Lawrence Steele describes Aspesi’s offer as: “A uniform, but on a large scale because we have a lot of categories and we’re adding and developing them all the time.” This uniform analogy is spot on, Because many Aspesi pieces are based on military uniforms or work clothes. Its field jackets are arguably the label’s signature piece.
The collection features all of Aspesi’s core virtues in muted yet unexpected colorways including lavender, raspberry and mustard. There are chunks of nylon pieces, some padded, with a silky sheen, but also technical toughness. Breton jerseys and argyle polos are finely tuned to feature a tufted finish on their signature stripes. Along with the garment-dyed linen shirting, a black washed cotton biker jacket and a Prince of Wales checked parka looked on hangers as if they had lived full, rich old lives. Steele is an expert at applying a bronzer to his garments before sending them out into the world.
A blue lined jacket in lightweight cotton with low pockets trimmed in the finest corduroy. The same piece was delicious in raspberry nylon. A subtly pleated linen blazer with patch pockets is expertly dyed to create a subtle iridescent interplay between bronze and blue depending on the light. A floral-print long-sleeve linen button-up complements a ripstop mix-and-match house field jacket in an abstract leopard camouflage graphic: delicious.
Steele says: “I never wanted it to have any emphasis on trends or fads. It should be anti-fashion because it’s not something you follow—it follows you.” He added that part of his thinking this season was dystopian romanticism, but from this side of the rail, it didn’t look far from utopian: a wardrobe for life.
