Lou Dalton AW20 — The Rakish Gent

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of being sat, waiting for a bus that you just knew was never going to come, then Lou Dalton’s LFWM presentation would have felt knowingly familiar. For her AW20 presentation, Dalton displayed models in perhaps the most mundane of activities - waiting at a bus stop.

Having previously presented nonchalantly loitering teens up to no good, and industrial workers with dirty hands at past seasons, in AW20, Lou Dalton continues her elevation of real people. And what’s more real than waiting for a bus?

As always, this season Lou Dalton glances back to her working class roots, but also hints at her love for the outdoors, and even offers a nod towards her father’s Teddy Boy wardrobe.

With a considerable three collaborations this season - Gloverall, John Smedley and, unexpectedly, New Era - it wouldn’t be unreasonable to worry that the brand might be going through something of an identity crisis. But such fears were proved to be unfounded when the brand presented a slick collection of the clean, contemporary, menswear that it has become known for.

Gloverall’s partnership led to crafted overcoats and worker jackets - workwear being a staple theme of Dalton’s work. Function met form with detachable and reversible wool hoods, meaning that the outerwear is as handy as it is handsome.

With the help of John Smedley, Lou Dalton nodded towards gentlemanly sports with striped polo and rugby shirts in fine knitted merino wool, while roll neck jumpers in rich, autumnal tones displayed the slickness we have come to expect from the brand.

A less predictable collaboration with hypebeast milliners, New Era, produced a series of baseball caps and bucket hats, suggesting that even a stalwart of industrial chic such as Lou can be seduced by the now ubiquitous allure of streetwear… if only just a little bit. That said, Dalton deigns to do this very much on her own terms, offering her luxe take on the tracksuit with sporty zip hoodies and matching cuffed trousers.

The nod towards streetwear by Dalton - a move that mirrors those taken by fashion houses large and small alike over the last few years - inspires questions about what the future might hold for menswear. But Lou Dalton’s AW20 collection begs one question louder than any others : How on earth did they get a bus shelter indoors?

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