Post by Ace on Jul 24, 2006 10:05:12 GMT -5
UK Telegraph: Sense and sensuality as time goes by
(Filed: 24/07/2006)
A classic British label's autumn/winter campaign effortlessly captures the style of bygone Hollywood glamour, says Hilary Alexander
It is the classic movie seduction scene: the dimly-lit library, her half-finished glass of wine, his tumbler of single malt; their eyes locking over a game of chess. But this is no reprise of The Thomas Crown Affair, although the hero is undoubtedly a Hollywood star.
Pierce Brosnan and Julia Stegner
Instead, this is Pierce Brosnan as arch-seducer - a part he perfected in five James Bond blockbusters - in a campaign for British heritage label Aquascutum.
This is the first major British modelling role for the former 007, and recruiting him as the "face" of the autumn/winter collection was the brainchild of Aquascutum's new president and chief executive officer, Kim Winser, who was inspired by the pictures of bygone Hollywood stars that decorate the VIP room at the company's Regent Street HQ.
Humphrey Bogart, Trevor Howard, Gregory Peck, Sean Connery, Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren, along with royals such as King Edward VII, the Duke of Windsor and the Queen Mother, once conveyed the mystique and prestige of the Aquascutum brand to the masses.
Now, Winser hopes that Brosnan and 21-year-old German model and Vogue cover girl Julia Stegner - who appears in a classic trench, a pair of lace-top stockings, high heels and little else - will perform the same magic for a new generation.
A Bond fan of many years' standing, Winser knew that melding the iconic status of Brosnan with Aquascutum would be a winning combination. And she is equally proud of the smouldering sensuality that photographer Mario Sorrenti brought to the campaign, using historic Somerset House on The Strand as a backdrop, a setting that evokes high intrigue and high style.
Winser happily concedes the photographs are ''very sexy'', light years away from the cosy, Home Counties perception of the brand which an older generation of customers cherish.
"I wanted to launch a campaign that would capture the interest of our customers, loyal and new," she says. "Pierce was a perfect choice and I have to say he looks stunning. Julie is both elegant and glamorous. They are the perfect 'power couple'."
Brosnan and Stegner wear clothes by Aquascutum's creative duo Michael Herz and Graeme Fiddler, who have been given carte blanche by Winser to spearhead a style revolution at a company that dates back to 1851.
Although Herz's background is women's wear and Fiddler's is men's, they work as a team, collaborating on each collection to ensure the designs reflect Aquascutum's heritage as what it sees as its future.
They are based in a design studio in Shoreditch, with a team of seamstresses who produce prototypes for each design. The day we meet, the studio is dotted with books and photographs of wooden African sculptures and neck ornaments, one of the starting points for next summer's collection, to be shown at London Fashion Week in September. Herz and Fiddler also spend hours plundering Aquascutum's vast archive.
Wherever possible, the duo use British mills to produce their fabrics and the majority of the tailoring is also done here, while the women's dresses are manufactured in Italy.
"There is a really strong tradition of fabric innovation, starting with the company's launch of a rain-repellent wool, shown at the Great Exhibition in 1853," says Herz. "We want to uphold that tradition. For example, the dress Julia wears in the chess scene is made from a wool barathea, traditionally used for men's dinner suits, and updated with a cotton canvas trim, while the trenchcoat is based on a photograph of a Twenties driving suit.
''We also found a yellow wool bouclé suit from the Fifties and went back to the original mill, Linton Tweeds, which does all the tweeds for Chanel, to have it re-woven for coats. Much of the metal embroidery for coats and dresses was done by specialists, Toye, Kenning & Spencer, inspired by heraldic motifs."
Fiddler explains that the grey wool suit worn by Brosnan was influenced by the Aquascutum suits worn by stars such as Michael Caine and Richard Harris in the Sixties. He has also collaborated with the Savile Row tailor Nick Hart for a limited edition range of suits.
"The raincoat Pierce is wearing in the shot with the dalmatian features a pared-down version of the raglan sleeve, which Aquascutum was commissioned to design in the late 19th century for a coat for Lord Raglan that would accommodate his sword.
"The more we go through the archives, the more we are amazed at the incredible detail, craftsmanship and techniques they used, particularly from the Thirties and Forties. It is a constant source of inspiration," Fiddler adds.
Herz and Fiddler's designs have already inspired a number of celebrities, too. They are quietly proud of having fitted Madonna for a coat and mention that Angelina Jolie and Kylie Minogue are also owners of Aquascutum raincoats.
When Winser took the helm at Aquascutum, her ambition was that people would walk into the store and say "Wow". With this campaign, the "wow" factor has surely kicked in.
1 May 2006: I want everyone who comes in to say: Wow! [interview with Kim Winser]
Bonding over fashion: Pierce Brosnan and Julia Stegner are the new faces of Aquascutum
==============================================
He WAS in London last month then. (probably when those Somerset pics were taken of him but he wasn't in the photos) Where does he find the time?
