E. Tautz A/W 20 mixes modern elegance with sustainable style


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E. Tautz A/W 20 mixes modern elegance with sustainable style

When I first set my eyes on the E. Tautz collection it captivated me with it’s louche silhouettes and rich looking fabrics. While it’s a British label that began in 1867, the oversized coats and pleated pants remind me of a distinctly American icon: Richard Gere circa the ‘80s. That was the era of “more is more” and “greed is good” so it’s interesting that designer Patrick Grant has a completely different ethos being extremely outspoken about the state of fashion in the world today.

“Fashion, a world of consumption and destruction that heaps misery upon human beings and reaps damage on the planet on a scale almost no other industry comes close to matching.” he says in his show notes. His clothes however are a good argument for the “buy less, buy better” trope that is popular in the sustainable fashion world and on instagram. Impeccably constructed he takes his responsibility seriously – approximately 50% of the collection is made from recycled fabrics, discarded shirts and jeans. Students from the Royal College of Needlework added handiwork in the form of patchwork and darning which gave traditional suiting an unexpected materiality. And everything is made local –in Britain. Throwback though his style may be it also feels very modern and his understanding and commitment to where fashion is headed is most decidedly future forward.