—Spring/Summer 2014
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Chapter 01.
our inspiration
“[Exhibits must] be vitalised by contributions expressive of the action, the experiences, the valour and the endurance of individuals.” Sir Martin Conway, first Director General of the Imperial War Museums
Imperial War Museums (IWM) is the British museum that provides the source of inspiration for the Realm & Empire label. It’s a unique and exclusive collaboration that sees an archive of such overwhelming historical importance creatively interpreted by our own team into contemporary, stylish menswear collections. IWM comprises five museums in Britain, three of which are in London. IWM was founded in 1917 when the British Government 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. The original aim of the museum was to record the civil and military war effort and the sacrifice of Britain and her Empire during the war years. IWM London is based in the architecturally-appealing Georgian building in Southwark that once housed the Bethlam Royal Hospital (commonly known as “Bedlam”). IWM’s remit has evolved and it now tells the story of all conflicts in which Britain or Commonwealth forces have been involved since 1914. It is considered the world’s leading authority on conflict and its impact. The museum aims to provide for, and to encourage, the study and understanding of the history of modern war and “wartime experience”.
IWM London is currently undergoing a major redevelopment through to 2014 as part of a programme of events that will commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the start of the First World War. New world-class galleries will offer new stories and perspectives on the First World War, and a six-floor atrium will explore aspects of conflict from 1914 to the present day. IWM will lead the First World War Centenary Partnership, a network of over 500 local, regional, national and international cultural and educational organisations that will together present a vibrant global programme of cultural events and activities that will connect current and future generations with the lives, stories and impact of the First World War. 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.
The other museum branches are IWM North in Salford Quays, Greater Manchester, IWM Duxford near Cambridge, the Churchill War Rooms in Whitehall and the historic ship HMS Belfast, moored in the Pool of London on the River Thames.
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COLOPHON
Front Cover: Photograph by Keating (Capt), No 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit, Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill wearing sun helmet, viewing the Alamein position during the North African Campaign, 1940-1943. © IWM (E 15299).
Page 30: Photograph by Cecil Beaton. The Axis Offensive 1941—1942. A British tank driver wearing sand goggles and peering out of his Grant tank. © IWM (CBM 1781). Page 31: Photograph by Cecil Beaton. A soldier battling his way through a sandstorm in the Western Desert, 1942. © IWM (CBM 1358).
Inside front cover and lifestyle photography: Pictures taken on location at Black Rock Sands, North Wales by kind permission of Gwynedd Council. (www.visitsnowdonia.info).
Page 43: Winston Churchill visits his old regiment during the Cairo Conference, Egypt, December 1943. © IWM (E 26681).
Page 07: Photograph by Arthur Graham (Lt), No 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit, The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) patrol at breakfast, the North African Campaign, 1940-1943. © IWM (E 12406).
Back Cover: Photograph by Arthur Graham (Lt), No 1 Army Film & Photographic Unit. Three Long Range Desert Group 30-cwt Chevrolet trucks, surrounded by desert during the Second World War, North Africa. © IWM (E 12385).
Page 17(top left): The Final Embarkation: Three US Navy LCTs (Landing Craft Tank) of either 1st or 29th US Infantry Divisions loaded with men and equipment at Portland. Operation Overlord: D-Day 6 June 1944. © IWM (PL 25481).
Special thanks to: Members of the Land Rover Series One Club, in particular, David Mitchell for use of his Land Rover Series 1. (www.lrsoc. com).
Page 17(top right): Annotated view of Queen Beach, Normandy. Operation Overlord: D-Day 6 June 1944. © IWM (MH 1997).
Barry Davies of Gywnedd Council for kind permission to use Black Rock Sands, North Wales. (www.visitsnowdonia.info).
Page 17(bottom): Photograph by Morris (Sgt), No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit, Field Marshal Montgomery speaking to Allied war correspondents at a press conference at his headquarters at Port en Bessin. Operation Overlord: D-Day 6 June 1944. © IWM (B 5330).
