Pitti these days rarely throws out new, interesting products. That may be partly the state of the market, partly Pitti’s district, but either way it hasn’t been about acquisitions for a long time. You see new things but not new words.
Luckily there was something different this summer, as we met the boys in the backgroundMuseum Clothingfor the first time, and they were really fun.
They were on our radar because we saw themColbo in New Yorklast fall, and really recommended the sweaterOctober cycle. But it was very different to see the full range, and meet the founders.
Alain Duruy and Oscar Fassenot have a real passion for vintage clothing, but they come from the fashion industry rather than starting out as novices, making the product more casual and giving a modern, clean aesthetic to their many interpretations of precious pieces.
It’s hard to appreciate a lot on the internet – a lot is about the materials.
Take itCrew JacketFor example. On the Internet it is impossible to see what suede is like – not just whether it is good or bad, but whether it is light or hard, soft or hard. For me it’s obviously decent quality, but it’s also an interesting intersection of comfort and workwear – big and strong, but not as strong and heavy as a clean piece.
Like fits – the jacket has a unique, deliberate design, with a slightly wider shoulder and a tapered waist, but it is not a direct or exaggerated production like A Presse, Lemaire or other fashion brands. (I took the medium.)
What you get online is an understanding of design in terms of things like colors and hardware. It feels simple and muted, with the collar and body material in complementary, complementary shades.
That jacket was the first thing I tried on at Pitti – suede outerwear is a real weakness of mine – and it was amazing. We immediately tried on a white hunting coat (not yet online) and a wool overshirt (above).
They both had that same feeling in the materials: more substance than a high street piece, less thick, less dense, suggesting a vintage appreciation. But also modern: very heavy duty with a white cord on the collar, the top shirt is attached to one breast pocket, and the same trousers.
The hunting jacket was the best fit I’ve ever found on a piece like that – the original is so short and A-line, that the production feels almost ridiculous, but the casual fit loses all character. This was a great place in between.
The reason I probably find Museum Clothing so interesting is this meeting of worlds: an interesting option for the PS reader who wants heritage-inspired quality but a modern, and design-minded approach without high-fashion prices (jacket £700, top £150).
Those prices mean that we are not talking about the most luxurious or exotic materials, of course, or the craftsmanship that we usually include in PS, but in some of these clothes you don’t need that.
It is interesting to compare a product with a similar personBuck Mason, which is slightly cheaper but also offers more authentic heritage designs than modern interpretations. I feel that some readers will err more on the traditional side like Buck, others towards a more modern take like Museum Garments.
There are Museum Garments designs that I don’t like. The ‘Dad Shirt’ has a small buttoned collar, for example, which I don’t think is quite right (above). But it refers to a certain look – nineties one-pocket polo shirts, big and unstitched, and that’s not what I’m looking for.
This inspiration is written all over the labels of Museum Garments, which is a nice touch.
Each episode is unique, and Dad’s Shirt is a little cartoon of an Ivy-looking gentleman working away from his desk. The Subsidy Jacket has a service station, the Labor Jacket is a factory styled smoky ‘Tough Leather, True Craft’.
“We like the fact that the labels connect us with the customer, tell them what we were thinking about,” said Alain. “And something that is personal to the person wearing it, no one else sees it, is a small reminder every time they wear it.
“We love vintage clothes but they can be a bit dusty, a bit heavy,” added Oscar. “And we’re French, we’re from Paris, so we wanted a bit of that French charm. That’s why many designs have been postponed.”
With this type of men’s clothing that can be a problem – clothes and lookbooks often seem to be incommensurable, because the pieces are classic and the designs are very simple. The Museum Garments are a good example of this, and it really means that it is best to see them in person, to appreciate both the details and the materials.
Unfortunately the product isn’t widely available yet, but that’s because they were launched in 2024 and rightly start selling for the first time this season. So the various vendors you’ll see in Florence and Paris (including No Man Walks Alone) will have clothes in spring 2027.
Currently, availability is online, at Colbo, and in-storea few places in France and Switzerland. There will also be Galleries Lafayette in France this fall, and Ships in Japan. Hopefully there will be more soon.
www.museumgarments.com