Gieves & Hawkes’s new collection leans into Portsmouth’s nautical heritage to outfit the modern man in a more relaxed version of consummate English tailoring
One can only imagine the atmosphere among the salt-sprayed docks of 18th-century Portsmouth, where ships creaked under the weight of empire and their crews buzzed with the promise of adventure. It was here that Gieves – one half of today’s famous British tailoring house whose flagship store is at No.1 Savile Row – made his name. Founded in 1785 to outfit the Royal Navy’s intrepid souls, the house clothed men who stared down tempests and tyrants alike. In 1974 it merged with Hawkes, who had been a supplier to the British Army since 1771.
The Gieves & Hawkes spring/summer 2026 collection, aptly named Threads of Time, revives that spirit of adventure, distilled for the modern gent. And while he may seek to journey to the less arduous conditions of Antibes or the Italian Riviera, this collection dutifully weaves history and functionality throughout. As design director Joshua Scacheri explains, this season ‘wraps up a trilogy of narratives I’ve been creating, tracing back to our heritage and telling those stories through a modern lens.
It felt appropriate to return to our roots in Portsmouth, as well as Chatham Dockyards on the River Medway, where rope-making techniques got me thinking about how bespoke tailoring has used similar methods of twisted thread for centuries.’ While the history of bespoke British tailoring has largely been one of canvassed suits with plenty of structure, this collection emphasises versatility and movement throughout the tailored silhouettes, with softened structures and relaxed shoulders.
‘We have a lot of deconstructed jackets in the range for that ease of movement and negotiating the heat in the summertime,’ says Scacheri, ‘while the more smart-casual elements have a tactile, slub feel to kind of represent the texture of the ropes. Another key element is our new summer peacoat, which is made in England up in Manchester with Private White. For that, we’re utilising Ventile fabric, which was created by the British back in the day and has a beautiful background story.’
The naval references feature in the details too, with the Portsmouth Men wool jacquard– a playful design silhouetting drunken sailors –developed from a cartoon sketch dating from the 1800s. The collection also features an updated Morse Code tuxedo, reimagining “G&H” in morse as a green pinstripe. ‘In the outerwear garments, we have leather rope piping and hanger loops as reef knots, so when you hang the garment up, it tightens as a knot,’ says Scacheri. ‘The house also invented one of the first-ever life jackets in the guise of a waistcoat with an inflatable belt.
Looking through the archives, I found all the technical drawings that went with the patent licence, so we created a line drawing pattern out of that to use on pocket squares and also a beautiful jacquard lining in some of the key jackets.’ The collection’s palette, daubed with accents of warm navy, sky blue, turquoise, mauve and ivory, plays out against a canvas of airy wools, linen-silk blends and exclusive British cloths. ‘We’re building a fuller lifestyle wardrobe and these fabrics really reflect that.
What’s more, about 50 per cent of the fabrics in this collection are British, which is a commitment we are continuing to pursue.’ Scacheri has reframed over 200 years of tailoring heritage into a collection that feels thoroughly modern. His curiosity for seeking out the house’s artefacts and fashioning them in playful ways underscores the Savile Row brand’s desire to innovate and move forward, while looking over its shoulder at a remarkable legacy. “Made to Weather the World”, as the collection is positioned, succinctly encapsulates an adventurous chapter creating stunning menswear that has its eyes on new horizons.
