Agi + Sam. Overcoat with blue, pink, green and black tweed-effect digital print. London, 2015.

Knee-length single-breasted overcoat, the fabric printed with a tweed-style check in blue, pink, purple, green, and black. Three buttons down front. Two waist pockets, two inside breast pockets. Slightly padded shoulders.

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:

"Agi & Sam emerged at a time when digital printing was still a novelty. They first made their name using humour in their clothing - T-shirts printed with images of spaghetti hoops, for example. When they started showing on the catwalk, this evolved into a new way with prints that often aped traditional fabrics. It was a neat view on menswear, taking a traditional form - the tailored overcoat - and pretending it’s some sort of acid tweed, when it’s actually just a print."

- Daniel Milford-Cottam
20/05/2016

T.82-2015