Eton of Sweden, which is arguably the most innovative, forward-looking luxury shirt maker in the world, has collaborated with renowned English painter, John Clark, on a new Fall and Winter collection.
Born in Derby, UK in 1964, Clark trained as a painter at the Ruskin School of Fine Art and Drawing at the University of Oxford. He has been hailed as one of the most interesting painters in the United Kingdom.
Creative Director at Eton, Sebastian Dollinger met Clark in 2010 and became inspired by his paintings. Using several of Clark’s works, Dollinger, whom is used to working with prints, interpreted the imagery into two shirts (see images below). The soft, brushed lightweight flannel shirts feature a repeat pattern of Clark’s painting “Veil”, while a second work, “Everyone Works Hard”, is used as a back placement.
“The shirts bring our different perspectives together, the pictorial narrative and the iconic fashion object,” says Clark of the collaboration. “Without stretching interpretation too far, the shirts can be seen as a modern fetish object and, like tattoos or other body markings, their purpose is not only to decorate, distinguish and identify, but to tell a story of sorts.”
The shirts, adds Clark, bring his and Dollinger’s different perspectives together—the pictorial narrative and the iconic fashion object. “Without stretching interpretation too far the shirts can be seen as modern fetish object, and like tattoos or other body markings their purpose is not only to decorate, distinguish and identify – but to tell a story of sorts,” Clark explains. “It’s worth saying that alongside the overlaps in audience and subject there is another important dimension that adds logic to the coming together; the principles of manufacture.”
Clark sees parallels between painting, as a manual craft, to the expert craftsmanship behind Eton of Sweden’s products. “Indeed in the age of mass production this is the quality that audiences most appreciate in paintings: They have the ring of authenticity, are warmed by a history that leads back to a maker,” he says. “And so it is for Eton whose crafted shirts and immaculate detailing by skilled hands feed a similar appetite for the human touch. The paintings that will accompany the release of the shirts serve to underline this shared commitment to the principle of craft.”
In addition to the shirts, the Eton collection also features a series of six accessories consisting of two scarves, two ties and two pocket squares all made and woven in Italy using the finest fabric qualities. The John Clark collection will be available in September 2014 in Eton of Sweden stores throughout the U.S. and internationally at selected retailers worldwide in October 2014, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Bloomingdales in the U.S., Le Bon Marche in France, NK in Sweden, and Selfridges and Harvey Nichols in the U.K.
Eton of Sweden’s shirts and accessories can also be purchased at its online store.
Eton of Sweden was founded in 1928 in the small village of Ganghester, Sweden. Founders David and Annie Pettersson, who both had a unique eye for high quality and genuine craftsmanship, are credited with revolutionizing the complete shirting industry.
Images Courtesy of Eton of Sweden
