貝克漢姆跨界時裝設計

When it comes to making an impact on the menswear market, newly reinvented British heritage label Kent & Curwen has two aces up its (nonchalantly rolled up) sleeve. Firstly, it boasts a lively history going back to 1926 of making ties and sportswear for institutions such as Oxford and Cambridge universities, and secondly, David Beckham is at the helm.

說起對男裝行業的重大影響力，舊貌換新顏的英國老品牌肯迪文(Kent & Curwen)有兩大祕招。第一，自己深厚的歷史底蘊——早在1926年就爲牛津及劍橋大學(Oxford and Cambridge)學生製作領帶及運動裝束；第二則是大衛?貝克漢姆(David Beckham)主持設計了專門的時裝系列。

The former footballer became a business partner in Kent & Curwen after retiring from the game three years ago because he wanted to start “owning and building businesses,” he explains on the phone from New York. But while there’s no pretence that he’s started sketching sweaters himself, it’s clear that he’s hands on. He helped hire creative director Daniel Kearns, an alumni of Alexander McQueen, Louis Vuitton and Yves Saint Laurent. “David is involved in all aspects of the business,” says Kearns, “from the collection to the packaging.”

這位昔日足壇巨星三年前掛靴後成爲肯迪文的商業合作伙伴，原因是他想“自己創業打拼”，他從紐約打來電話解釋道。他已經開始自己設計毛衣圖樣了，除此之外，很顯然他也有一線工作經驗。他幫助聘請了丹尼埃爾?卡恩斯(Daniel Kearns)擔任創意總監。對方是亞歷山大?麥奎(Alexander McQueen)、路易威登(Louis Vuitton)以及聖?羅蘭(Yves Saint Laurent)的校友。“大衛全面參與公司各項業務。”卡恩斯說，“從服裝設計到包裝風格。”

The details of Kent & Curwen’s ownership aren’t exactly simple: Beckham and his business partner Simon Fuller share a 50-50 stake in a partnership called Seven Global with the Hong Kong-listed Global Brands Group. In 2015 Seven signed a five-year deal with Kent & Curwen, owned by Trinity Ltd, which retails luxury menswear in Greater China and Europe.

肯迪文的產權關係詳情實際上並不簡單：貝克漢姆與商業合作伙伴西蒙?富勒(Simon Fuller)在與香港上市的環球品牌集團(Global Brands Group)合創的品牌Seven Global中各佔50%股權。2015年，Seven Global與肯迪文簽定了一份五年合同，肯迪文是大中華區及歐洲區主打奢侈男裝的利邦公司(Trinity Ltd)旗下品牌。

Beckham has also put himself forward as the face of the brand’s campaign. Click on Kent & Curwen’s new website and you’ll find a black and white video of him sitting on a bench by the river Thames wearing a military coat with brass buttons, chunky lace-up boots and his trademark mild and moody knitted brow. Did it feel strange to be in the imagery for his own brand? “I didn’t think I wanted to be in the campaign,” says Beckham, “but then working so closely with Daniel and seeing what he has produced I’m now really happy about it. I love the clothing and it’s what I would wear day in day out anyway, so, I just thought, why not?”

貝克漢姆還自任品牌形象代言人。點擊肯迪文新網址，諸位會發現這樣一段黑白視頻：貝克漢姆端坐在泰晤士河畔的長凳上——身穿黃銅釦軍大衣、腳穿厚實繫帶靴，標誌性的眉頭緊蹙，顯出些許憂鬱神情。充當自家品牌形象代言人是否有些怪異？“我當初並不希望出現在廣告片中。”貝克漢姆說，“然而與丹尼埃爾親密合作、親眼目睹其設計的作品後，自己如今對此真的很滿意這部廣告片。我酷愛這些服裝，它們正是我每天會穿的行頭，所以嘛，我就想，爲何不自己代言一把呢？”

Clearly, it would have been an own-goal for the label not to make the most of the footballer’s appeal. Beckham’s charisma was in full effect at the Fashion Awards in London at the start of December when he presented an award to Ralph Lauren and only had to walk on stage in black tie to elicit enthusiastic whooping (and some swooning) from the audience. He rocks a suit, but after 20-odd years in the limelight (with some entertaining sartorial experiments along the way), he’s honed a strong off-duty look. It’s this casual style that Kent & Curwen has taken as inspiration for the new collection, so if you want to dress like Beckham you won’t get closer than this.

