Nigel Cabourn Collection Autumn Winter 2011/2012

The 2011/2012 Autumn/Winter Nigel Cabourn Collection is once again superb, Nigel Cabourn and team keep doing it and doing it brilliantly. Visiting the showroom to see this collection was a breath of fresh air, no pretensions, no airs and graces just total enthusiasm and commitment to producing the very best in clothing. I would have to say the Nigel Cabourn Autumn Winter Collection has more than achieved this. The Mallory jacket has been produced in various Harris Tweeds including a wonderful vibrant orange, this jacket continues to be a favourite around the world. The Harris Tweed produced in 2010 for the 2011/2012 Winter collection bears the Black Harris Tweed Centenary label, 100 years of the orb. The Tenzing jacket has been produced in a heavy drill, making it a extremely wearable jacket for most seasons of the year. All the tweed and drill jackets come with matching trousers and, in most cases, waistcoats. The iconic Everest Parka rightly remains in the Winter collection. Nigel has produced the Coastal Commander Jacket, a magnificent heavy sheepskin jacket with bright painted hood, made for Nigel Cabourn by Aero Leather of Galashiels in the Scottish borders, probably the best manufacturers of retro leather garments in the world. This season sees the first of the Nigel Cabourn / Eddie Bauer collaboration, with fantastic jackets and waistcoats from these two iconic garment producers. Great knitwear including Fair Isle jumpers all made in Scotland. Checked Bitish Army shirts in soft washed wools. The King George Coat, combines Mackintosh with recycled wool and is based on the coat worn by King George during World War 1, double breasted with wide collar, angled map pocket, a truly wonderful coat, very cool.

The Japanese Striped Reversible shirt in heavy cotton has been produced again in different colourways, with a brushed cotton on one side and double buttons and buttonholes.

Once more the Nigel Cabourn collection is highly impressive and whilst pricy it is well worth it, something that you can say about very few other collections. Nigel Cabourn clothing never disappoints and will always be a pleasure to wear and the quality of manufacture and fabrics is such that the pleasure will last for a long long time.

Nigel Cabourn Biography in Brief

Nigel Cabourn has been involved in the fashion business since the early 1970’s. Studying at Northumbria University from 1967-1971 he began his first commercial label in the last year of his studies. Unlike most designers, Nigel based himself in the North East of England, refusing to be tempted away to the glittering lights of London.

Nigel’s passions and inspirations come from clothing from earlier eras, with a love for vintage clothing, vintage fabrics and the care and attention to detail found in them, he has followed his own path, ignore the ubiquitous and ephemeral trends and fashions that plague the world of fashion, concentrating on great design, wonderful fabrics and exceptional production. As an avid collector of vintage clothing Nigel has managed to acquire well over 4,000 garments for his collection, many of them of great importance not just from a fashion viewpoint, but historically too. Garments from all parts of the World are represented in this collection many of which are military and workwear pieces.

The inspirations for a Nigel Cabourn Collection comes from important episodes in our histories, World Wars, regional conflicts, human endurance and expedition. This can clearly be seen in such classic garments as the Everest Parka, based on the garment worn by Sir Edmund Hilary, the Mallory Jacket celebrating the great George Mallory, who tragically died on Everest, the Coastal Command jacket in sheepskin based on the jacket worn by the naval commanders patrolling the Bering Straits after WW11. In addition the influence of the military can be found in his British Army items, and British Navy inspired garments.

Today Nigel Cabourn produces two collections, the Japanese Mainline collection and the UK Authentic collection; both offer the very best in terms of design, fabric and quality of manufacture and take fashion to a different level in terms of longevity and style.

Nigel has remained based in the North East of England working with his team in a beautiful converted garden house overlooking the local cricket ground.