The Singular Suit project by Esquire

The Singular Suit project, which launches at Somerset House in London on 31 July, brings together the creative talents of some of the best designers, tailors and artists in the world.

British Esquire asked 18 leading fashion designers and tailors to collaborate with a major artist of their choice to create a bespoke, one-off suit that represents their skills and artistic vision. Their efforts have culminated in an extraordinary array of pieces, from the wearable to the outlandish. Designs include an Aquascutum and Antony Gormley creation made entirely from metal plates and lead-filled trousers (pictured) and a “naked” organza suit by Spencer Tunick and Richard James. Louis Vuitton designer Paul Helbers has teamed up with Christian Schoeler to fashion a heavy suit made entirely from a painted canvas, while Henry Holland has worked with Marc Jacobs’ tattooist, Scott Campbell, to create a leather mustard-colored suit with tattoo-style markings of supermodels’ names on the sleeve. Norton & Sons and Turner Prize-winner Jeremy Deller have drawn inspiration from Winston Churchill by re-creating the prime minister’s “Siren Suit” — a trademark suit that Churchill designed for himself during the war, while a suit by Donatella Versace and light artist/designer James Clar has lightsabers bursting from the seams. The suits took three to six months to produce, and were shipped to London from all over the world. Some were held on suspicion by customs for weeks on end, while others had to be dismantled for the journey and then put back together again. They are on exhibition at the Terrace Rooms, Seamen’s Hall, Somerset House until August 31. The suits have also been photographed to appear in a unique portfolio in the special hardback September edition of Esquire UK, on sale August 6.

via We are the Market