IWM for their support. (iwm.org.uk).
IWM images used in the logbook are shown cropped from their original display.
Design and layout by Norman Hayes of Waste Studio. (www.wastestudio.com)
Page 21: A poster printed in Great Britain, presumably for distribution abroad. Image shows several British infantrymen, seated inside an amphibious military vehicle known as a Duck, driving across a Mediterranean beach. © IWM (Art.IWM PST 16891), artist Charles E Turner, date unkown.
PHOTOGRAPHY
DESIGN + ART DIRECTION
Photographer: Damien Van Der Vlist Stylist: Atip W TYPEFACES
Page 22(top): A section of wallpaper taken from a German dugout near Ectrees on 6 February 1917 and associated with the First World War Service of H E Etherington. © IWM (EPH 8262_1).
Headers: Signal, URW++ Foundry. Sub Headers & Quotes: Times New Roman, Monotype Foundry.
Page 22(bottom): Artwork by John Daniel Revel, entitled ‘The Copper Bazaar, Baghdad’. Image shows a view along a covered arcade within a bazaar in Central Baghdad. © IWM (Art.IWM ART 4041).
Body Copy: Aaux Next, Positype Foundry
Page 23: Portrait of T.E. Lawrence, seated on motorcycle in uniform, 1928. (Public Domain).
Folios & Margain Notes: Avenir, Linotype GmbH Foundry.
Page 24: Artwork by Donald Maxwell. Image shows a ‘Bellam’ in a narrow creek at Basra. Bellam is the Arabic name for the long narrow canoe-shaped boat of the country, the gondola of Basra and the Tigris. © IWM (Art.IWM ART 1893).
PRINT Printed and bound in Great Britain by Mortons Print on 55 gsm Palm 100% recycled paper. (www.mortons.co.uk)
Page 26(top): Photograph by Cecil Beaton. RAF ground crew service an Airspeed Oxford. View framed by a circular engine cowling, 1941. © IWM (MH 26377). Page 26(bottom): Photograph by Martin (Sgt), No 1 Army Film and Photographic Unit, Winston Churchill with General Harold Alexander and Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery, Commander-in-Chief 8th Army, during his second visit to the Western Desert, 23 August 1942. © IWM (E 15905).
96pp
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Page 27: Photograph by Harry Chase, Colonel T E Lawrence on the balcony of the Victoria Hotel in Damascus on 3 October 1918, half an hour after he had resigned his position in the Arab Army. © IWM (Q 73534). Page 28: Photograph by Cecil Beaton. A portrait of the pilot and co-pilot in the cockpit of their No 149 Squadron Wellington Bomber, probably at RAF Mildenhall in 1941. © IWM (D 4737). Page 29: Cecil Beaton self-portrait photograph taken in Puncheng, south eastern China during the Second World War. © IWM (IB 4287C).
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CONTENTS
Chapter 01
(Pg 01)
OUR INSPIRATION Chapter 02
(Pg 04)
THE BRAND Chapter 03
(Pg 07)
DOWN AMONG THE DUNES Chapter 04
(Pg 08–15)
DEVOTION TO DETAIL Chapter 05
(Pg 16–17)
THE NORMANDY LANDINGS, FRANCE 1944 Chapter 06
(Pg 18–27)
FIELD TRIP: VOYAGE INTO THE DESERT Chapter 07
(Pg 29–31)
CECIL BEATON: THEATRE OF WAR Chapter 08
(Pg 32–42)
SS14 PHOTOSHOOT Chapter 09
(Pg 43–91)
SS14 COLLECTION
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Chapter 02.
THE BRAND
“To improve is to change, so to be perfect is to change often.” Winston S Churchill, 23 June 1925.
Welcome back to Realm & Empire for the warmer climes of Spring Summer 2014. Excitingly, this season marks the further progression from our launch offer of military history inspired graphic tees and sweats to a fully-fledged menswear collection. Since its introduction just four seasons ago, Realm & Empire has carved a niche as a brand that is British inspired to the core. At the centre of its creative development is an exclusive collaboration with Imperial War Museums (IWM) that enables an archive of overwhelming historical importance to be interpreted into modern, stylish men’s apparel.
