AW13 Ad Campaign - Spirit of Union
As a movement epitomized by a common bond, the camaraderie that grew amongst the pitmen and mining communities of mid-century Britain left an indelible mark on generations of the nation's youth. During the 1950s and latter decades, the sprit of these industrial townships in the north of England was documented by a new wave of scenic artists. Their industrial landscapes depicted a time that defined ‘the north’ as a place of both warmth and community, as well as one of grit and hardship.
In Spirit of Union they embrace these opposing qualities, distilling them into a collection inspired by utility and function, refreshed with a modern colour palette, and contemporized through fabrication, fit and attention to detail.
At the heart of the collection is print. Led by the craft of hand-cut lino printing, the very characters portrayed within the pitmen paintings are transformed into the season's statement pieces. Highly graphical shirting and an all-over print chino gives way to more subtle placement jacquards on knitwear and outerwear as mid-winter draws closer.
Referencing the utilitarian garments favoured by the Trade Unionists, inspiration has been drawn from the humble Donkey Jacket and applied not only to outerwear, but shirting too. While heavy Melton jackets feature waxed twills, leather detailing and shearling collars, shirts see texture and contrasting colour applied to the shoulder and forearm.
Elsewhere in shirting, jacquard, cord and fleece fabrications add luxuriant warmth to detailed design, whilst sartorial plains with tailored accents bring a sense of sophistication to the collection. Knitwear continues the theme of texture, with boiled wools and engineered techniques used consistently across cardigans, roll necks and crew styles in confident colours. Warmth is added with outerwear in corduroy, wools and quilted down, as well as technical features and fabrications, such as laminated layers and taped seams.
The voluminous silhouette of the 50s Sloppy trouser continues in a variety of forms for autumn. From punchy hued puppytooth to felted Melton and printed twills, sturdy design and cinch details hark back to the industrial era.
The seasons colour palette begins with blue, from dusty industrial hues to rich deep navies, peppered with sage green and powder yellow. As the season continues and the nights draw in, the palette lightens. Striking teal and moody petrol blues are offset by paprika, rosewood and 'molten lava' orange. Blues give way to greens as mid winter
SS 2013 - Jazz Life
The Jazz scene of 1960s America was a time of sharp styles and new sounds, and an era that influenced music and fashion in equal magnitude. The Spring '13 collection takes its sartorial lead from this era, and it is with a nod to Jazz Life, they present the seasons campaign.
Inspired by the book of the same name, the collection looks at the influence of this East Coast scene. With the spirit of collision becoming a hallmark of the Plectrum Collection, this clash of opposing styles creates a new silhouette and inspired design detail, lending the collection a more contemporary sensibility.
Continuing the theme of the work with ther own, they revisit their creative collaboration with The Rig Out magazine to capture the shop boys of Ben Sherman, amongst a backdrop of some of London's most iconic studios.