很顯然，肯迪文如若不最大程度利用這位昔日球星的巨大影響力，就好比是球場自擺烏龍（自毀長城）。在去年12月初舉行的倫敦時尚大獎頒獎典禮(Fashion Awards in London)上，貝克漢姆大放異彩：他當時身穿晚禮服款款走上舞臺給拉爾夫?勞倫(Ralph Lauren)頒獎時，引發觀衆席一片點贊聲（甚至迷倒了有些人）。他的西服有些擺動，但經過近20多年明星生涯（曾愉快地試水過時裝設計）後，他早已練就一副閒適神情。肯迪文正是從這閒致風格中獲取了設計新系列的靈感。諸位若想穿出貝克漢姆的那種感覺，穿肯迪文的西裝就合適得很。

This isn’t edgy fashion — it’s a contemporary take on daywear; where a military greatcoat with brass buttons and epaulettes costs ￡1,200, a Shetland wool lumberjack-style jacket is ￡1,000, and rugby shirts in thick cotton with subtle distressing around the collar are ￡200. Pricewise it sits alongside brands such as Acne or Kingsman, and British materials and manufacturing are used where possible. “We wanted to create a masculine aesthetic which felt contemporary” says Kearns, “like a rugby shirt worn with a skinny jean and a boot, or a tailored coat with a distressed T-shirt. We wanted it to chime with David’s personal style rather than fall into associations with the regatta and the traditional preppy college look.”

這並非潮裝——這只是當前的尋常裝束：一件肩章式銅釦軍大衣銷價1200英鎊，一件伐木工人款的雪蘭羊毛夾克售價1000英鎊，而一件領口有意仿舊的厚棉質橄欖球衫售價爲200英鎊。其售價與艾克妮(Acne)及Kingsman等品牌不相上下，而且優先採用英國本國面料及生產商。“我們希望打造與時俱進的男性時尚。”卡恩斯說，“比方說與緊身牛仔衣褲以及靴子搭配的橄欖球衫或是用仿舊款T恤搭配的定製外套。我們希望契合貝克漢姆個人時尚風格、而不是落入那些賽艇會以及傳統私立學校裝束的俗套。”

Kent & Curwen was started in 1926, two years after Eric Kent and Dorothy Curwen met on Savile Row, where the brand still has its headquarters. It became known for neck wear, supplying ties to Oxford and Cambridge universities, and by 1930 the brand was producing ties for smart London clubs such as the Embassy Club, Eton & Harrow and British regiments around the world. Colour combinations were often inspired by the flower market Eric Kent would pass on the way to work. He would pick up bright bunches of blooms and throw them on to the table to create arresting juxtapositions. His personal flair allowed him access to some rarefied circles (the Duke of Windsor was a friend) and informed his business. “That whole idea of reappropriation was something he pioneered,” says Kearns. “He would wear a cricket sweater into Mayfair. He took elements of traditional sports and brought them into different lifestyle concepts.” His cricket outfits were also worn by members of the Hollywood Cricket Club in the 1930s, including Errol Flynn, Laurence Olivier, and C Aubrey Smith. Now the cricket sweater has been updated, and it epitomises Kearns’ approach of “reinvigorating iconic menswear staples into a contemporary wardrobe”.

1924年，艾裏克?肯特(Eric Kent)與多蘿西?柯溫(Dorothy)結識於倫敦的薩維爾街（公司如今的總部仍在此），1926年，肯迪文創立。它以領飾著稱於世：爲牛津及劍橋大學生製作領帶（結）；到1930年，公司爲Embassy Club等倫敦高檔會所、伊頓與哈羅公學(Eton & Harrow)以及大英帝國在世界各地的軍隊供應領帶。領帶顏色搭配的靈感來自艾裏克每天上班途中經過的花市。他經常把隨意採摘鮮豔的花束隨意扔在辦公桌上，打造出別具一格的混搭造型。他才華橫溢，因此能出入某些達官貴人圈子（溫莎公爵(Duke of Windsor)是其好友），也讓其生意如虎添翼。“他是混搭理念(reappropriation)的始作俑者。”卡恩斯說，“他經常穿板球毛衣出入倫敦梅菲爾上流社會(Mayfair)；他汲取傳統體育精華、並應用在不同生活裝束中。”他設計的板球裝也成爲上世紀30年代好萊塢板球俱樂部成員的常備行頭（包括了埃羅爾?弗林(Errol Flynn)、勞倫斯?奧利佛(Laurence Olivier)以及奧布里?史密斯(C Aubrey Smith)）。如今這款板球裝已有了升級版，這集中體現了卡恩斯“再造順應當代時尚的經典男裝”的理念。

