ADVANI LONDON Inspired by the innate elegance of his grandfather K.U. Advani, founder Abhishek Advani rekindles the bespoke idiosyncrasies of a bygone era and injects them with streamlined, modern lines for a new garde-robe. Advani captures a sophisticated and youthful spirit, arriving at a cross roads between reduced, contemporary tailoring and the panache of subcontinental sartorialism. Innovative tailoring employs the savoir faire of Italian and British manufacturers to execute fine suiting, cut from the trans-seasonal, fine wools of the Dormeuil and Barberis mills. Unlike other British sartorial brands, Advani evolves the silhouette of these trusted craftsmen into the new century. Trim jackets feature a band collar or an inbuilt lapel, shirts are cut long to be worn over the slim, soft trouser. Outerwear balances the structure of formalwear with a casual insouciance, elevating both utility and aesthetic for versatile, sophisticated garments of the finest quality.
HERITAGE In post-war high society from London to Bombay, the autonomous aristocrat K.U. Advani broke the sartorial rules of the East and the West, fusing the European and Indian traditions of suiting into a fresh and insouciant personal style. He was no dandy, but rather an elegant innovator, pairing Western style double breasted suits with long shirts from the Subcontinent, and customising subtle details at Savile Row to set his bespoke wardrobe apart from all the rest. K.U. Advani was a prominent figure in the London social scene of the 1940s and 50s, with his individual style, rich in bespoke details, taking him from the palaces of Bombay to the nightclubs of Mayfair. One of his favourite garments was the mandarin-collared Nehru jacket, which found its own international popularity later in the 20th century, worn by icons from the Beatles to Sean Connery s James Bond. Its inimitable form deconstructs the formality of the tuxedo with a round collar. Advani distils this suave, cosmopolitan masculinity into a holistic and avant garde wardrobe, thus ensuring the meeting of both comfort and utmost refinement in each meticulous, tailored piece. 1
K.U. Advani (second from left), hosting a dinner at the Taj Palace Bombay, circa 1952 2
K.U. Advani and friends attending the Derby in Bombay, circa 1950 3
K.U. Advani monogram K.U. Advani and a friend, Bombay, circa 1941 4
K.U. Advani (second row, fourth from left), at a ceremony for the young princess of Nepal, attended by royalty from across the subcontinent who are also featured in this picture 5
INNOVATION With the enduring ascent of the hybrid menswear revolution, Advani caters for the 21st century gentleman searching for a refined sartorial look that embraces a comfortable silhouette with minimalist details. Stripping back extraneous volume and decoration, Advani tailoring features covered buttons, integrated lapels and a handstitched lining. Trans-seasonal textiles sourced from the finest mills are coloured in a subdued urban palette, allowing each Advani garment to transition across seasons, continents, and occasions. 6
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COLLECTION AW 2015 At the core of the Advani collection is an exercise in simplicity, with versatile jacket styles allowing for an interchangeable pairing with the slim, straight trousers and fine poplin shirting. Minimalist statements abound, from the inbuilt lapel of a tailored overcoat to hidden buttons in a mandarin collar blazer. The double breasted blazer features a band collar that folds back into a slim lapel, crossing the chest over a long, curved shirt worn with no tie. Instead, shirts are at times adorned with an embroidered collar or simply a concealed placket, and are worn comfortable, long, and fluid. Double face seams lend an artisanal touch to a shaped blouson. Rather than focus on extraneous details, Advani accentuates impeccable cut and finishing. 8
LOOK 1 Contemporary Jacket 100% Wool Made in Italy 9
LOOK 2 Contemporary Shirt Long 100% Cotton Made in Italy 10
LOOK 3 Contemporary Jacket Double Breasted 100% Wool Made in England Bombay Shirt with embroidered collar 100% Cotton Made in Italy 11
LOOK 4 Bombay Jacket 100% Wool Made in England 12
LOOK 5 Contemporary Jacket Double Breasted 100% Goatskin Leather Made in England Classic Shirt 100% Cotton Made in Italy 13
LOOK 6 Contemporary Shirt 100% Cotton Made in Italy 14
LOOK 7 Bombay Jacket 100% Wool Made in Italy Trouser 100% Wool Made in Italy 15
LOOK 8 Blouson Bomber 100% Wool Made in England 16
LOOK 9 Overcoat 100% Wool Made in England 17
Photography Sloan Laurits Styling Tom Van Dorpe Model Jeroen Smits, VNY Model Management 18
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ABOUT ABHISHEK ADVANI Born in Bombay, Advani s founder, Abhishek Advani is an Oxford scholar who lives and works in London, England. He has previously lived in New York and Tokyo. Recognising a genuine aesthetic gap in menswear, Abhishek calls upon childhood memories of the colonial splendour of his ancestral home, coupled with the paternal heritage of the Advani name, to present his modern menswear ideal. Abhishek is a connoisseur, an avid researcher and an autodidact, whose network of support includes leading industry figures in design and production, as well as communication and strategy. Upon the invitation of the British Fashion Council, Abhishek presents Advani s inaugural collection on schedule at London Collections: Men in January 2015. 20