Dunhill A/W 2018

Mood board: The season signals the catwalk debut of creative director Mark Weston, successor to John Ray who for three years crafted a look of studied heritage. Weston was appointed in May 2017 and was previously senior vice president of menswear at Burberry under Christopher Bailey. His A/W18 was hard, sexy and cool. Gone are the silk pocket squares and button cardigans. Weston’s Dunhill speaks to a modern man.
Finishing touches: In recent years the brand has flitted in and out of the fashion conversation. It was developed in the early 1890s by Alfred Dunhill after he inherited a small saddlery business situated on London’s Euston Road. Its heritage as a luxury goods manufacturer of everything from picnic sets to parkers has given Weston carte blanche to hit the reset button on its ready-to-wear offering. There are no archival constraints. No house codes to subvert. Weston’s Dunhill was tough. There was a hard sensuality to the many leather pieces within the collection, which seemed to acknowledge the saddlery savoir faire of its founder.
Best in show: The show notes listed 17 directives that only stated what was in front of us – it was free from the usual balderdash. The opening look was a great tracksuit in tweed selvedge; supple leather shirts in superb biro-ink blue were tucked into sharp leather trousers worn with shiny chestnut ankle boots. The suit had been split; lean two button jackets were worn with pocket front shirts and club stripe ties and tough leather trousers. Chocolate brown leather blousons were worn over pale blue shirts with wide-leg cavalry twill trousers. The interiors of cars inspired stand out moulded biker jackets.
Dunhill A/W 2018. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Dunhill A/W 2018. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Dunhill A/W 2018. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Dunhill A/W 2018. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
London based writer Dal Chodha is editor-in-chief of Archivist Addendum — a publishing project that explores the gap between fashion editorial and academe. He writes for various international titles and journals on fashion, art and culture and is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. Chodha has been working in academic institutions for more than a decade and is Stage 1 Leader of the BA Fashion Communication and Promotion course at Central Saint Martins. In 2020 he published his first book SHOW NOTES, an original hybrid of journalism, poetry and provocation.
-
Is this London’s slickest burger joint?
Already proven in Paris, Dumbo’s smash-hit formula of precision, confidence, and simplicity arrives in Shoreditch – and yes, it’s worth the wait
-
How to be butch: Clark Henley’s sharp, satirical and playful manual is back in print
The 1982 classic, ‘The Butch Manual: The Current Drag and How to Do It’, full of tongue-in-cheek advice, is available once again
-
Aston Martin goes goth, ramping up power, poise and dark glamour with the new Vantage S
These moody images mark the debut of the latest model out of Gaydon, the dynamically focused Aston Martin Vantage S
-
Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expect
Five moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson
-
Donna Trope celebrates the power of the Polaroid in Paris
‘Polaroids used to be my rejects, and now they are my holy grail,’ says the beauty photographer, as she shows rarely seen images in a Paris exhibition
-
Palace unites with Rapha to celebrate inaugural Tour de France Femmes
Marking the first time women will compete in the historic cycling race since the late 1980s, this new collaboration sees Palace Skateboards and Rapha create uniforms for both on and off the bike – including an ‘outlandish’ pair of Crocs
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022: Chanel to Miu Miu
In this extended report, Wallpaper* updates you live from Paris Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as runway events unfold
-
Scene-stealing runway sets from S/S 2022 womenswear shows
From giant roulette wheels to Olympic diving boards and multi-city synchronized extravaganzas – our pick of the best fashion show sets from S/S 2022 womenswear
-
Louis Vuitton A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's
-
Chanel A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women’s
-
Y/Project A/W 2020 Paris Fashion Week Women's