On the final night of the men’s collections, Savile Row tailor Chester Barrie hosted its AW14 presentation on the top floor of The Ivy’s private members’ area, The Club. In the tiny room, which by 6 o’clock was packed tightly around several games tables and croupiers, a few models roamed through the crowds in slim, sharply-tailored wool suits, worn with a shirt and tie or fine turtle-neck sweaters. It was the collection styled on torso stands around the bar’s perimeter that the presentation notes suggested should garner Chester Barrie the epithet ‘Tailors of the Unexpected’; an expanded product range of more casual pieces, with riding and military influences as well as a Rat Pack theme. Charcoal, camel and navy formed the base palette, with accents of teal, cerulean and berry shades.
A single breasted jacket in soft charcoal had a wide window-pane check in camel and burgundy, worn with a brown and teal almost-paisley print cravat. A jacket with a Prince of Wales check – surprisingly made from velvet – was worn with a matching print shirt and woven tie. Quilting was used on a riding jacket and gilet in grey with contrasting brown suede shoulder detailing, both layered with shirts unbuttoned at the collar and worn with a scarf or knitwear. A stand-out piece was the horizontally pin-striped jacket, styled with a monochrome, geometric print tie and tab-collar shirt.
Words: Charlotte Gush