MAN IN THE MIRROR
Designer Mark Weston is embracing a modern vision of Britishness at Dunhill by expressing a new energy and dynamism for the venerable house.
BY HASSAN AL-SALEH
It is a true measure of success to be able to revitalize a storied menswear brand for the modern era. In a short span of two years, Mark Weston, Creative Director of the quintessential British label Dunhill, has injected bold new energy into the 125-year-old brand, astutely balancing heritage and innovation to reinvent what he describes as “discreet sophistication” for the 21st century.
Honing and elevating world-class brands and their design identity have become Weston’s métier. Formerly the Senior Vice President of Menswear at Burberry, he brings an innate understanding of menswear and product design to lead Dunhill’s creative vision for the future.
With menswear accelerating at a phenomenal rate over the past few years, Weston says this is Dunhill’s moment to redefine sophistication. He is provocatively yet respectfully subverting traditional menswear codes while honoring Dunhill’s innovative and design-driven heritage. By doing so, he hopes to awaken a sleeping giant and create a fluid exchange between classic formality and casual nonchalance.
We live in the age of disruption. What does it mean for a fashion house to exist in the 21st century?
It’s a really interesting moment. I've been thinking a lot about it recently and talking to a lot of friends and collaborators. I think fashion has become so fashionable now.
Whereas I remember when I got into the world of fashion, it was a different moment. It was about fighting against things, or creating an identity, or not following everyone, and being independent, and making a statement, having a voice. I think fashion always should be about that.
But, like I said, today it’s become fashionable, in a way. It’s become much more democratized. Which in some ways isn’t a bad thing, but I think it’s all become a bit too celebrity! Do you know what I mean?
How it’s portrayed, and how accessible it is, and how it’s almost become one level now. Anyway, that’s my challenge with fashion. But I think it’s what drives me, and how I work with the team, and how we talk about how we move forward.
I don’t really see us as a fashion company, which is why I struggle a bit with the word fashion in relation to Dunhill.
Because I think fashion is such a big word now, with the diversity of fashion companies and the amount of choice of what people call fashion. You’ve got fast fashion at one end, and you’ve got luxury fashion at one end. It’s so broad. And between men’s and women’s it’s an incredible amount of choice for someone. Even as a customer you think, “Where do I want to go?”
I think in terms of being able to stand out as a fashion company, or even just as a strong brand or identity, you need a clear tone of voice. You need a sense of uniqueness. You need a, “What are you about?”
So I think fashion brands have the challenge of needing to be able to cut through. And it’s not just paid media anymore and advertising billboards. It’s social. It’s digital. It’s so many different ways of talking to people that you’ve got to be so clear on that message, and it’s got to be so linked and so consistent.
In some ways it’s got to be quite strong and almost - not necessarily hammered - but I think there’s something about the purity, and the consistency and insistency of what you need to be doing, to be able to cut through the rest of the noise and reach an audience.
But I think that for me, and for Dunhill, it’s not really the tone that represents who we are. When I think of Dunhill I think of sophistication. I think of a certain discretion and understatement. That leads a bit into what you think about Britishness.
I think it’s a tough one, because there are some great brands that are very popular now, like Gucci. They're very much setting the tone of the times, and that’s one of amplification.
Whereas what we do, and the specificity of what we do, and the intention of what we do here, it’s much more discrete. The challenge really is how you behave and keep true to what you believe in, but also message strongly with something unique.
I think it’s that you don’t always have to shout loudly to have a point of view. I think strength of confidence and a clear message will actually cut through as well.
If you don’t define Dunhill as a fashion brand, what do you define it as?
Well, I've used the term ‘style’ before, which is a bit of a loose term. Which is a tough one, again, because it’s, “What does that really mean?”
Again, I deliberately don’t use that word ‘fashion’. Fashion for Dunhill makes us appear like we’ve got a propensity for constant change. Constant change, and flippant change, and trend driven.
