“I’m very into how clothes make you feel,” says Nick Wakeman, creative director and founder of Studio Nicholson. “Anyone can style something and make it look decent but as a garment, how does it make you feel?” This thinking underscores Wakeman’s excitement for fabric which design wise informs everything. “We started this collection considering that each fabric had to have some kind of property. Is it spongy, shiny, textural, noisy?” Wakeman also obsessed over specific time periods and moods. “We delved into 1990s fabrications, mainly out of Japan, and I was thinking about Comme and Yohji,” she said.
This collection’s campaign was shot in Stockholm, Sweden. Wakeman and the team sought out the city’s textures, from concrete and brutalist architecture to interesting windows, to use as a backdrop that plays off against the clothing’s various surfaces, shapes and lines. “We’re not a minimalist brand,” says Wakeman. “This is about perfecting the classics. It’s about looking in detail at the classics, and then modernising them.” The shoot also showcased the debut leather bags collection, which are all designed to provide a fitting but purposeful punctuation to a Studio Nicholson look without fussy hardware or other gimmicky distractions.
A cornerstone of the ready to wear is a British high-twist, lightweight tropical wool - a consistent favourite of Wakeman’s - that doesn’t crease and is particularly breathable, making it ideal for transeasonal wardrobes. Its properties are ideally suited to creating Studio Nicholson’s signature anti-uptight tailoring and suiting for men and women, including patch pocket soft blazers and pleat front pants. It is also used this season for shirting, tops, women’s shorts and a men’s coach jacket.
Fabrics that give off a certain textural smoothness, and that remind Wakeman of the
qualities of marble, are similarly noteworthy for Autumn 24. The unisex Raine jacket in parchment is rendered in a showerproof bonded cotton and is cut slightly oversized with a dropped shoulder and drawstring hood. Another strong anorak moment is The Lessen which features in the men’s collection and is the first time that a Studio Nicholson garment has been created by mixing fabrics: the main body comes in a showerproof crinkle nylon with a contrast twill collar and pocket flaps.
"This is about perfecting the classics. It’s about looking in detail at the classics, and then modernising them."
The marble-like theme continues across womenswear with pieces crafted in sporty polyester which boast a spongey finish, such as the boxy Idro sweater, balloon legged Moura pants and the gently oversized short-sleeve Mata knit. Meanwhile another key fabrication in womenswear is a linen-like twill, only made in Japan, that gives off a certain easy fluidity to garments, from an oversized long sleeve shirt - the Wilton - to the voluminous Dordoni pant and the a-line Barr dress with a shoulder cut-out detail that hits mid-calf.
Other highlights include, a new addition to the men’s Studio Nicholson denim proposition: a Japanese crinkle denim in black or white - that comes as a volume pant and a boxy jacket. Wakeman points out its “pleasing sheen-like finish.” Across both men’s and women’s shirting, Wakeman has added a textured vintage stipe in roomy shapes and muted tones. Two of Studio Nicholson’s key outerwear staples - the women’s trench and the men’s bomber - both get updates this Autumn. The Mawer - an oversized double breasted trench - comes in coated cotton whilst the men’s Piston is now also available in black lamb leather. Shoes for the season include various signature styles in a mix of pale transeasonal colourways: The Donovan and Spring in marble leather and the Wearing in rainy day grey suede are highlights.
One reference point that Wakeman does frequently return to is Gus Van Sant’s 108 Portraits, first published in 1992. “I look at that book all the time - not because its full of clothes, because it's full of faces. It’s like non-inspiration-inspiration. It allows me to dream.” she says. “It’s a mood." Elements of Van Sant’s mood and the film My Own Private Idaho are quietly distilled in Wakeman’s designs for this season and into Winter 24.
Autumn 24’s colour palette across menswear and womenswear includes: airforce blue,
asphalt, black grape, bone grey, butter, dark fir, darkest navy, espresso, fossil, glacier, gull grey, peanut, plaster, tan and tarmac.
Launches Tuesday 23rd July
