
The Fine Art of Menswear Curation
With their latest Autumn-Winter lookbook, independent
Manchester sartorialists, Doherty Evans & Stott go above and beyond seasonal trends to deliver something more akin to a house style
words by Will HALBERT

Let it be known that the following, somewhat barbed, critique of a common overstatement is delivered in full knowledge of the fact that I am one of its most shameless perpetrators. But I’ll be damned if the word ‘curated’ isn’t about as criminally overused as it is woefully misunderstood.
Curation is not a case of simply choosing a thing to be showcased alongside another thing, nor is it a case (in the digital realm) of sharing a bunch of material from other people’s accounts (sorry, influencers). To curate, by traditional definitions, is to collect, to edit, to omit and to refine with an extreme and exacting selectiveness. It is a painstaking, meticulous process, carried out with a view to displaying, and preserving, only the very best example of something (The word ‘curate’ – after all – comes from the Latin word ‘curare’, meaning ‘to take care of’ or ‘to look after’). Done well, curation goes beyond a simple, slapdash selection of random sights and sounds to create a cohesive whole: A mood; a context; a vibe; a style.
And that, without even a hint of exaggeration, hyperbole or romanticism, is exactly what Doherty Evans & Stott have managed to achieve with their latest Autumn Winter lookbook. By harnessing the rich palettes and bold textures of some of Italy’s finest makers and placing them amidst the might and splendour of the British countryside, the Manchester-based menswear experts have curated a bold (dare I say, casual?) collection that deviates from the trio’s more sartorial underpinnings to pretty marvellous effect.
Here, Aspesi’s peerless shirting and top-tier outerwear sits effortlessly above signature trouser styles from Venetian heavyweights, Incotex. Boglioli make up the bulk of the jacket offerings; a solid choice considering the Brescia-born brand have spent four generations turning jacket deconstruction into an art form. More traditionally tailored (and hand-finished) flourishes come in the form of Caruso’s polo shirts and blazers.

The direction of the lookbook sees the gents at Doherty Evans & Stott truly flexing their luxury menswear credentials. ‘This is a great reflection of where we’re at right now,’ says co-founder, Matthew Evans. A modest understatement, to say the least. For all intents and purposes, the lookbook offers a strong working model for what a boutique menswear store really ought to be about: Well-edited collections, curated with knowledge and authority to resonate with
an established (and respected) customer base.
In a high street climate all too willing to insult its consumers’ intelligence (not to mention tastes) with a careless, callous and
generally ill-conceived collection of one wear wonders, Doherty
Evans & Stott’s Autumn-Winter lookbook serves as both a
benchmark in their creative output and an all-important marker of mutual respect between boutique shop and discerning shopper. EJ
dohertyevansandstott.co.uk | @dohertyevansstott