Prada. Man's ensemble. Autumn-Winter 2013-14. Put together by Charlie Porter.

Ensemble, blue and white checked wool coat, wool knit jumper, black and white gingham check shirt with ruffled placket, grey, black and burgundy trousers, and brown shoes with deep ridged soles.

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 Timesas 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 ensemble:

"These pieces are all from the same collection, but not the same look. It was such a strong collection - often Prada is obtuse, but this was all about wearability, if made up of odd components. The ruffle front shirt is meant to be worn underneath the sweater, the top button undone so it looks wonky. The trousers are cropped, and have a fantastic cut. The tread on the shoes is purposefully too much.I bought all the pieces apart from the coat. The day after the show, we're given the chance to look at the collection up close. The editor Katie Grand was there at the same time, and was saying she was going to order the coat for Marc Jacobs, who she works with and who is a massive Prada fan. I said that I wanted the coat too, and she replied, why don't you ask for them to make you one, too? I said I couldn't, but she insisted, and asked for me. And so, the coat was made specially for me by Prada. I'd love to say I wore it all together, but it never happened. The trousers I wore so often, and were the hardest to part with - they are as wearable as a pair of jeans. The shoes I wore so often, and only a few times fell off them. It's such a strong representation of men's fashion - wearable, believable, challenging, but also inclusive."

- Daniel Milford-Cottam
20/05/2016

T.113:1 to 6-2015