Since its launch 10 years ago, the menswear label Folk has attracted a loyal following of London men, and a few women who have been sneaking cardigans and shirts out of their boyfriends' wardrobes and into their own. The actress Tilda Swinton, the ultimate tomboy, stopped by Folk's shop on Lamb's Conduit Street in central London recently to buy a pair of boots. From July 31, women will be able to invest in a bit of Folk that actually fits them properly.
The debut womenswear collection consists of 24 pieces, from everyday staples such as the Japanese denim chinos and granddad shirts to the dressier hand-painted Bracelet dress. Knitwear options include the sloppy but sexy merino wool crew neck and the bright tuck-stitch cardigans in red, navy or ecru. Among the accessories are leather bracelets, a woolly pom-pom hat and scarf, brass monkey keyrings, and six new shoe styles (Folk introduced women's shoes in 2004), all with a functional two-and-a-bit-inch heel. The overall aesthetic is masculine elegance - for the woman who used to be a tomboy.
'I've been wanting to do it for ages', says Elbe Lealman, 34, Folk's head designer, who is also solely responsible for the menswear and footwear collections (she has only a print designer and assistant to support her, plus Folk's founder Cathal McAteer as a sounding board). 'It's a capsule collection that establishes who the Folk woman is: she's in her late twenties or thirties with a career that she's passionate about. She probably has children, and juggles all the different parts of her life. She is cultured, and would have a great home because she loves interiors, too. As for her wardrobe, she wants to look good every day, but not in heels because she wants to be comfortable.'
Lealman's inspiration came directly from the menswear collection, but both fabric and fit are lighter. Folk's cult menswear signatures are peppered across the collection: the folded pocket, the Braille on metal buttons, and the square patches on the elbow, which have become diamond-shaped for girls.
Bracelet dress, £425; red tuck-stitch cardigan, £245; standard shirt, £165. Photos: Folk.
As is customary at Folk, the humour is all in the detail. The pairs of multicoloured wooden cube beads on the ribbon belt of the Triangle dress and on the cagoul drawstrings are interchangeable with spare sets of beads that come with these garments. On the white standard shirt there are tiny, barely-visible people randomly embroidered into the cotton.
Lealman's favourite piece is the hand-painted Bracelet dress. 'It's a digital watercolour print on silk,' she says. 'I do a lot of painting and artists such as David Hockney, Frank Stella and Chris Ofili are a big inspiration to me. This print is based on my previous watercolours. The great thing about starting womenswear is we can really do print properly.'
Another favourite is the Pod coat in the Archive 25 wool, which is made in east London using an autumnal flecked fabric from the archive of an Italian mill - developed in the 1970s, the fabric was brought back to life for Folk. Also available in pale blue, the pod coat is an alternative to the masculine fit overcoat and features saddle shoulders and plenty of volume for wrapping up in winter.
Pod coat, £495; zip-back top, £165; striped tuck-stitch cardigan in ecru, £195. All available from Folk, 53 Lamb's Conduit Street, London WC1 (020-8616 4191). Photos: Folk.
Lealman admits that she could go on and on about her favourite pieces. But, she explains, she doesn't want Folk to become the next big thing. 'We want this to grow organically. I want Folk to be the brand that women get really excited about discovering, and then keep to themselves.'
Available at FolkClothing.com and Liberty (020-7734 1234).
Via: Folk launches womenswear line
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