Proper Magazine

How often is it that you have no idea about the meaning behind one of your favourite brand’s names? Not very often, but that’s exactly where we stand with TDR. And although we might not know what those three letters mean, we know that The Garbstore’s in-house label punches well above its weight.

Over the recent 3-day weekend, I found myself in something of an observational post, working at an event where the young and beautiful of the city were in attendance. Two things struck me, both of which I already sort of knew, but it was a timely reminder, all the same. Firstly, people who are intoxicated are nowhere near as funny as they think they are. And secondly, loads of people are wearing stuff that takes heavy cues from 20-odd years ago.

Those of us who dwell mainly in the Northern Hemisphere have always had the security of a wealth of clothing brands from which to choose. Sure, we’ll cast our fashion rod further afield on a regular basis. The well trodden path that comes from our admiration for Americana and an obsession with that considered yet aloof Japanese style thing is been documented by us extensively.

When Peak Design got in touch with us to round up a gang of creatives to try out their new City Line range, a few names immediately sprang to mind. One of the first off our tongue was Shaun Peckham. Photographer, videographer, director, film enthusiast – Shaun is a man who wears many hats, and a face that everyone in Manchester seems to know some way or another.

How did an activity traditionally associated with ageing men waking up at 4:00 am to stand in the middle of a river, only to get pelted by torrential rain while attempting to catch an animal that most people wouldn’t look twice at, come to be the most desirable aesthetic in fashion? We’re not quite sure, but here we are. Fishing has slowly been gaining a foothold in the world of fashion for some time now, with a growing abundance of brands referencing angling in collections and capsule releases.

Only one brand can reference whippets, scythes and barrels of ale in a clothing release, and that brand is of course Fera. The label that constantly interprets the British countryside better than anyone else has awoken from a deep slumber, and with it comes a collection of new garb fit for AW26, centred around the concept of workwear. But not quite as you know it… For most of us workwear conjures images of burly men working on construction sites.

How many pairs of shoes do you own? How many of them do you actually wear? We’d be willing to bet there’s quite a rift between those two numbers. We’d also be willing to bet that the shoes you do wear regularly follow a simple formula: they’re comfortable, not too bulky, and aren’t in a crazy colour.

Outdoor footwear is the best. Having the credentials to scale mountains makes navigating obstacles in day-to-day life an absolute breeze. Puddles? No problem. Slick pavements? With ease. Loose leaves? You’re kidding, aren’t you? There’s something reassuring about wearing a shoe designed to deal with the great outdoors, even when your idea of adventure is a trip to the pub.

The average temperature in London is 12 degrees – In the North East of England? It’s only 10. That two-degree difference might not sound like a lot, but the contrast in how Northerners and Southerners dress proves it is. Outerwear matters up North – and Café Mountain’s latest Autumn/Winter collection is the perfect case study. AW26 sees the North-East-based brand return to the kind of silhouettes that made us fall in love with it in the first place.

For some reason, manufacturing a worn-in garment is nigh-on impossible to achieve. So many brands have tried to replicate the look and feel of vintage, and so many have failed. All apart from Khakis. We first became aware of the South Korean brand a couple of years ago during Paris Fashion Week, and stepping into their showroom was like being transported into a time capsule.