E Tautz autumn/winter 2019 collection catwalk show for LFWM

It’s refreshing to see a designer’s reference interpreted with subtlety. You wouldn’t have thought that Patrick Grant’s Autumn/Winter 2019 collection was inspired by Ibirapuera Park in São Paolo, Brazil, but there you go. Perhaps even more intriguing was the title of the collection itself: “Premium Mediocre”. 

Paradoxical indeed, and not that easy to decode. Perhaps it questions materialism and the true value of luxury fashion. Whether it was Grant’s intention to depict such a message or not, the collection had an air of granddad nonchalance that was apparent from the start. The second look, comprising of a single-breasted tweed jacket, navy buttoned-up cotton shirt and burgundy corduroy trousers that were just a little baggy, was finished with smooth leather plimsolls with a squared topline, revealing sky blue socks underneath (the shoes were made in collaboration with Louboutin, by the way – very premium).

The clothes were in a paint pot of primary and secondary colours. The aforementioned corduroy trousers came in shades of emerald, ochre and ruby red, to mention a few. Tweed coats and jackets were aplenty, interweaving strands of other autumnal colours. Every now and then, patterns were warped and disrupted; this was evident in a smart monochromatic herringbone double-breasted coat worn under an ecru granddad collar shirt, or a chevron sweatshirt.

In contrast, there was also a fresher, more youthful look: a bright indigo denim jacket with a navy corduroy (clearly the fabric du jour) collar was worn over a crisp white sweatshirt and jeans that hung loosely on the legs. In fact, the trousers in the collection did seem rather cumbersome – it was the sartorial version of a shrug of the shoulders. Cropped bomber jackets and sweatshirts indicated a casualness that was well-executed because it didn’t look lazy. Nothing about the designer’s collection was too mediocre. Don’t be too hard on yourself, Grant.

Isobel Bridgwood
Photos: Huw Jenkins