. © IWM (HU 107798).
Bodycopy: Aaux Next, Positype Foundry.
Page 24: An RAF pilot's flying suit, showing parachute harness and note-pad with watch strapped to pilot's thigh. Circa early 1920s. Pilot's name might be M. V. McCudden, photograph taken at Farnsborough. © IWM (Q 68560).
Folios & Margain Notes: Times New Roman, Monotype Foundry.
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Table of Contents
Our Inspiration
Chapter 01
2—3
Flyers
Chapter 02
6—7
The Battle of Britain
Chapter 03
8—9
Liberty Bell
Chapter 04
10—11
Visibility
Chapter 05
12—13
Make it British
Chapter 06
14—15
Lincs Aviation Museum
Chapter 07
16—17
Chapeter 08
18—28
Chapter 09
29—62
Photography Page 25: South Vietnamese Army, Civil Insurgency Groups. Green shield showing leopard and parachute. © IWM (INS 8188).
Model: Harrison Photographer: Florian Renner. Art Direction: Waste Studio. Hair & Makeup: Samanta Falcone. Location: Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre.
Back cover image: Parachute drop of the 16th Airborne Division (Territorial Army) during Exercise King's Joker at the Stanford Parachute Training Area in Kent. © IWM (D 68502).
Print Printed and bound in Great Britain, by Mortons Print on 55 gsm Palm 100% recycled paper, 64pp.
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Field Notes AW—15 Photoshoot
Front cover image: Paratroops board a Dakota, 17 May 1943.© IWM (E 24623).
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Flyers Welcome back for AW15. With influences from home and across the Atlantic, this season we turn our attention to masters of the skies for this season’s ‘Flyers’ collection. Original garments, photographs, artwork and insignia are just some of
Paratroops of 2nd Indpendent Parachute Brigade in a Dakota on their way to their drop zone at Megara in Greece, 14 October 1944.
the marvellous museum finds honoured through interpretation across the range, with design concepts informed by RAF Bomber Command, the Battle of Britain and the parachutists of the airborne divisions. Highlights include the introduction of R&E visibility details – brilliant, contrast-colour fabric patches inspired by the bright painted, fluorescent hoods seen on authentic Coastal Command jackets! Digging through the archives, we uncovered superb American twists gleaned from our fascination with US aircrew finery and clever aircraft nose art during the 1940s. Combining this with Realm & Empire’s signature British style provides us with the inspiration for our knitted bomber-style cardigan, the addition of faux shearling collar details and the inclusion of an incredible, authentic Type A2 hand-painted leather flying jacket in collaboration with Cockpit USA –a real show-stopper! Keep a lookout for many more Second World War influences across the range including a fresh consignment of British-made knitwear, jackets incorporating technical twists and an all-over print featuring the iconic Supermarine Spitfire silhouette! Realm & Empire aficionados know that this clothing is not just about visual appeal – it shows appreciation for our forefathers, our history and the unique craft and design skills that have been developed over many years, all carefully infused with contemporary design and an unwavering attention to detail.
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“Spitfire Summer” - The Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain was the decisive air campaign fought over southern England in the summer of 1940. The RAF scrambled ‘the few’ to win a famous victory over the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), which made an invasion of Britain all but impossible and boosted the morale of the British people immensely. After the defeat of France in June 1940, Britain became a potential target for invasion. The head of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, assumed that a sustained air assault would quickly destroy the RAF, winning the air superiority that would be essential for invasion force. Major daylight attacks began in August, but met stiff resistance. The British had an air defence system in place that gave them a crucial advantage. Radar stations along the coast provided advanced warning of enemy formations, and a network of operations rooms then ‘scrambled’ fighter squadrons into the air and directed the interceptions. Faulty intelligence and Goering’s unawareness of the fundamental importance of the British radar stations, meant that German target planning was haphazard, with low-value objectives attacked to little purpose. Some RAF airfields suffered extensive raids, but invariably continued to operate. The vital radar stations were largely ignored and
Winston Churchill
“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few” 20 August 1940. th
functioned throughout the battle and gave Fighter Command invaluable information regarding incoming German targets. The battle reached a climax with mass attacks on London in September, but by then RAF exacted a heavy and decisive toll. The Luftwaffe could not continue in the face of such losses, and in the autumn switched to ‘nuisance’ raids and night operations. The failure to defeat the RAF convinced Germany to postpone invasion plans indefinitely – a stupendous feat and a pivotal moment in the history of the Second World War!
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British Personalities: Squadron Leader Douglas Bader and fellow pilots, F/Lt Ball and P/O McKnight DFC, study an emblem painted on a Hawker Hurricane of 242 Squadron, Royal Air Force.
