Patrick Grant dubbed his collection “Scarecrows,”and while the proportions may have been generous, and the jackets boxy, there was nothing off-putting about this cool, polished collection with a strong late Eighties feel.
While Grant was thinking about images by the photographer Peter Mitchell, who for decades has been snapping scarecrows in the Yorkshire countryside, the laid-back look was more Judd Nelson in “The Breakfast Club,” or even Richard E. Grant in “Withnail and I” — and came in layers of rich flannels, tweeds, denim and corduroy.
Models wore roomy tweed or check suits, their small belt buckles slightly off-kilter. Jackets were layered over snap-front knits or plaid shirts, while others flashed from under languid bathrobe coats or roomy crombies with gingham checks. The palette — not surprisingly — was earthy, with tones of mustard, olive, dark red and gray, with pops of navy and indigo.
Trousers, some with pleats, others cropped and cuffed, were charmingly oversized, too. Denim ones had a work wear feel, and were paired with chunky crewneck sweaters. There was much here to crow about.