A capsule collection celebrates the work of Cecil Beaton whose photography played a key role in Britain’s Second World War propaganda. As thought-provoking as always, this is a genuinely British inspired range which continues to honour unique craft and design skills developed over many years. Enjoy the collection…
Where previous collections have established the Realm & Empire philosophy, this season sees us venture into brand new terrain with a consignment of signature tees and sweats now complimented by lightweight shirts and trousers, new outerwear options, and also deploys shorts and accessories to the collection for the first time. The Realm & Empire narrative has developed from last season’s naval theme to the parched sands of the desert, drawing on Lawrence of Arabia during the First World War and the British Army’s Second World War pioneering Long Range Desert Group for authentic garment design and detail. Also influential is artwork found in the vaults of the archives of IWM and the intelligence gathering operations relating to the D-Day landings, which marks its 70th anniversary on the 6th June 2014.
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Colour Palette:  COFFEE BEAN THYME
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Chapter Product 03. Code: RE0117/RAGLAN SWEAT
DOWN AMONG THE DUNES…
With its sandy plains and unpredictable nature, the desert provides the key inspiration for the Realm and Empire Spring Summer 2014 collection. Colonel T E Lawrence, otherwise known as Lawrence of Arabia, played a leading role in the Arab Rebellion of the First World War. Unimpressive in British Army uniform, Lawrence was transformed into a glamorous hero by photographs showing him wearing Arab dress. His understanding of Arab culture and his military leadership underpinned Allied success in the Middle East campaign. As news of his exploits spread, he became a media celebrity; a pin up, the David Beckham of his day perhaps? Lawrence accumulated a legion of fans, eagerly following his every move. John Buchan, the famous author and Director of Intelligence at the British Ministry of Information once said: “I am not much of a hero worshipper, but I could have followed T.E Lawrence over the edge of the world.” It was to be just one of the many testaments to Lawrence’s character and achievement, and to this day, he remains one of the twentieth century’s most fascinating figures.
The British Army Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was formed in Egypt, June 1940. Comprising no more than 350 volunteers drawn from British and Commonwealth regiments, the LRDG was an elite unit tasked with conducting reconnaissance far behind enemy lines in the North African desert. The commander of the German Afrika Corps, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel admitted that the LRDG "caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength". The LRDG patrolled the desert in specially equipped Chevrolet trucks, gathering intelligence or participating in special operations. Its founder, Brigadier Ralph Bagnold, was a pre-war pioneer of desert exploration and he happened to know a thing or two about operating vehicles in tricky desert terrain. Sand mats, sand channels and a sun compass were just a few of the modifications that were made to the trucks. Likewise this season, we’ve gotten ‘desert ready’ by transforming these fragments of history into signature Realm and Empire style!
Lawrence was regarded as a man of integrity, honour and service, representing all that is quintessentially British. A perfect portrait for our Realm & Empire TE Lawrence jerseywear! Colour Palette: BLUE MARL OLIVE MARL
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Chapter 04.
