With a rich history of Royal dressing, British brand Hardy Amies continued its return to sartorial splendour yesterday evening in Florence, taking centre stage for its guest appearance at Pitti Uomo.
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With investment from Hong Kong magnates Li & Fung Limited resuscitating the brand in 2008 H.A-once couturier to the Queen and costume-makers for Kubrick’s epic ’2001: Space Odyssey’-has been making a discreet but distinguished re-emergence. Creative Director, Claire Malcolm kept to form at the Stazione Leopolda introducing a jolly modern Earl ‘Grey’, inspired by a particular image of a flannel suited, young, 1930s Mr Amies. With the first dozen looks of the collection presenting various interpretations on grey textural tailoring, Hardy himself would no doubt be proud. Whilst having praised washed upon her by attendees of the show, Malcolm explained to i-D online backstage, “With the grey I wanted to strip everything of colour and just focus on texture, fabric, proportion and silhouette. I absolutely love grey flannel and I really liked the idea of it being one of the most staple, British things you can buy. There can be a normality to it but you can also get this sort of Hollywood look that I just wanted to modernise really. This is a huge event for us, I’m just so thrilled to be here.” Further monochromatic tones came courtesy of booting from cobbler of the moment Mr Hare and some pretty gnatty spider webbing prints on trunks from luggage co. Globe-Trotter. A noteworthy injection of colour closed the collection with a handful of kaleidoscopic, jacquard jackets and a rather splendid pair of red velvet trousers. With modern day, minor royal Mr Hudson poised front row and HRH Prince Michael of Kent popping into town to honour Hardy Amies with a dinner at Florence’s Palazzo Borghese, it looks like H.A’s return to glory is well underway. What follows? Shows in Paris and dressing red carpet stars for certain and who knows, perhaps a spot of miniature suiting for Baby Middleton-Windsor?
Text: Sean Baker
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