GIVEN free rein to create something stunning to put Aquascutum into the realms of fashion's superpowers, menswear designer Graham Fidler and womenswear designer Michael Hertz clearly revelled in the task. There was a buzz before the show, in a gaping warehouse above the Trocadero accessed via a large clanking steel lift, as if we were about to see something important. The new label - known as Aquascutum as opposed to the original line, Aquascutum London, which launched in 1851 - is about classic English pieces moulded by the quintessential British talent for innovative draping and cut. Gorgeous silk jackets were shrunk to a stiff, curvy fit, frothy lace dresses had layered bustles beneath their skirts and large men's trench coats had been cleverly tailored down to flatter the models' slim frames. It was the best of British in terms of quality with lustrous brocade, lace, silk and wool making up pieces that threatened to damage fashionable bank accounts. However, with Herz's threat in mind that the new line "will ensure that Aquascutum is still around in another 150 years," they're worth every penny. (February 15 2005, PM)
I absolutely adore this collection!! Does anyone know more about the designer? This is the first time I've heard of it.
