We now have a new fond infatuation with tweed since our recent collaboration with creative and artistic British brand Dashing Tweeds.
Tweed; this iconic trend that has been traditionally associated with sports country wear has become more fashion forward in recent years, to give men more freedom in being able to express their individuality.
Dashing Tweeds is definitely the destination for men who like to stand out from the crowd and are not afraid to play with colour.
The overall look of the photoshoot is sharp, tailored and striking with focus on modern and distinct hairstyles cut by the LSB experts.
We were given some insights into the main man Guy behind the brand and what his thoughts are on fashion and hair. Read the special interview below……
LSB: Describe the Dashing Tweeds type of male who wears your brand?
DT: The wearers of Dashing Tweed are hard to place as a single type but there is an overriding theme that runs through fans of the brand. A streak of individualism unites them and a desire to stand out from the crowd. Many of our customers are entrepreneurial and have started their own successful companies. They also all share an appreciation for quality and the artistry of our designs.
LSB: What is the story behind the establishment of your brand?
DT: The story is simple. As a photographer cycling about town to shoots and meetings, I was always looking for something interesting, yet functional to wear on my bike. I had always loved the sporting qualities of tweed but the colours of the traditional fabric were for the country and looked out of place in town. I desired a modern urban tweed. A chance meeting with weave designer Kirsty McDougall led to us creating an urban tweed which blended with the townscape. We then had an idea to weave reflective threads in with the wool and created our Lumatwill range. After this, we created summer fabrics in fine Merino wool, bringing colour back to menswear. The fabrics proved to be so popular, we formed a weave design studio together and then opened up a shop in Mayfair to sell the fabrics and menswear.
LSB: What makes you proud of Dashing Tweeds?
DT: Seeing anyone wearing our fabric with delight makes me feel proud of the brand we have created!
LSB: What words would you use to describe the brand?
DT: Creative, artistic, original, luxurious, quality, British, witty…
LSB: Where do you take inspiration for your designs?
DT: We create two seasonal collections a year of cloths and clothes. We always start with the fabrics and the inspiration comes from all around us. We have looked at the movement of people and information through cities, arctic explorers, abstract impressionist painters, the structure of galaxies and the changing view of science fiction…Really anything that interests us can form the basis of collections.
LSB: Who would you like to see on the red carpet wearing your clothes and why?
DT: Eddy Redmain would be great, he seems to have a great sense of fun and style in a way that the British are so good at.
LSB: How do you think Tweed is perceived in the fashion world and by designers?
DT: Tweed has had a very long history in terms of fashion. Things really took off in the 1840’s when estate tweeds became very popular for families buying large estates in Scotland. The trend for the outdoors and the wearing of tweeds in all sorts of colours and patterns became huge. Tweed has moved in and out of fashion ever since notable highlights such as Coco Channels use of tweed in womenswear, Vivienne Westwood’s Punk creations in tweed and the nostalgic rise of tweed in events such as the bicycle Tweed Run.
LSB: What fashion trends do you think are hot right now for men?
DT: There is a definite trend for more colour in menswear and tailoring is making a great comeback as street wear styles start to wane. Men are at last becoming more adventurous and individuality is becoming more important.
LSB: Have you always been a big Tweed fan?
DT: Yes since University days, when my Harris tweed herringbone jacket kept going for years and years, in fact I still have it after 30 years and it started taken life from my father’s wardrobe.
LSB: Any style advice to share on what is best to pair with tweed?
DT: It’s tricky to give absolute advice as there are so many different colours and patterns in tweed and our summer Merino wool weaves, but the general idea is to treat it as dress down sports wear and wear it as naturally as possible with whatever you feel goes.
LSB: What do you think of the finished photos and the hairstyles?
DT: They look great, it’s a shame the weather was not favourable for the summer looks but the photographer managed to capture a freshness none the less. I particularly like the more flamboyant hair styles of the models in the daffodils. The high volume and great movement of the hair creates a sense of excitement that is mirrored by our summer designs. The style of the chap with a moustache manages to combine heritage and modernity with the clean cut of the sides and this goes well with our Green Gibbous suit design. The model with the spiky cut looks sharp yet thoughtful and our jacket in the Kelly Grid inspired by the works of Agnes Martin goes very well with the overall look!
LSB: How important is hair when you do your own photo shoots for new collections?
DT: Very important. Menswear is all about attention to detail and creating a balanced look with new combinations of clothing. We go one step further by constantly creating new cloths as well as changing the cut of the clothes. We use hair to instantly define the mood of the shoot. It’s no use creating a perfect evening look for an extraordinary night out if you look like you’ve just got out of bed.
LSB: Are there any hairstyles that you think look exceptionally flattering on men?
DT: I used to have long rich dark hair and constantly played around with interesting asymmetrical hairstyle which I think flattered my looks. However now that sadly my hair is a little less full, I have started to sport a more traditional shorter back and sides look. So the answer is whatever you can get away with and looks good. Saying that, there is nothing worse than the straggling ageing rocker look.
Hair stylists: Henry Stevens and Michael Kontos
Photographer: Ilaria Morelli
Fashion Stylist: Rachel Witter
Clothes: Dashing Tweeds
Models: Leonardo Bonora, Kamil Stan, Ammar Mousa & Nathan Evans
