Dunhill: Disobedient grace in a Milanese garden
For decades, young men have been wearing Ralph Lauren to imply their families have been genteel for more than two generations. Perhaps they should think of shopping at Dunhill, where designer Simon Holloway's subtle renovation has led to some great clothes that mine a patrician past with modernist vigor.
Any doubt about Dunhill's future was dispelled by the front row, where there was practically major buyer gridlock, especially from Asia.
Holloway opened crisply with lots of great putty-hued suits, cool trenches, and a fab series of split suits. Combinations of windowpane check, seersucker, piqué, and sporty checks—all of which looked great. And light, too—underlining the way he has eliminated so much weight from Dunhill fabrics. Which is vital. If you don't think so, try going to get measured for a suit on Savile Row. You practically sweat when you feel the hand of so many UK fabrics. Simon, with his yen for Italian materials, avoids that at Dunhill.
He then segued into a series of classic suits, made in feathery cottons and fresh linens, one worn by a gent leading a Weimaraner hound on a leash around the pebble path.
'Disobedient grace,' was Holloway's definition of the collection, blending the style of besuited rock icons like Bryan Ferry and Charlie Watts into legacy clothing.
After something of a drop in energy halfway through the show, with too many windowpane check jackets and formulaic sweaters, everything kicked up a gear with some rakish Motorities suede jerkins and coats in soft French lambskin. And—seeing as the main cocktail served was gin-based—a quartet of dandies in silk suits, paisley waistcoats, and Panama hats looked born to drink a good gimlet.
Before segueing into cardigans and dressing gowns embroidered with various hounds—from bulldog to boxer—one model strutted by with a beautiful gray Weimaraner on a leash. Before the show reached a climax, a chap in a tartan dressing gown just about managed to guide two nervous-looking white Borzoi hounds around the garden.
All staged in the ideal location, the garden of Poldi Pezzoli Museum, with its rare collection boasting works by Botticelli, Bellini, and Mantegna. And all backed up by music from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Not a bad way to end a busy weekend.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Ukrainian man arrested over Nord Stream blasts in 2022
03:06 21/08/2025 'Power of the regulator: Holding platforms to account when they potentially violate national laws' France 21/08/2025 Anti-war protest in Gaza City as Israel prepares offensive 21/08/2025 French music festival Rock en Seine kicks off in Paris 21/08/2025 Firefighters struggle to contain wildfires in Spain and Portugal 21/08/2025 Ukraine: Largest Russian strikes in weeks as peace efforts drag on 21/08/2025 How did the rooster become a symbol of France? France 21/08/2025 Y Mekelberg: With Gaza escalation, Israel risks 'sacrificing hostages and its standing in the world' Middle East 21/08/2025 NATO weighs Ukraine security guarantees amid peace talks 21/08/2025 CHAN 2025: Three hosts, three teams through to quarters
Local France
12 hours ago
- Local France
10 ways to shush someone in French
If you need to tell a noisy neighbour to lower the volume or request that a child be quiet - or conversely if you are being a little too loud and receive a telling off - there are a variety of polite and less-polite phrases for that in French. Chut - The French equivalent of 'Shh'. A person might put their finger over their mouth and make this noise as a way to tell you to quiet down. You might also see a sign at a restaurant or bar with 'Chut' written in capital letters, warning patrons to be mindful of their volume when standing outside. Camembert - Yes, this is the soft, smelly cow's milk cheese from Normandy. It is also a way to jokingly tell someone to be quiet. It is a shortened version of the expression ferme ta boîte à camembert or ferme ta boîte au frômage , (close your box of camembert/cheese box) which is in itself a play on the more offensive phrase ferme ta bouche (or gueule , more on this below). Advertisement You might see a character in a kids' movie use this word. For example, J'explique mon plan diabolique, donc camembert (I am explaining my evil plan, so zip it!) READ MORE: 9 tips on avoiding a scolding in France Tais-toi - While some might translate tais-toi as 'shut up', it is a bit less harsh. Most of the time, you will hear parents or teachers using it to tell children to quiet down. It would be a bit insulting to tell a fellow adult tais-toi, unless you know them