Even though that’s part of the market, and you follow waves, and in any design movement they’ll be an evolution. But I think there has to be a certain sense of almost timelessness, or longevity, quality, confidence, or at least the goal of trying to create something that is to some degree what we all might call perfection.
We all have something in our wardrobes that, “Oh, it’s the perfect denim jacket, and I love it because it fits me in a certain way.” For me, that’s what I love. It’s constantly there. It’s almost those cherished pieces that you find, you discover, and you want to hold on to. But also, as customers, you want to go back. You want a new version of it, but you want to know that it’s still there.
I guess, what I'm saying is, I think there’s a consistency, and attention to detail, specification. Which for me comes under the world of style more than it does fashion. Even though we do fashion shows.
I'm not contradicting myself there, but just to give clarity we’ve deliberately gone to Paris to showcase ourselves on essentially a great platform, a universal platform. To say, “This is the new Dunhill. This is what the guys look like.”
It’s very cosmopolitan in the casting. It’s a representation of London. It’s a representation of Mayfair and what is much more relevant and contemporary.
Then again, within that you’ll have elements which are codes, and textures, or graphics that are somewhat seasonal, yes, but they're there for storytelling as well. So it’s as much storytelling as provocation.
But fundamentally, it’s about having a business that is consistent but has things that become icons, and that become cherished, and become almost top of mind for our customers.
Do you think that makes it more sustainable?
I think so. If you look at successful companies that have stood the test of time, they’ve got a strong identity.
Essentially, if it’s a fashion company, or a clothing or luxury brand, they’ve got something that immediately you know you can trust there. You can go there and you can find the epitome of what they stand for. I do think there’s something to be said of that.
And what do you think Dunhill stands for today?
I think it’s very clear that I think Dunhill has an esteem, a real strong esteem and feeling. When I joined two years ago, I spent a lot of time looking, watching, listening, talking to people, and understanding the different regions and different parts of the world, because it’s an international business. We have a very strong business in Japan and China. You get a sense of, “What does it really stand for?”
Dunhill is a very masculine brand. There’s a real sense of tradition. I also think there is a real trust in quality. There’s almost an assuredness there.
Again, with looking over the last couple of years and moving forward, it’s standing for leather goods. It’s standing for tailoring, but not in its traditional sense. We still do that, but it’s also about giving it a sense of modernity - or I shouldn’t say modern really - a more relevant style, a more contemporary lifestyle, I think.
Alfred Dunhill responded to trends and changes in the way that people wanted to live their lives. In what ways are you responding to these changes and trends today?
It was very progressive for that time. And it was quite amazing understanding that when you're looking through the archive. It’s something that I hold on to actually. It’s always in the back of my mind.
It’s not so much about the nostalgic elements - those are still there to choose as we see fit and it helps our storytelling - but the fact of how progressive it is. You are looking ahead and almost creating things for people before they even know they want it.
Going from being harness makers, and then in a couple of months stopping it, because Alfred Dunhill believed in the dawn of the motor car and all the elements around it that customers may need. So he was very innovative. That’s the most singular thing that I take from it.
I think we’ve got to behave in that way, but very genuinely, and understand what men want now, and how tailoring evolved, and how leather goods evolved. How do men use them nowadays that feels contemporary? What can we put our phones in for instance?
Really looking at that to guide how we create each of our categories, and build on leather goods, and what that really means. I think it’s trying to use that sensibility to push forward.
What do you think men want today? There’s a big focus on athleisure and sportswear in menswear, could we see that entering into the Dunhill universe as well? Is that what they want today, less of the traditional, clean-cut suits, or a balance between the two?
I think it is definitely a balance. You’ve got a certain sense of tradition where it is about impeccable tailoring. It’s about taste.
And I love that. It comes back to very rigorous thoughts and approaches that we talk about in design, and I think it’s about balancing it for the needs of a man today.
There are situations where men need an impeccably fitting suit that’s comfortable but cut really well. Consideration of cloth, quality of cloth manufacture, and everything else that goes with that in that world. There are men who want that.
