The Riot Club | Dunhill

Could there be a more appropriate LCM venue for Britain's singularly most aristocratic luxury British designer brand, than Brook Street's Savile Club? A club of the highest order, complete with high-ceilinged ballroom, sumptuous soft furnishes, walls clad in oak paneling and no less than two spiral staircases, the world 'plush' just doesn't quite say it. A good thing too, because perhaps the only collection of Autumn/Winter '16 that could have held its own against such rich surroundings was indeed Dunhill; who's powerful, sartorial, masculine offering for next winter had all those who entered positively drooling with non-publically educated envy. Well-built, chiseled models strode up and down with many a cry of 'yah' and 'for sure', displaying Creative Director John Ray's latest incarnations of old-school, elegant British masculinity. The collection is iconic, with Ray excelling himself to create contemporary reinterpretations of staple Dunhill pieces, all of which bring with them a reassuringly aristocratic feel; from a sumptuous chocolate brown leather driving-come-trench coat, and other motoring-inspired outerwear, to a sea of sharp navy double-breasted blazers, the club was a-buzz with sharply dressed, irritatingly attractive young men. A particularly exquisite piece was the imposing double-breasted shawl-collared smoking jacket, cut in a very fine saffron velvet, ideal for cocktail dress and eveningwear. Paired with the classic appointments of pleated dress shirt and black smoking trousers, the look more or less encapsulates the superbly polished tone which runs throughout the collection. Dunhill's clothing is not only supremely stylish, but beautifully made too, with suits and jackets impressively constructed with long, leafy skirts, lean chests and hand-padded lapels. The materials which Ray employs, whether superfine worsted suiting fabrics or indulgent fine-grain calfskins, are exquisite, and play a significant part in lending the collection its elevated, exclusive quality. One of the finest achievements of Autumn/Winter '16, Dunhill's latest collection is little short of a triumph; offering old-school, elegant and above all exquisitely made menswear for gentlemen of taste and perspicacity. I for one can't wait to see it in store next autumn.