Beckham’s eye meanwhile was caught by another piece of the brand’s heritage, the three lions insignia, which appears on plain and striped long-sleeved rugby shirts and was taken from the heraldry of Eric Kent’s family crest. “The brand is known in China as the three lions, and over the years this emblem has been a huge factor in my life,” explains Beckham, who also introduced another heritage motif from the archive; the English rose.

與此同時，貝克漢姆高度關注肯迪文另一項富貴遺產：長袖素色條紋橄欖球衫上的三獅標誌，它源自艾裏克?肯特家族徽章的紋章圖案。“肯迪文的三獅圖案在中國家喻戶曉，這個標記多年來一直是我生活的重要組成部分（他多年來代表三獅軍團英格蘭隊比賽）。”貝克漢姆解釋道，他還在設計的時裝中引入了英國另一歷史悠久主題——玫瑰。

Kent & Curwen already has a strong retail business in Greater China with more than 130 stores in Asia. The challenge now is to bring the brand back to Europe. “It’s a $100m business in China,” adds Beckham, “so we wanted to reboot that in Europe, especially in London.”

肯迪文已在大中華區開設了大量零售門店，在整個亞洲開有130多家門店。如今面臨的挑戰是品牌重回歐洲市場。“我們在中國的年銷售額是1億美元。”貝克漢姆補充道，“因此我們希望能在歐洲、尤其是倫敦市場東山再起。”

Following the launch of Kent & Curwen on Mr Porter at the end of November, and an e-commerce site, 50 new points of sale are planned by autumn 2017. “To grow this business it has to be wearable clothes,” says Beckham, “Us men are very simple — my wife tells me that every day — we like to see clothes that go together. All ages can wear the collection. My 17-year-old son Brooklyn was coming down for breakfast in one of the rugby shirts the other day.”

肯迪文自去年11月底在Mr Porter網店上架以及開通自己的網店後，計劃至2017年秋季開設50家門店。“業務量要穩步增長，服裝就必須經久耐穿。”貝克漢姆說，“我們男人穿着崇尚簡單至上（我妻子也每天不厭其煩地這樣說），我們喜歡互搭型服裝。各個年齡段都適合穿。我家17歲的大兒子布魯克林(Brooklyn)有一天就穿着橄欖球衫下樓吃早餐。”

Beckham’s personal style is not only at the heart of the brand — it will be key to its success. “Menswear is about that fine balance between something that makes a statement but isn’t too much, and David is perfect at achieving that,” says Kearns.

貝克漢姆的個人着裝風格不僅是肯迪文品牌的首要關注點——更是成功與否的關鍵。“男裝的關鍵就是如何把握含蓄展現流行時尚的‘度’。貝克漢姆是這方面的完美典範。”卡恩斯說。

Beckham believes his dress sense is more “mature” now. “When you get to a certain age there are things that you should stay away from,” he says. “At 41 I definitely wouldn’t wear the matching leather outfits I wore with Victoria 15 years ago. It was all right back then and it looked kind of cool at the time but when I look back now I think, ‘Yep, maybe that was an interesting decision.’ I might have a midlife crisis and pull on the leather outfit, but I don’t think so, maybe for Halloween. My dress sense is probably going to be classic from now on.” Classic, casual, and now easier to emulate.

貝克漢姆認爲自己如今的着裝風格屬“成熟男人”範疇。“人到一定歲數後，有些事就得規避。”他說，“如今41歲的我肯定不會再穿15年前與維多利亞(Victoria)互搭的那些皮草行頭。當時穿象模象樣，也挺酷，但如今回過頭看我覺得：‘沒錯，當時決定這麼穿或許是爲了引人關注。’假如現在有了中年危機，我或許會穿皮草裝，但我沒有中年危機；或許萬聖節那天我會穿皮草。從今往後，我的着裝很可能秉持傳統風格。”傳統、休閒，而且更易於仿效。