There are also men that want to have a contemporary sense of sportswear and that term ‘athleisure’ that you used.
A bit of weird label for me. I think if you flip too much, and if you only go for one customer that is a much more, like I say, sportswear-orientated customer I think it’s not clear for people.
Dunhill is about these contradictions, I find. It is this traditional element, but there’s also the very progressive element to it as well.
There’s a lot of thought that goes into the process of it that tries to emulate this whole idea of contradiction. It’s a very British thing. It’s very much ingrained in Dunhill as well.
Dunhill is an iconic British brand and I think what you said about contradiction is very pertinent to everything that’s happening in the UK right now. What does it really mean to be British, and how are you translating that in your design process?
That’s such a big question, isn’t it?
It means different things to different people. What I usually distil it down to - as much as you can do - is I think it’s almost a bit of an attitude.
If I think about style, British style is very different from an Italian style. It’s very different to a French style. Even just taking men in that scenario. Italians are very particular. It’s very precise all the way through. The French have a bit of an ease to it.
With Britishness I think there is that slight irreverence. It’s much less precious, I think. There’s almost a bit of ease with it, and almost a much more confident, “Take me as I am,” kind of thing. But there is still a love for a really sophisticated, well-tailored piece.
Mixing the high and the low, and actually just throwing on a pair of sneakers or a slide with an amazing cashmere raincoat, and a track pant. It’s the mix of those elements. That’s what I talk about that helps to form a sense of Britishness, I think.
Then using some of those elements through the design. Whether it be in, let’s say, a city stripe in shirting, or a pinstripe suiting, where they talk to a certain Britishness - just purely because of their fabrication and their codification.
And that’s what’s really interesting to play with, and I love that. I always have done. It’s very ingrained in me. You could call it a fascination. It’s kind of stuck with me, and it’s part of how I think, and how I love to twist things and put things together, contradict through clothing and cultures.
I think there’s a lot of rich references - particularly in British style culture. The last show there was Sloane Ranger and Eaton Terrace casual. It was those two ends. Where actually, there was almost a love of country wear but two very different appropriations of it, and how you then mesh them together.
That’s where the tension becomes really interesting and the conversation becomes much more pertinent and much more engaging. Talking about youth, and establishment, and how they can go together or how they can mix together.
Is that your point of departure for your collections?
Yes. It’s an ongoing thing. It’s not as linear as start and stop. It’s an evolution. It’s a journey. Along a pretty stable path, no doubt, but it’s then how other influences come in.
It might be a photography book that I start to research or come across, or another style reference. Or it could be music. It could be a color or a combination of colors. Something that starts to influence the collection further.
It’s never always starting at one point, because it goes through styling. It’s how everything starts to come together.
If it was a chronology of the season and you had everything laid out, it would probably look very diverse and almost contradictory, but I think that’s the exciting part of it. There’s a rationale to them.
It’s then how you put them together. That’s when the magic starts to happen. It starts to become exciting, and you build on that energy, and then it culminates in the market or the show.
It’s been about two years now for you here at Dunhill. What have been some of the most surprising things that you’ve discovered along your journey?
I think the surprising parts have been what I've discovered in the archive. the realization how progressive the company was. First of all, as we’ve talked about, at the founding moment, this real point of creating a direction where Alfred Dunhill wanted to go.
But then when I started to assess the archive as a whole, and I started to look through imagery and old catalogues. Some of the pieces in the ‘70s and ‘80s are just phenomenal. I was just blown away!
You kind of freeze when you start to see these things that, “Oh, my God. I didn’t realize the company had done that.” And you think, “To have done that strengthened uniqueness of design.” Whether it would be in a table lighter, or a rollagas covered in jewels, or an eagle head lighter on a rollagas. These really quite sculptural, incredible things.
