Only a decades-old heritage brand like GANT can seamlessly find a common thread between fashion and food. The latest Fall/Winter 2012 collection from their Gant Rugger collection, called Unkempt Sprezzatura, takes its inspiration from one of life’s more savory basics.
“To us, the two are intimately connected,” informs GANT’s website, with the collection revolving around two characters: the Chef and the Owner. “Just like GANT Rugger, [a good restaurant] is based on tradition, knowledge, craftsmanship and the internal drive to take its past and turn it into something even better.”
This has resulted in a collection of formidable, chef-worthy pieces by Designer Christopher Bastin. Heavy fabrics of canvas, denim, flannel, and wool—all selected for their durability and then toned down to worn-in perfection. “Call it the new workwear for 2012,” coins the brand, even going so far to release a selvedge denim apron and a hand-forged chef’s knife by Wildlife Cutlery.
And to really drive home its point, GANT Rugger has selected Phil Winser (of the Fat Radish in New York’s Lower East Side) and Ben Towill (of Ruschmeyer’s in Long Island’s Montauk) as the faces of their global campaign, two culinary figures who are setting the latest standard in the city’s culinary scene for casual but thoughtful farm-to-table fare.
