|
John Bartlett on Cruisin' Control
By: Godfrey Deeny
Photos by: Jennifer Graylock - FWD
NEW YORK, Feb 10, 2002/ FWD/ --- John Bartlett debuted his Uniform collection Friday at a
fitting location in Manhattan -- a lofty studio overlooking the cruising and clubbing grounds
of New York's meatpacking district and West Village.
Bartlett admitted to getting inspiration for the collection from an old Sears-Roebuck
catalogue, as was abundantly clear from the lumber jackets and work jackets that opened the
show.
Bartlett's heroic man, however, wears his jeans, bomber jackets and rugby shirts considerably
tighter than anyone ever featured in that catalog.
Nor could one imagine any of Bartlett's consumptive models, who appeared with Bryl-creamed hair
and waxy skin - think Chopin slowly expiring in his waterlogged castle - ever appearing in
the pages of Sears-Roebuck.
What worked best about this collection were Bartlett's cutting and his ability to take a
traditional garment and give it a fresh spin.
Take the slim Berretta-style nylon ranger jacket with the just-right collar size, the faux
shearling Ulster coat or a trio of moleskin game jackets and you can see why American
retailers love Bartlett.
He gives their customers the right blend of detailing and practicality.
John remains an inventive cutter, as was abundantly clear from his paneled flannel blazers,
the Gothic pockets and a pair of pleated gents' shirts with bibs that finished the show.
But Bartlett does retain his weakness for the high-flying statement, like insisting that his
collection "conjured a romantic ruggedness that seemed a soothing fit for such Herculean
times."
Cruisin' Herculean? Hard to imagine.
| 