And the thought process and the design intent behind it was really innovative at the time. I think then - just stepping back and looking at it from a higher level - it has gone through different journeys, and different leadership, and lost its way a bit, it feels.
But to have that in an archive and a breadth of research is incredible to look at and think, “What feels right? What doesn’t feel right?” I think it’s that thing that resonates of, “What feels right for today? What feels relevant?” And actually also feeling quite strongly, and emotionally, and instinctually the things that really just don’t feel right.
The other part I think is the speed that we’ve been able to make the change that we can see today. We’re about to approach our fourth show.
I felt really strongly, “No, we shouldn’t be doing a show. Let’s just say for now we shouldn’t be doing a show.” I think it came back to this ‘fashion’ point. I felt it should be just about being the best British men’s luxury brand. No-one else really has that legitimacy, I believe. And why would you need to do it that way?
Then when we were looking at it for the next six months we were thinking, “You know what? Maybe we do need to do a show.” Not to become a fashion company again. Talking with the team it was like, “We need to tell this message, and how do we do this in a genuine way? How do we do it in a holistic way, where we can talk about the guys?”
And I say ‘guys’. Not just one man. It’s not one man like it has been portrayed before.
“How do we convey this real sense of cosmopolitan, relevant London energy and masculinity, in our way, and how this universe of the Dunhill man is now in this new chapter?” And a show is the best way to do that.
So the investment there was the right investment. I still really strongly believe in that. Because of what you can create in that visually, but it’s also a body of work – it’s the music, the environment, and the feeling you can get from people in a live event.
I think that’s quite unique now that everything we look at is on a screen. It’s so disposable in so many ways, and clicks and likes, and there’s such an overload. I try and distance myself from that. But only to not get absorbed by it, because it’s hugely fascinating as well.
But a show allows you to give that clear message to people very quickly – “It’s a new day at Dunhill, and this is where we’re going.”
In your overall master plan, what does the future look like for Dunhill?
It’s an evolution of where we are now or where we’re moving to. I don’t feel an immediate need for us to be radical, but I think that’s important, that it’s a long-term view. It’s not a short-term view.
I never think short term. I think you never get where you want to on a short-term fix. I think you have to be smart with what you're doing and play well the cards you're dealt. Looking at what you have and how you make the best of it.
I think that’s also a design challenge, that it’s about finding solutions. There’s a responsibility in that.
But in terms of building a business I think you have to play the long game. “What do you want to stand for? How do we behave? How do we deliver that message? What’s the tone of voice? Who are we building a community with? Who do we want to aspire to be part of the Dunhill world?”
I think it’s about planning, but also there will be surprises. I can tell that for sure. There will be surprises, because as much as being consistent is great, if it lacks surprise or lacks energy it becomes a bit dull, in a way.
Lackluster, yes.
I think it’s the right balance of how you evolve but also surprise at the same time.
Like many brands steeped in history, the Dunhill archives are a treasure trove and are a very important part of the consideration. Do you think nostalgia is detrimental or beneficial to the whole creative process?
It’s a fine balance. I think it’s a real fine balance.
I love working with parameters. I love working with a house that has a certain tradition. Whether it’s strongly defined and it’s adding to that and building something from it, or whether it’s defining something new.
I always am very careful of not being shackled by it, because I think if you're a slave to too much to it you become obsessed with just looking back to look forward.
It happens in a lot of creative spheres, particularly music as well. You’ve got to be able to have a freedom to pull and push, push and pull, to see what you really want to take from it.
Some seasons and some moments are correct for really solidifying or being a strong reflection of where you’ve come from - to give a foundation - and other times we need to be channeling something new.
So I think it really is a fine balance. Because with a strong history, and identity and legacy, you’ve got to be able to move forward but not lose what’s come before. You’ve just got to be really careful how you play with it.
But, like I say, I love that kind of challenge, the fact of creating identity, but for me it’s rarely an obvious one. It might be an obvious one where it really works in the context of everything, but generally I love to abstract, because I think that’s what makes it relevant. That’s what makes it contemporary. That’s what makes it exciting.