very well. Parents might also say ça suffit! (That's enough!) or doucement (Calm down). Ferme-la - You would only use ferme-la if you want to harshly tell someone 'shut it' or 'shut up' without using any swear words. It is a step above tais-toi . You would probably only use this in an argument. Ferme ta gueule - Often shortened to ta gueule , this is an offensive, aggressive way to tell someone to shut up. It would translate as 'shut the f*** up'. You might hear it when people are joking, but you should not use it in anger unless you understand its severity. Gueule means 'muzzle' or 'maw', and is a colloquial, often pejorative way of referring to either someone's mouth, like 'gob' or 'trap', or their whole face, like 'mug' or 'kisser'. Ferme ta bouche - This phrase might come up on the playground. It translates as 'close your mouth', and it is a less offensive version ferme ta gueule . Sometimes it is shortened as just ta bouche. Arrêtez de parler - Translates as 'stop speaking'. This is a command that a person might give to a rowdy crowd, or a teacher might use to tell a class to settle down. Merci de respecter le silence - This means 'please stay quiet', though it technically translates as 'please respect the silence'. You might hear this in a 'quiet' train car or a library, although it's more common on written signage rather than as a spoken phrase. Advertisement Silence, si vous plait - Translates as 'Silence, please'. This is another formal way to ask people to be quiet. Faites moins de bruit - Translates as 'Make less noise'. If you are standing outside a bar, loudly talking and disturbing the neighbours attempting to sleep above, the bartender might come out and ask you to faites moins de bruit. Do you recommend any other expressions to ask people to quiet down? Let us know in the comments below.
Local France
12 hours ago
- Local France
French launch petition against Bayeux Tapestry going to London
So far, 38,000 people have signed a petition calling for a halt to the idea of loaning the 11th-century embroidery to the British Museum in London - a diplomatic gesture that was announced by Emmanuel Macron during his recent state visit to the UK. The petition was started by French journalist Didier Rykner, editor of La Tribune de l'Art, an online media outlet specialising in art history and heritage preservation, who describes the move a "a true crime against the heritage of France". His main concern is the fragility of the Medieval piece and the risks involved in moving it from its permanent home in Bayeux, northern France, and he has called upon British art lovers to sign as well. He told France 3 radio : "The Bayeux Tapestry is a unique work of art. It has no equivalent, not even the Mona Lisa, of which there are several paintings. "Lending it against the advice of all the experts is a heavy blow. I don't understand why the British Museum would agree to such a risky transfer. It's mind-boggling. The British should sign this petition." The 70-metre-long embroidery occupies a unique place in Anglo-French history, depicting the invasion of England in 1066 by Duke William of Normandy, also known as William the Conqueror. READ ALSO : Five things you should know about the Bayeux Tapestry It features 626 characters, 202 horses and 58 scenes. It was previously believed that the tapestry showed a total of 93 penises (88 on horses), but in April this year, a possible 94th was discovered . It was created shortly after the invasion, with studies indicating that it was probably made in England, although it was commissioned by a Norman - the most popular theory is that Bishop Odo of Bayeux - William's half-brother - commissioned the work in 1077 to decorate the new cathedral in his hometown, Bayeux, in France's Normandy region. The tapestry has only left Bayeux twice, to be displayed at the Louvre in Paris: once in 1803, on Napoleon's orders, and once in 1944, in tribute to the British and US troops who fought to free France from Nazi occupation. Advertisement Since 1983, it has been displayed in a purpose-built U-shaped hall at the Bayeux Museum, which receives around 400,000 visitors a year. The 900-year-old work is in an extremely fragile state with a €2 million restoration project in the pipeline - an expert study in 2020 found around 24,200 stains and 10,000 holes. The plan is for the Bayeux Tapestry to be loaned to the UK in 2026-2027, with the work housed in the British Museum and open to the public. Detailed plans for the loan are still being worked out, but it is expected to be back in France by June 2027, in time for a reopening of the Bayeux Museum after a refurbishment project.
