Nazir Mazhar. Hooded sweatshirt with clear pockets into which images are inserted. London, Autumn/Winter 2014

Cotton body, black and white blocked sleeves, Nazir Mazhar logo tape trimming. White centre to jumper with shiny blue fabric covered with clear grid-effect plastic creating pockets into which images have been inserted. The images are of two men in blue and green shirts and the singer Dusty Springfield.

Given by Charlie Porter

This is part of a group of early 2010s menswear donated to the V&A by Charlie Porter, one of the most influential British menswear fashion journalists of the early 21st century. In 2000 Porter became deputy fashion editor for The Guardian, and since then, has worked as an associate editor for GQ and deputy editor for Fantastic Man. He currently writes for The Financial Times as their menswear critic, in addition to his freelance work, DJ-ing and maintaining an active blogging presence online. Porter is particularly known for his understanding of contemporary menswear and familiarity with developing streetwear and alternative trends.

At the time of the donation, Porter provided commentary on many of the pieces. He said of this piece:

"Pocket hooded sweatshirt – This is one of my favourite pieces ever by Nasir Mazhar, a young London designer for whom I have much respect. Mazhar started out in millinery, and was offered the chance to follow in the footsteps of Stephen Jones or Phillip Treacy. Yet Mazhar never wanted to create work that didn't reflect his north London upbringing, and the reality of the city that he knows and loves. He is the main proponent of a new definition of fashion – that which by others might be called "streetwear." His stance is that there is no reason why “streetwear” shouldn’t be considered in the same light as tailoring, as luxury, as whatever. It deserves equal, if not more, attention.

This is one of those pieces that I knew I wanted as soon as it appeared on the catwalk. I think in the show it had an image of a punk inside the sleeve. I had no idea that it was a pouch in which any image could be placed. It has such extraordinary complexity, the way the windowpaned pouch sits on top of metallic shimmer, which sits on top of white, cut into black. When I bought it at Machine A, I went through a few people as the image, like a screengrab of Anna Wintour taking the ALS bucket challenge, but settled on the image of a childhood idol, Dusty Springfield."

- Daniel Milford-Cottam
20/05/2016

T.110:1-3-2015