The unofficial Drake's London Appreciation Thread

[dieworkwear]

The mughals were a cutthroat warrior race who took over large swathes of india by force. 500 years later, artistic representations of them are mocked as 'feminine looking' on a menswear forum. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

"that scarf looks kind of femini--"

*impales them with my slightly curved Mughal Damascus sword, then placates the family through a series of administrative practices but allows them to retain their native culture*

 

[Philby]

Are you never bothered by the colonial undertones of having little brown men printed on your scarf? I really like the motives aesthetically, but do not quite know what to make of them.

 

[dieworkwear]

Are you never bothered by the colonial undertones of having little brown men printed on your scarf?

wait what?

 

[Philby]

wait what?

It is not a major thing, but I am actually half-serious: I always found it just slightly weird how an English heritage brand like Drake's toyed very self-consciously with the Orientalist imagination. I suppose it is different as it takes inspiration from actual Mughal art, but I could never quite rid myself of thinking that it mostly reaches back to colonial India. I guess I just prefer the animal prints.

 

[Remy Fool]

It is not a major thing, but I am actually half-serious: I always found it just slightly weird how an English heritage brand like Drake's toyed very self-consciously with the Orientalist imagination. I suppose it is different as it takes inspiration from actual Mughal art, but I could never quite rid myself of thinking that it mostly reaches back to colonial India. I guess I just prefer the animal prints.

I kind of get it. I visited Manchester earlier this year and in this one museum there were too many paintings showing colonial dominance of both China and India.

But yeah, this is definitely not the intended message or connotations and we're probably overthinking ****. Animal prints would indeed be safer, though.

 

[dieworkwear]

It is not a major thing, but I am actually half-serious: I always found it just slightly weird how an English heritage brand like Drake's toyed very self-consciously with the Orientalist imagination. I suppose it is different as it takes inspiration from actual Mughal art, but I could never quite rid myself of thinking that it mostly reaches back to colonial India. I guess I just prefer the animal prints.

FWIW, the art is taken from Shahnameh, an epic poem by the Persian poet Ferdowsi

Drake's other famous print, the one with unicorns, is from the medieval tapestries La Dame à la licorne

These are just old art pieces, reinterpreted for accessories. The original art was created at David Evans, a legendary Macclesfield silk printer. When David Evans closed, part of their archive went to Drake's (other parts went to Robert Keytes).

I suppose you can see this as Orientalist, but this is also the kind of sharing of culture that I think cosmopolitans should be pushing for.

 

[vida]

I have always thought this type of scarf looks rather feminine.

Sure thing. Regardless of the historical significance of the printed theme (and I have read the comments), the small design just looks like something a woman would wear...in some ways it reminds me of a Hermès scarf in wool. Plaids, solids, stripes and geometric shapes are more masculine.

 

[vida]

holding a gender reveal party for my new scarf tomorrow. please bring hard hats, as we'll be driving an SUV through a dangerous gauntlet course, at the end of which will be a gigantic blimp, into which the SUV will crash and force to explode in either a cloud of pink or blue dust.

Derek, What’s will all of the heavy gay reference in your comments of late?

 

[dieworkwear]

Derek, What’s will all of the heavy gay reference in your comments of late?

I'm just poking fun at your comment about how XYZ thing or whatever is feminine.

I mean, I get that some clothes are feminine and some are masculine. I guess I just don't see it as a big deal if guys wear feminine things. I also think you can look more masculine by wearing feminine things, and the gendering of clothing changes over time. 99% of the time, guys who say "that looks feminine" are wearing slim fit clothing that would have been considered feminine no longer than 20 years ago.

Maybe I'm misreading you, but when you say "that looks feminine," it sounds like there's some underlying suggestion that someone shouldn't wear that, which to me comes off as kind of shallow.

Some of those David Evans/ Drake's prints, by the way, were originally made for Holland & Holland's accessories in the 90s or so. Guys wore them while killing animals, which ... I guess is kinda masculine?

 

[vida]

I'm just poking fun at your comment about how XYZ thing or whatever is feminine.

I mean, I get that some clothes are feminine and some are masculine. I guess I just don't see it as a big deal if guys wear feminine things. I also think you can look more masculine by wearing feminine things, and the gendering of clothing changes over time. 99% of the time, guys who say "that looks feminine" are wearing slim fit clothing that would have been considered feminine no longer than 20 years ago.

Maybe I'm misreading you, but when you say "that looks feminine," it sounds like there's some underlying suggestion that someone shouldn't wear that, which to me comes off as kind of shallow.

Some of those David Evans/ Drake's prints, by the way, were originally made for Holland & Holland's accessories in the 90s or so. Guys wore them while killing animals, which ... I guess is kinda masculine?

No. I’m in no way suggesting that someone should not wear something because I, or anyone else for that matter, expresses an opinion be it supportive or not. I actually feel very strongly that people should wear what they are comfortable in and wear it with confidence. (This being a key element of “style”) My thought is simply a comment on figurative patterns on mem.

 

[flashjack]

Not sure if this belongs here, but here's an image of me wearing my first Drakes purchase and smiling because it brings me joy.

 

[Philby]

I suppose you can see this as Orientalist, but this is also the kind of sharing of culture that I think cosmopolitans should be pushing for.

That is true, but I always thought it was no coincidence that Drake's does not print small European knights onto their scarves. The exotic character of the motives seems to be an integral part of the aesthetic, in classic British country house fashion.

 

[Quesjac]

That is true, but I always thought it was no coincidence that Drake's does not print small European knights onto their scarves. The exotic character of the motives seems to be an integral part of the aesthetic, in classic British country house fashion.

I think there's something to this -- the British 18thC orientalist aesthetic crops up in lots of classic British style. At the same time if you are interested in the history of textiles (as Drake's clearly is) you will sooner or later get to designs and patterns from South and Central Asia (eg. the also kilim collection, possibly others I don't remember?). And there are some Western European medieval prints, as Derek mentioned.

 

[WilYa]

It is not a major thing, but I am actually half-serious: I always found it just slightly weird how an English heritage brand like Drake's toyed very self-consciously with the Orientalist imagination. I suppose it is different as it takes inspiration from actual Mughal art, but I could never quite rid myself of thinking that it mostly reaches back to colonial India. I guess I just prefer the animal prints.

I will never associate Drakes with English heritage, for me it is always modern and cosmopolitan

 

[mossrockss]

Do they recycle prints ?
Just wondering bc I think I’ve got a Mughal print scarf that’s a few years old (got it on fire sale at a retailer who was closing).