Male fans of sartorial splendour rejoice! The lovely Lou Dalton is hitting the rails of everyone’s favourite Aladdin’s cave, Liberty of London.
With London Fashion Week’s frenzied menswear Wednesday gaining increasing prominence on the jam-packed show calendar, our homegrown team of gent’s designers is now truly hitting its stride. Back in February as the well-heeled, tightly tied, buttoned down fashion chaps hurried from show to show one of the highlights was Lou Dalton’s all booting, all suiting collection. Set against the opulent backdrop of the Royal Opera House, with models pounding to the beat of the Horse Meat Disco bass-line, Lou provided the perfect mix of old and new. With the collection now available in Liberty’s menswear mecca, Lou’s hard work and beady eye for detail has been given the recognition it deserves. The well-stocked shelves of the boys’ basement at the store provides the perfect backdrop for the contemporary, well-crafted menswear she’s churning out season after season. i-D online took five with Mrs D. to talk memories, music, chilling out, maxing and relaxing.
Tell us what Lou’s been up to of late? I got back from Paris a few weeks back where I was showcasing the SS12 collection as part of the BFC London Showroom in Paris, I had a great response to the new collection with some great international stores showing support for next season. With the AW11 production just being delivered into store I am now working full steam ahead on the Salon Show in September where you’ll be able to see SS12 in its entirety.
How would you describe the Lou Dalton aesthetic in 5 words? Colourful, charming, no shrinking violet.
Where in the world do you find most relaxing? To date the North Yorkshire Moors but come late September a Greek Island or two.
What’s on your summer soundtrack? At the mo, I’m loving Foster the People, Wild Beasts and the new Horse Meat Disco album. We at Lou Dalton love a bit of the Jim Stanton and the HMD boys, just fabulous.
Where will the Lou Dalton chap be wearing his AW11 kit? Where ever he feels most comfortable.
Do you remember your first Liberty shopping experience? It was around 1992 I was at college in Staffordshire and we had come into London for the day, we had been given a whole list of stores that we had to visit, Liberty being one of them. I remember coming into Liberty, going up to the WW designer floor and seeing the Rifat Ozbek collection of North American Indian inspired bone-fronted jackets in rich navy and blood velvet, they were just amazing. I remember being quite brash and asking the sales assistant for help as I wanted to try one of the jackets on, they were super accommodating and so lovely at humouring this young girl who hadn’t got a cat in hell’s chance of purchasing such a thing!
What role do you think stores like Liberty play in championing UK designers? Huge, it’s great for a designer’s profile and for a designer trying to build a brand, it is such a great store.
Tell us what you’d haul in a three minute supermarket sweep around Liberty? Starting from the top working my way down; a decadent lamp or two, every roll of William Morris fabric I could lay my hands on and fit in my trolley along with a classic Liberty print, a few bits of china, a wide selection of jewellery (as much as I could grab), Liberty’s scarf range and some Liberty stationery.
In one word what should we expect from Lou Dalton for SS12? Anglais.
