A SUCCESSFUL 3rd SEASON FOR A BRAND ESTABLISHING A HANDSOME NICHE
Text, Images by J. Ecochard
April 23rd, Mid-Town Manhattan
We met the dapper Patrick Groenendaal, Design Creative Director of giant Hampshire Group - last year at the Spring 2008 Spring + Mercer women’s press preview.
Since then, the company has moved to a new multi-storied showroom on 41st Street- that's a sleek mix of cool modern (cement floors, high ceilings) and warm (original brick walls liberated from layers of plaster).
And as Groenendaal points out, this autumnal palette toss became the inspiration for the colors of the very, very affordable Spring + Mercer’s men’s knitwear.
Our visit’s first glimpse of the spacious, natural light filled entrance room got us curious. Since we prefer intimate press previews as a way to get to know a collection…we were eager to see what the inner rooms revealed.
We were not disappointed. A simple, effective tableau of glossy mannequins standing and ensconced on clear Philippe Starck Louis XIV chairs…and a live dude (!) allowed an up close inspection of the Fair Isles, Houndstooth, Argyle, and solid patterned collection. Amusingly, the ‘men’ were styled in their underwear-“a fusion of uptown and downtown” according to Groenendaal.
What is no surprise to us is the tip-top quality of the line. The 100% cashmere (retail around $175) and cotton cashmeres (around $65) are richly textured and feel way more expensive. Hand finished touches abound- as do fully-fashioned stitching (varied stitch lengths to assure perfect arm and shoulder fits).
Highlights include the off center “great twist on the zip neck” belonging to a fog grey pullover, the burnished aluminum snap buttons on a cozy Bordeaux pull-over, the wide cuff sleeves hipsters will appreciate, flattering cuts more conservative guys will covet… and a plush thick cable wool crewneck that significant others will borrow.