Private White V.C.
After unearthing the story behind Private White V.C. earlier this month, it was only fitting to preview their upcoming collection. Spring/Summer 16 has never looked so good.
While the growing consumer interest of how and where clothes are made has resulted in a wearisome number of “heritage” brands on the market, we’re firmly in favor of the general movement to produce better products. Products made with more care and better design. Products made with special attention to fabric, fit, and function.
But as great as the efforts may be, not all such products are made equal. Better stated, not all brands produce goods of equal quality. But every once in awhile, a brand comes along that makes you take notice. That rises above its contemporaries. A brand like Private White V.C.
Every product from Private White finds its birth in their Manchester factory — one that has been making classic British apparel for more than a century. With not a single piece of automated machinery, design, pattern making, fabric weaving, stitching, and finishing are all done in house.
Asserting such control over each stage of production is evident in every one of their garments, which are made using only the finest local yarns, trims, materials, and techniques. From raw copper buttons and RiRi zippers from Switzerland to locally milled cloths, this is an unmatched category of craftsmanship. And such craftsmanship goes beyond quality and construction to wear and function. Be it a jacket made of Ventile — a tightly woven cotton that is durable, breathable, and 100% waterproof — or one with thoughtfully placed pockets for your passport and headphones when traveling, these garments aren’t made to sit on a shelf. There is nothing precious that exits the Private White factory. These clothes are made to be worn.
In an ideal world, everyone would make products this way. But even among those brands claiming craftsmanship at their core, it is simply not possible. Private White points to their 100-year-old factory history, experience, and infrastructure as foundational pillars of support for such nuanced makership. That and a zealous drive to make only the best. If an item cannot be produced in the UK to their standards, it isn’t produced at all.
Simply put, Private White V.C. produces menswear that is as functional and practical as it is luxurious. While the price tag precludes many from owning more than one or two items as investment pieces, this is menswear that can be worn all day, every day. And the Spring/Summer 2016 collection is no different.
“I got my idea for the collection whilst riding a dirt bike in Baja Mexico,” says Creative Director Nick Ashley. “I came across a glorious old truck behind a refuel point. I was suddenly taken back to the desert rats of North Africa and how they had to stay cool but still look smart with bullets flying over their heads and dust everywhere. I have always liked the military cotton tropical weave, well ventilated and made up in great, practical colors. But nobody weaves it anymore. I gave a sample to our cotton mill and they reproduced it perfectly. The fabric forms the backbone of our collection.”
For Spring/Summer 16, Private White has put together a number of items that compose a traditional British look in a range of this incredibly lightweight ventilated cotton with a bit of linen thrown in for good measure. Be it woven suiting made of 100% gabardine to a suede racer to a linen shirt jacket with horn combat buttons, this is a collection of unique, elegant, and altogether wearable spring basics ready for rain or shine.
The Private White Spring/Summer ‘16 collection will be available January 2016 at privatewhitevc.com.