Posted November 25, 2012 in News
The Façonnable Collection for Autumn-Winter 2012: Forever French – Always modern
Légionnaire: “The English Patient” by Façonnable
The Legionnaires, better known as the French Foreign Legion, is a military unit filled with foreign nationals that became famous during the late 1800s and early part of the 1900s. The company’s uniforms—dusty khakis, clean chinos, and streamlined
silhouettes— became just as iconic, immortalized by Ralph Fiennes and Kristen Scott Thomas in 1996 film, “An English Patient.” It is with these two muses where the Legionnaire group begins. Romantic and military references meet in a new kind of understated, elegance. Strong, confident, but far from ostentatious, the men’s features standout outerwear, including a cropped belted trench coat with leather shoulder patches, a perforated suede bomber, oversized army parachute parka and a double-zip lightweight nylon jacket. There are also key layering pieces, like nylon vests, aged field jackets, washed winter line drill blazer and knit zip-front hoodies. For women, the lineup is sensual and functional. Exceptional outerwear features pieces like a funnel neck belted coat, a suede blazer and a round-shoulder belted trench. Important layering pieces like cropped slouchy sweaters, paper-thin button down shirts in ethnical prints and minimal skirts with contrast zips or trim round up perfectly this feminine yet far from ostentatious line. Both men and women collections are obsolescence and designed for the ones who appreciate clean-lined and modern clothes, all cut from cool neutrals, like tobacco, stone and olive drab then accented with deep tones, such as chili red, sun bleached pink and gypsy blue. This collection is at once of the moment and timeless.
Downtown Fisherman: urbane edge to the ocean
“She loves to fish. She loves to fish with Nick.” Those prose come from Hemingway’s short story, “The End of Something.” Well for the designers at Façonnable, the idea of Hemingway in sturdy cable knits and well worn khakis was the start of something. In Downtown Fisherman, Façonnable designers bring an urbane edge to the great outdoors spirit of Hemingway and other men of adventurer. Outerwear forms the cornerstone of this series, with standout variations on parka and sailor jackets, many of which are reversible and feature both modern materials like nylon and classic ones like flannel. There are also great base pieces, including striped polos with printed badges and trim boat neck sweaters covered in classic sailor stripes. For the women, rugged outerwear shows its luxurious side thanks to the thoughtful appointment of leather, often applied to the shoulder and elbows of pea coats. A shearling-trimmed collar on a traditional pea coat is the perfect weekend staple while feminine silk and jersey dresses will take her through the week, on or off dry land.
An Englishman in Grasse
What happens when an Englishman, proper in tweeds and prince of Wale jackets, lands in the romantic hamlet of Grasse, better known as the perfume capital of the world? Pure sartorial magic. In Façonnable’s second main grouping, An Englishman in Grasse, the design team weaves a fresh narrative of a Brit writer who travels to his vacation home in the South of France. Rather than abandon his classic tweeds and herringbone sport jackets, he reimagines them. To wit, there are jackets that look like tweed but are really a tweed trompe l’oeil on cotton. Winter chambray, relaxed shapes, double-face fabrics, like Shetland and plaid, along with buttoned placket or lining crafted out of tie fabrics and classic menswear patterns deliver an unpretentious dandy vibe. For women, the outerwear silhouettes are voluminous, almost like a favorite blanket wrapped easily around the body. Cocoon shapes, soft shoulders and built-in caplets, inject a soft attitude with just enough chic appeal.
Sartorial: the ultimate impeccable style
Focused quality, impeccable style. Those were the mandates behind the Sartorial Collection, a special line of precious items. Only 15 pieces comprise this luxury edition, which takes advantage of the finest cloths around, including cashmere, fine wools and subtle silk blends. Designed and crafted with the utmost attention, the jackets and pants are hand-finished and all feature the new script logo. Best part: Collection allows a client to express a discriminating, personal taste. The thoughtful color schemes blend seamlessly with one another, meaning a man can mix and matchwearing a different jacket with the same pants one day or different pants and the same jacket another. New soft constructions and knit effects present the sartorial
elegance with a completely new and relaxed approach.
