Universal Works
After closely watching the debut profile in the ‘Save the Date’ short film series by Jacket Required, I was inspired to delve deeper into Universal Works founder David Keyte’s vision of menswear. The brand’s working class roots are blended with smart, elegant design principles and a street wear edge, no doubt influenced by Keyte’s many years spent working with Paul Smith and at Maharishi. The autumn/winter 2012 lookbook is the perfect example of how well Universal Works incorporates the three key influences of the brand. Keyte has taken the simple working man’s uniform (a shirt, trousers and blazer), added a classic, chic scarf, which is then teamed with a knitted beanie hat. The cleverly placed accessories immediately modernise the look, revamping the uniform into something much more current. A personal favourite from the new collection is the knitted striped socks. As an avid knitter myself, I very much appreciate that each sock is knitted on old, traditional machines in Nottingham. Produced only in small batches from machines that could be more than 60 years old, the cosy stripy socks are an exclusive, vintage item to keep warm throughout January. The selection of colours will also look great poking out from the top of your shoes when you cuff or roll your chinos. Would you like a style that makes working hard seem more appealing? Universal Works effortlessly combines elements of street wear with traditional ideals to make this perfect situation possible.
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Universal Works AW12 Lookbook
