This week, Reid Baker and Ines Amorim posted a clip to the Ernest W. Baker account that shows the full ambiance for this collection. It was shot in a ’70s-era bingo hall in their home base of Porto, all sleek and shiny and retro with gaudy splashes of chrome, neon, and gold. It was a neat foil for a brand that’s gained a serious following for clothes that seem plucked out of a chic grandparent’s closet and re-filtered for today.
And there are lots of those followers—nearly 40,000 on Instagram alone, whether in Paris or Seoul or LA. Asked about a fan base that includes some of the world’s most-watched tastemakers, Baker acknowledged that while having celebrities like G-Dragon, Lenny Kravitz, A$AP Rocky and others call out the brand was “awesome,” the duo is actually less motivated by online commotion than elevating their work “as high as possible, no matter who wears it.”
During a showroom visit, Baker described the season as “rebellious with a young, punkish feeling,” but behind the defiance was a classic core or, perhaps more to the point, “the steadfast reality of adulthood.” In addition to some very wearable everyday pieces, such as a checked wool bomber in earthy hues with a chocolate collar and a lineup of well cut trousers in solids or checks, the designers offered up a few real statement makers, from a snow leopard trench to a gold suit with black faux fur cuffs and collars and a tartan jacket and pants made from overstock sourced from one of their top manufacturing partners. Throw in a leather jacket with pyramid studs, perhaps a pair of creepers from a burgeoning line of footwear and a few flashy brooches, and there was plenty going on for those who weren’t yet around when Martin Scorsese’s Casino first came out, yet identify with it anyway. And, with a little parsing, a piece or two for those who do.