Ace
(Filed: 24/07/2006)
A classic British label's autumn/winter campaign effortlessly captures the style of bygone Hollywood glamour, says Hilary Alexander
It is the classic movie seduction scene: the dimly-lit library, her half-finished glass of wine, his tumbler of single malt; their eyes locking over a game of chess. But this is no reprise of The Thomas Crown Affair, although the hero is undoubtedly a Hollywood star.
Pierce Brosnan and Julia Stegner
Instead, this is Pierce Brosnan as arch-seducer - a part he perfected in five James Bond blockbusters - in a campaign for British heritage label Aquascutum.
This is the first major British modelling role for the former 007, and recruiting him as the "face" of the autumn/winter collection was the brainchild of Aquascutum's new president and chief executive officer, Kim Winser, who was inspired by the pictures of bygone Hollywood stars that decorate the VIP room at the company's Regent Street HQ.
Humphrey Bogart, Trevor Howard, Gregory Peck, Sean Connery, Peter Sellers and Sophia Loren, along with royals such as King Edward VII, the Duke of Windsor and the Queen Mother, once conveyed the mystique and prestige of the Aquascutum brand to the masses.
Now, Winser hopes that Brosnan and 21-year-old German model and Vogue cover girl Julia Stegner - who appears in a classic trench, a pair of lace-top stockings, high heels and little else - will perform the same magic for a new generation.
A Bond fan of many years' standing, Winser knew that melding the iconic status of Brosnan with Aquascutum would be a winning combination. And she is equally proud of the smouldering sensuality that photographer Mario Sorrenti brought to the campaign, using historic Somerset House on The Strand as a backdrop, a setting that evokes high intrigue and high style.
Winser happily concedes the photographs are ''very sexy'', light years away from the cosy, Home Counties perception of the brand which an older generation of customers cherish.
"I wanted to launch a campaign that would capture the interest of our customers, loyal and new," she says. "Pierce was a perfect choice and I have to say he looks stunning. Julie is both elegant and glamorous. They are the perfect 'power couple'."
Brosnan and Stegner wear clothes by Aquascutum's creative duo Michael Herz and Graeme Fiddler, who have been given carte blanche by Winser to spearhead a style revolution at a company that dates back to 1851.
Although Herz's background is women's wear and Fiddler's is men's, they work as a team, collaborating on each collection to ensure the designs reflect Aquascutum's heritage as what it sees as its future.
They are based in a design studio in Shoreditch, with a team of seamstresses who produce prototypes for each design. The day we meet, the studio is dotted with books and photographs of wooden African sculptures and neck ornaments, one of the starting points for next summer's collection, to be shown at London Fashion Week in September. Herz and Fiddler also spend hours plundering Aquascutum's vast archive.
Wherever possible, the duo use British mills to produce their fabrics and the majority of the tailoring is also done here, while the women's dresses are manufactured in Italy.
"There is a really strong tradition of fabric innovation, starting with the company's launch of a rain-repellent wool, shown at the Great Exhibition in 1853," says Herz. "We want to uphold that tradition. For example, the dress Julia wears in the chess scene is made from a wool barathea, traditionally used for men's dinner suits, and updated with a cotton canvas trim, while the trenchcoat is based on a photograph of a Twenties driving suit.
''We also found a yellow wool bouclé suit from the Fifties and went back to the original mill, Linton Tweeds, which does all the tweeds for Chanel, to have it re-woven for coats. Much of the metal embroidery for coats and dresses was done by specialists, Toye, Kenning & Spencer, inspired by heraldic motifs."
Fiddler explains that the grey wool suit worn by Brosnan was influenced by the Aquascutum suits worn by stars such as Michael Caine and Richard Harris in the Sixties. He has also collaborated with the Savile Row tailor Nick Hart for a limited edition range of suits.
"The raincoat Pierce is wearing in the shot with the dalmatian features a pared-down version of the raglan sleeve, which Aquascutum was commissioned to design in the late 19th century for a coat for Lord Raglan that would accommodate his sword.
"The more we go through the archives, the more we are amazed at the incredible detail, craftsmanship and techniques they used, particularly from the Thirties and Forties. It is a constant source of inspiration," Fiddler adds.
Herz and Fiddler's designs have already inspired a number of celebrities, too. They are quietly proud of having fitted Madonna for a coat and mention that Angelina Jolie and Kylie Minogue are also owners of Aquascutum raincoats.
When Winser took the helm at Aquascutum, her ambition was that people would walk into the store and say "Wow". With this campaign, the "wow" factor has surely kicked in.
1 May 2006: I want everyone who comes in to say: Wow! [interview with Kim Winser]
Bonding over fashion: Pierce Brosnan and Julia Stegner are the new faces of Aquascutum
==============================================
He WAS in London last month then. (probably when those Somerset pics were taken of him but he wasn't in the photos) Where does he find the time?
Ace