Review by QC Humphrey
When the brand DAKS started its fashion show with the famous Bizet song from the opera Carmen: “Quand Je Vous Aimerai?…L’amour Est un Oiseau Rebelle,” you have expectations that you will be a witness to a dramatic, emotional, and dare I write, a moving fashion show. DAKS lived up to the powerful song and hit every note correctly for their Men’s/Women’s FW 2019 show celebrating their 125th anniversary.
The inspiration for this collection came from British literature, from three influential British writers whose works are considered masterpieces. One was Kazuo Ishiguro, Nobel-Prize winning writer, who wrote “The Remains of the Day in 1989”. The novel tells, in first-person narration, the rather stylish story of Stevens, a loyal butler, who recalls his life in the form of a diary; from the mid-1930s through to the present (~ 1970).
The first model to hit the runway wore a three-piece traditional British grey checked suit with two-inch-wide leg cuffed trousers that were at least an inch above the ankle. The look was that of a British country gentleman but with a modern take on that gentleman.
The entire fall menswear collection with its various checks, rich historical inspired silhouettes, micro and macro herringbone and innovative knitwear was undeniably British.
The jodhpurs trousers, a standout design reinterpretation, with the side button detail completed the country gentleman look but the leather-bib sweater vest updated it to the modern era.
The Fashion Plate Magazine 