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Liberty Belle From the progressive imagery of the First World War Vorticists, to the striking dazzle print artwork that adorns First World War battleships, at R&E, we’re always intrigued about artwork produced in the arena of war and this time, it’s aircraft nose art that has captured our attention! The Second World War was a golden age of nose art. The practise took on a personal importance to the pilots and crew who would use it as a way to express individuality, evoking memories of home, and perhaps to also provide a small distraction from the trauma of conflict. Though not officially sanctioned, it was allowed by the upper echelons who regarded it as a good morale booster. It was painted by both professional artists and talented servicemen, with the content varying widely from the menacing or humorous, to classic images of alluring pin-up girls. One of the most famous examples, and an R&E personal favourite is the tremendous Memphis Belle, painted by Tony Starcer, the resident artist for the 91st Bomb Group. Memphis Belle was the nickname of a Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress and the namesake of pilot Robert K. Morgan’s sweetheart, Margaret Polk, a resident of Memphis Tennessee. As well as inspiring a Hollywood movie, this season Starcer’s Memphis Belle plays a starring role in the R&E AW15 narrative as the main inspiration behind our magnificent Liberty Belle print & tiger nose designs. In a landscape which favours ‘quicker and cheaper’ over authentic artistry, we’re taking it back to basics with a paintbrush and a steady hand to restore some of that special, traditional craftsmanship!
Gunners of 102nd Medium Regiment choose their favourite 'pin-up girl', 2 March 1944.
Sgt. J.S. Wilson, USA, painting a design of prow of a bomber based at Eniwetok.
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Visibility It’s true that the Realm & Empire creative team can find inspiration in everything. This year, in addition to our seasonal field trips to the IWM archive, we took an impromptu visit to a Manchester vintage store – and it was here that we unearthed one of our most exciting discoveries. The sheepskin flying jacket has become one of the iconic symbols of Allied airmen in the Second World War and while browsing at the store, we couldn’t believe our luck when we spotted an incredible example from the Coastal Command hanging on display! Sometimes known as ‘Irvins’, after the Irvin Company who were the first business awarded the contract to make them, these historic jackets were actually made by many different contractors throughout the conflict. Those made for the Coastal Command unusually had a hood (as did the ones used by The Fleet Arm and Air Sea Rescue). During the Battle of Britain, some of these hoods were painted a distinctive yellow – much like the one on our jacket. The hazardous duties of the Coastal Command meant that there was a higher risk that the aircrews wearing them would bale out over water rather than land, and the brightly coloured hood provided better visibility in identifying a downed man. It is specific historical details such as this which has shaped our range this season. Keep a lookout for the introduction of R&E ‘visibility’ patches throughout the collection, including superb contrast-colour sleeve panelling and flash pocket details, all transformed in signature Realm & Empire style.
RE0342: Welford Groundcrew Smock
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Make it British Part of the unique appeal of Realm & Empire is the charming patriotism that resides at the very heart of the brand, and our desire to pay tribute to the most admirable aspects of Britishness in everything that we do. We want to celebrate things like the indomitable British spirit and our sense of humour, our steadfastness and resolve, our individual style and willingness to express ourselves. Above all, our respect for quality craftsmanship, durability and manufacturing that sets apart the exceptional, from the ordinary. Which is why, across the Autumn Winter 2015 collection we’ve aimed to source and work with the very Best of British.
RE0222 : Moss Stitch Crew
RE0123: Peacoat RE0358: Harris Commando Roll Neck
We’re pleased to report that we have expanded on last season’s Britishmade knitwear collection which now includes a selection of chunky moss stich jumpers, a commando roll neck, cardigans and accessories, all made from either British lambswool or merino wool, designed in our Nottingham studio and manufactured right here in England.
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AW—15 Photoshoot When we first heard the story of how the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre came to be, we knew we just had to find a way to weave a snippet of its history into this season’s R&E narrative. Fortunately, a shared love of restoration, craftsmanship and nostalgia meant that the location made the perfect backdrop for this season’s Flyers photoshoot. The family run aviation museum based in East Kirkby, Lincolnshire was first set up in 1988 by two farming brothers Fred and Harold Panton, as a memorial to Bomber Command and their brother, 19 year old Christopher Whitton Panton, who lost his life during the Second World War. Pilot Officer Christopher Panton was serving as a Flight Engineer with Royal Canadian Air Force 433 Squadron, when his plane was struck during the notorious bombing raid over Nuremberg on 30/31 March 1944. A visit to Germany many years later reignited Fred’s interest in the War and when opportunity arose to purchase and restore the spectacular NX611 Lancaster Bomber, it was one the brothers couldn’t pass up! The prized bomber, nicknamed Just
Above: 19 year old Christopher Whitton Panton, Bomber Command and brother to Fred and Harold Panton, who lost his life during the Second World War. Pilot Officer Christopher Panton served as a Flight Engineer with Royal Canadian Air Force 433 Squadron, when his plane was struck during the notorious bombing raid over Nuremberg on 30/31 March 1944.
Jane after the popular wartime comic character, became the subject of an extensive restoration program which saw four Rolls-Royce Merlin engines restored to running-condition one-by-one. Now, the centre has expanded to include exhibits such as The Home Front and Escape and Evasion giving a wider perspective on wartime Britain and the trials and tribulations of Second World War.
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Contacts
UK & International Richard Robinson Brand Director +44 (0)7446 110 138 Richard@realmandempire.com UK - Northern England Chris Jones Spinning Mule Agencies +44 (0)7799 647 512 Chris@spinningmule.co.uk Italy Coolness Milano Brand Ambassador Info@coolnessmilano.com
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