A DEVOTION TO DETAIL
One significant thing we take away from our field trips after perusing the magnificent offerings of the archives is that attention to detail is not only an admirable quality, but a quality categorically vital to success. Whether it was Cecil Beaton’s keen eye for a wartime photograph, or the unfaltering focus demonstrated in the planning and execution of Operation Fortitude, it’s evident that attention to detail is always triumphant. At Realm & Empire, our fastidious approach to design and detail has been the backbone of our philosophy since day one. From well-cut fabrics to durable finishes and carefully considered fastenings, it’s the small details that make our garments so special, and ensures that genuine historical detail is stitched all the way through our collections. Inspired by vintage branding found on military apparel, every garment in the Realm & Empire range carries our shuttleloom back neck label, together with an ID label that really does bear a unique number on each and every piece. It is elegantly hidden by a removable strip, leaving it for you to unveil for the first time as you wish! Luxuriously soft, all Realm & Empire signature tees and sweats are finely crafted from 100% cotton with a stone-wash or peach finish for an authentic vintage feel, whilst subtle outer branding adds to the debonair sophistication. Spring Summer 2014 outerwear continues to take inspiration from traditional military clothing and sees a lightweight bomber jacket line up alongside the beautifully constructed cagoule and a classic British blazer. Jackets feature a sophisticated leather debossed ever-open-eye badge adapted from the famous Guards Armoured Division whilst vintage brass-finish zips and chocolate leather pullers and toggles add quality finishing touches. Pay attention to the Realm and Empire details…
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T-Shirts 100% cotton with a stone washed finish for a soft vintage feel. Colour marls add depth to the range. Sweats Styled for a relaxed classic fit, Sweats and Hoods are all 100% cotton loop-back and 80/20 Cotton/Poly brushback fleece – perfect for casual style and comfort with our signature, discreet selfcolour R&E at the wrist. Jackets & Shirts Spring Summer 2014 outerwear continues to take inspiration from traditional military clothing and sees a lightweight bomber jacket line up alongside the beautifully constructed cagoule and a classic British blazer.
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THE look DESERT RAT
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Colour Palette: BLUE MARL OLIVE MARL
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Chapter 05.
THE NORMANDY LANDINGS, FRANCE 1944
“And what a plan! This vast operation is undoubtedly the most complicated and difficult that has ever taken place.” –Winston Churchill, D-Day, 6th June 1944.
The Normandy Landings, which commenced on D-Day - 6 June 1944 - were the largest and most meticulously planned Allied operation of the Second World War. It was also the most difficult. Directed by Field Marshal Rommel, the Germans had strongly fortified the French coast. To stand any chance of overcoming these defences, the Allies needed optimum conditions: a late-rising full moon, a receding tide, good visibility, sparse cloud cover and low winds. The unreliable Channel weather made this an elusive combination. After one postponement, the operation was scheduled for 6 June 1944; even then conditions were less than ideal, with blustery seas and 50 per cent cloud cover. The Normandy landings were a stupendous feat of organisation. During the operation itself, more than 160,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel. Airborne operations and naval bombardments complimented the amphibious assault phases. Thousands of paratroops and glider pilot regiments were precariously dropped behind enemy lines. On the beaches, large numbers of specially commissioned landing craft, docked at artificial harbours built for the purpose. Landings were made at five separate locations - the British and Canadians landed at Sword, Juno and Gold beaches while the Americans landed at Omaha and Utah beaches. Despite initial difficulties, particularly at Omaha beach, within a week a continuous beachhead had been established along 50 miles of coastline.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the operation was the secrecy of the preparations . In order to keep the destination of the landings unknown, a massive deception operation called ‘Operation Fortitude’ was devised. Within this plan, MI5’s hugely successful Twenty Committee was responsible for operating double agents to feed false information to enemy agents. The Germans were led to believe that the location of the landings would be either Norway or Pas De Calais. This included the creation of a fictitious First US Army Group, with dummy tanks and planes positioned on Britain’s east coast. The deception planning was a triumph and when the landings finally began, only 14 out of the 58 enemy divisions in France faced the allies.
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Chapter 06.
Field trips: A VOYAGE INTO THE DESERT
“Non Vi Sed Arte” Not by Strength by Guile Motto (unofficial), Long Range Desert Group
At Realm & Empire, a fresh new season begins with a brand new field trip, where inspiration is sought and investigated sifting through archived documents, artefacts and photographs, made accessible to us by IWM. Equipped with a trusty camera, notepad, and a genuine enthusiasm for scouting out interesting pieces of the past, the Realm & Empire creative team find inspiration in everything. Whether it’s a vintage photograph that can be masterfully reproduced on jerseywear, the discovery of an archaic typeface featured on an old propaganda poster, or (marvellously this season) a scrap of wallpaper, salvaged from First World War trenches – one thing is always certain: we’ll return to studio with plenty of ideas to lovingly reinterpret.