What excites you the most about designing for men today?
What does excite me is the evolution of it and the freedom, where menswear has accelerated and what men find quite normal now.
Like super skinny jeans for example, it blew me away when it just was everywhere. Because when I was growing up and you’d wear a skinny jean you’d be kind of, “What’s going on there?” But now it’s everywhere. To the point of spray on jeans. So, it’s kind of gone to the extremes.
But in a way that’s exciting, the fact that it’s going now to the extreme, where a lot of things are, “Why not?” Pushing down boundaries of expectation or traditional notions of what masculinity is. And that’s what’s quite exciting about the industry today.
I think the ability to be able to play now and to push is not such a challenge anymore. I think there’s an acceptance, and I think men love to look at that now and consider new ways to wear something.
But it’s got to work. Otherwise it’s not genuine.
What do you think has resulted in this freedom, in terms of men being more expressive?
I think there’s been a lot more honesty and acceptance of things, I think. I think generationally people are now saying, “You know what? No, I'm not going to follow that outdated notion of certain things. We believe in this.”
I think there’s been a louder voice. I think there’s people not standing for things that feel outdated or that feel disrespectful. I think it’s become a real moment for calling that out, and I think that’s a really good thing.
In a general way, but I think that’s filtered into, “Well, why do I have to dress this way?” or, “Why am I perceived this way? I can be my own person. Whether you like it or not, here I am.” I think that’s a really empowering thing to do, yes.
If we look at all your collections to date, detail is a key consideration for you in particular. What is it about the details that you think bring to life the narrative that you're trying to create?
Detail and specificity just run through what Dunhill’s always been about, I think. Being very particular about its engineering of its pieces.
It’s just something that for me is a very personal approach to design. And I think that’s where this specificity and detail-obsessiveness comes through into the work. But I think it’s also about showcasing to the person or to the type of customer that I feel will be attracted to the brand.
It is detail orientated. It should be about that. I think when you're creating sophisticated products and pieces to a certain value there needs to be attention to detail. It can’t just be ill considered. It has to be pored over. It has to really be looked at.
The cut of a jacket. The proportion of a jacket. I use a jacket just as one clear example. “What does the fabric do? How does it fit the body? How does it correlate with other pieces in your wardrobe? How does it fit into that lifestyle?”
The simplest things are actually the hardest things to make, right? And that’s where it comes back to that whole idea of perfection and insistence that it’s got to be the best. “What does the best mean to you?” It is that constant push for, “It needs to be great.” It’s almost a bit uncompromising in that sense.
How have customers responded to all these changes so far?
Really positively. I guess that’s been another surprise.
Even the more conservative customers?
Yes. I think people get it. I think that’s where it is about the balance. If I’d have come in, “It’s all about sportswear,” and turned it on its head, I think it would have been a very different conversation. That would be have been a different question to answer.
But I think it has been that balance, where it’s respecting a certain tradition but it’s also bringing relevance for now. And it can be done in various different ways, but for me it’s never about being gimmicky. It’s got to be true. It’s got to be authentic.
And it takes time to do that. It takes the right mindset and the right team, not just in design but in a company, to understand where something’s going, and actually getting behind that, and the whole moving in one direction.
And the energy here is phenomenal, in our new space, as you’ve seen, in terms of the architecture, and the transparency, and almost the sense of community here. The energy here is great. And it’s a real surprise.
These are still very early days, but what kind of legacy do you want to build at Dunhill?
It’s a hard question. I don’t think about legacies and all that kind of thing. For me, Dunhill is about Dunhill. It’s not Mark Weston for Dunhill. It’s first and foremost the brand. Dunhill lives and dies by its name. I really believe that.
I guess what would make me feel like I've done my job is that I've set up a foundation now for a successful and a thriving house in the years to come. In another 125 years we’re still here, with an incredibly strong identity and an evolution of where we’ve started today.
