Under its new-ish CEO Laurent Malecaze, Alfred Dunhill Ltd. has parted ways with Mark Weston following his five entertaining years at the creative helm. This collection marked a moment of considered hiatus as the house transitions towards a fresh phase of menswear expression. And it is worth taking that moment, because there are many directions in which a new hand could steer it.
After all, Dunhill is a marque that started out switching from saddlery to become a provider of “Motorities,” high-quality luggage accessories and clothing for early-adopters of the newly-invented automobile (a bit like Hermès but not for horsemen). It then changed lanes into creation of incredible watches, clocks, and bijoux gadgets (not so unlike Cartier, once upon a time). It also found a powerful niche in the creation of pipes, cigarettes, lighters, and other sundries related to Jean Nicot’s addictive import (although it is no longer in the business of manufacturing tobacco products). Dunhill also has strong associations with golf. It expanded fully into partner-produced menswear in the 1970s before taking on its first ever creative director—a certain Kim Jones—in 2008. Jones was spirited away to Paris barely three years later.
So what next? Dunhill seems to possess two core characteristics in its DNA; masculinity and the capacity for creatively opportunistic adaptation. At this juncture, there are three obvious routes for Malecaze to choose from; keep pushing the fashion message (via a new messenger), focus more on an expression of male-identifying style and savoir faire (the angle successfully chosen of late by Berluti and Brioni), or to creatively adapt afresh in Alfred Dunhill’s founding spirit of constant experimental reinvention.
The middle road is probably the safest—via some R&D-fulled diversions in the third direction—and with this collection of 20 looks, Dunhill’s in-house team handsomely demonstrated its capacity to chart that course. A hopsack dark blue blazer cut from a new block was a paragon of the form. Other pieces you could well imagine the brand’s hedge fundy Bourdon House regulars happily dropping wedge on included a monochrome dogtooth puffa, a black leather car coat, a superlight Crombie-esque coat in herringbone, a pared-back camel duffle, and a fine gray cashmere shacket. Bridle-inspired bags and a molded-sole brogue boot (which would have benefited from a heel to toe drop) completed the compact offer. After so many twists in its historic plotline, Dunhill awaits a new act. This, however, made for an engaging intermission.
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