SimplyAbuDhabi XII

2 5 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I W hen a gentleman wants classic tailoring then the revered name of Brioni is an obvious choice. This Italian high-end fashion house that was founded in 1945 is a touchstone of craftsmanship and specialises in the sale of handmade suits. This season the models unveiled the collection, strutting like extras in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’, missing only a cigarette dangling nonchalantly from their lower lips. It’s every bit the moody, sharp suit lines we’ve come to expect of Brioni. All the more impressive because it is Creative Director Brendan Mullane’s first collection for the fashion house. “We wanted to find cohesion between Brioni’s sartorial history and sartorial outerwear to offer a contemporary elegant attitude,” said Mullane. This collection takes you whistling across the Steppe on the Trans-Siberian Express, departing fromMilan and headed into the wilderness of Siberia. A Brioni man stands on the platform, elegantly dressed. His silhouette is strong and graphic; razor-sharp. His coat is slung over his shoulder, his bag is in hand ready to board. (Whatever you do, don’t put your arms in your sleeves this season; every fashion house is slinging coats about shoulders like a cape.) First stop: a show of wintery layers, cocooning the modern man against the ravages of the cold seasons without relinquishing any contemporary style. The chevron wool belted parka with fur-trimmed collar over a contrasting checked suit is the perfect example. Outerwear is a combination of field jackets, bombers, parkas and duffle coats. Stop two: the steppe. Inspired by the wind blown, epic tundra, Mullane has used a palette of winter beige, deep nutty brown and black; midnight blue and soft cream offset by glimpses of rich velvet linings in jewelled shades. Stop three: tailoring. Artfully tailored suits are crafted from super fine wools, baby cashmere, vicuna and silk-wool blends. A reversible bomber jacket (not the only designer to dally with this trend this season) in sheared mink with a laser cut quilted pattern is a glory to behold. Final station: accessories. The most covetable bags this year are the Jet Bag, the Voyager bag and the Cabin bag, sewn frommatte crocodile, baby Astrakhan and a patterned cashmere. Rose gold and platinum cufflinks from a partnership with Fredrikson Stallard are the ultimate finishing touch. This classic company from Rome has become one of the world’s leading gentlemen’s outfitters, renowned for supremely luxurious tailoring and outwear. It epitomises the forward fashion that emerges endlessly from Italy. Nazareno Fonticoli, a master tailor, opened his first suit shop in Rome’s Via Barberini with his business partner Gaetano Savini at the close of the SecondWorldWar, taking its name from a small cluster of Croatian islands. After fashion shows in Florence andNew York between 1952 and 1954, the company made the leap across the pond. Since then, the company has continued to expand, introducing women’s wear and exciting new retail destinations worldwide. This year the company has cemented its presence in the UAE with the opening of a second boutique in Abu Dhabi at the glamorous new Galleria Al Marayh. The store is entirely and artfully decorated with travertine marble, bronzed brass, prized lacquers, wood, velvet and natural-fibre wallpaper, in keeping with the sophisticated clothes held within. Two sales areas define the boutique’s interiors, opening the doors to both formalwear and leisurewear and a separate, sumptuous VIP Room delineates the exclusive Brioni Su Misura area.