If you ask most people where the entrance to London’s Institute of Contemporary Art is they’ll say on The Mall. Generally they’d be right, but last night’s Thomas Pink menswear extravaganza used the much grander entrance on Carlton House Terrace. Thomas Pink had taken over the Nash and Brandon rooms on the first floor of the ICA to showcase their Autumn/Winter 14 collection. But they did it with a twist – and not just of lemon in the Brummell cocktails.
The fashion show was not standard issue. One room had a gritty urban feel – well, as close to gritty and urban as you can get in a John Nash designed, Grade One listed Regency piano nobile. Which isn’t that close, when all’s said and done. To one side was a mezzanine built out of scaffolding. On this twenty male models were standing and chatting, posing and occasionally dancing. If Thomas Pink has its way bow ties will soon feature on at least 10% of men, as will double breasted suits. Opposite the oppidan stage was a crowd of people sipping gins and Beau Brummell cocktails. Yes, George Bryan Brummell, inventor of the men’s suit has a cocktail named after him. Suitably for a man who was never ready quickly (he is said to have taken five hours to dress) the Cognac, lillet rose, vermouth, yucca, creme de peche and bitters had all been maturing in bottle for two weeks.
The second room, emblazoned with the slogan Any colour as long as it’s Pink showcased an interactive art piece/gin vending machine created by Bompas and Parr. Working with art director Anna Lomax they had recreated the oldest vending machine in the world – the Puss and Mew. This was developed in the 18th century when the sale of gin in England had to be licensed. To get round the law gin started to be sold in an unusual manner. The aim being to sell the Mother’s Ruin anonymously, so as to evade informers, customers put their money into a hole in a wall. In return a spout dispensed gin into their waiting glass. The anonymity side of things can’t have worked too well – the inventor of the first Puss and Mew is recorded as Dudley Bradstreet.
At the ICA a door took the place of the wall, and with the drink dispensed was of course a Pink Gin, fruity with ginseng and grapefruit.
Contemporary installation is not the only Pink link to the art world. The wildness of Turner’s seascapes was one of the starting points for the new collection. The clothes aim to show this through the contrast of orderly pattern and riotous colour. Texture is similarly used with smooth poplins and rougher wools and tweeds mixed in the same outfit.
Beanies and brushed cottons are teamed with suits to blur any formal/casual distinctions. Turner would have enjoyed the small dashes of bold colour in ties and scarfs, a sartorial version of the final brushstrokes he was renowned for making on Vernissage days at the Royal Academy. Chunky tasselled loafers, vivid jackets and knitted ties and scarfs complete the look although you might want to invest in a beard to get the full effect. Start growing now and you should be ready for Autumn.
Thomas Pink is renowned for its shirts but also carries a full range of menswear. Get a quick glimpse of the new collection in the vlog below.
See a few more pictures here or visit Thomas Pink online.
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