From snapshots of barren desert landscapes, our journey of historical discovery brought us back to Britain to explore the extraordinary story of MI5’s ‘Twenty Committee’ and the double agents they controlled. Especially their crucial role in Operation Fortitude: the deception scheme to mislead the Germans about the actual location of the D-Day landings. In this collection, clandestine insignia has been affectionately reworked into bold, contemporary graphics on this season’s superb range of jerseywear. Venture beyond the brilliant aesthetics and unravel the threads of these outstanding historical narratives and enjoy the Realm and Empire Spring Summer 2014 collection…
Rolling up our khaki sleeves and wearing our Bombay bowlers, it was treasures unearthed during our latest expedition to the archive which prompted our fascination with the desert. We dug deep into the vaults to uncover khaki drill uniforms, powerful images of Long Range Desert Group units negotiating the slopes of sand dunes in their Chevvy trucks and enigmatic artwork, created by official admiralty artists. Key resources such as these have shaped our range this season, influencing the silhouette, cut, colours and garment detailing. One of our most unusual and exciting discoveries is a segment of floral wallpaper once used to adorn the walls of a 1917 German dugout. It was the first we’d heard of interior decoration in the trenches and we knew we just had to use it! It is a key element of Realm & Empire’s bold new direction into summer floral prints, as can be seen on our jerseywear, cargo shorts, tank caps and shorts.
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CECIL BEATON: THEATRE OF WAR
Colour Palette:  COFFEE BEAN THYME
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“It was extraordinary to see the bar scenes, the men on leave, swigging beer, and how I had been able to ‘frat’ with such unlikely types.” –Cecil Beaton, 1974 - reviewing his past work at IWM
For us, it is the charismatic characters, iconic figureheads, and unsung heroes who truly shape British history. Those not only committed to mastering their profession, but capable of completely rewriting its principles, and in turn, sparking a new wave of thought throughout a nation. Photographer, Cecil Beaton did just that. A designer, writer, cartoonist, diarist and socialite who loved theatre in all its forms, Cecil Beaton is best remembered as the leading British portrait and fashion photographer of his day. His glamorous, elaborately staged photographs of royalty and twentieth century celebrities reflected his theatrical tastes and were published in magazines, newspapers and books throughout the world.
create an iconic image in the harshest conditions. Beaton’s outstanding wartime work for the Ministry amounted to seven thousand photographs, which now form part of IWM’s outstanding collection of war photography. It is a truly extraordinary body of work which we at Realm and Empire feel privileged and proud to feature a very small part of as its own capsule collection.
Beaton’s role as one of Britain’s hardest working war photographers during the Second World War is less well known. As an official photographer for the British Ministry of Information, he travelled far and wide to document the impact of war on people and places in his unique, theatrical style. In later life, he came to regard his war photographs as his single most important body of photographic work. His first assignment was a series of portraits of British war leaders, including an iconic image of the Prime Minister, Winston Churchill at the height of the Battle of Britain. The Blitz, the defence of Britain and the domestic war effort dominated Beaton’s early war photography. Photographs such as the portrait of a small girl, Eileen Dunne, recovering in hospital after being injured in an air raid had enormous impact at home and overseas. In 1942 Cecil Beaton was sent on his first official overseas assignment to the Middle East, sailing in convoy to West Africa and crossing the continent by air to reach British headquarters. After a brief visit to Alexandria and Cairo, Beaton left on a tour of British forward bases in the Western Desert. Although this was a distinctly unfamiliar and uncomfortable working environment, he relished the experience. His photograph of a desert sandstorm, taken shortly before the Battle of El Alamein, demonstrated Beaton’s ability to
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Colour Palette:  COFFEE BEAN THYME
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Colour Palette: BLUE MARL OLIVE MARL
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Colour Palette:  COFFEE BEAN THYME
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