Whenever we add a brand to the stable at Pickings & Parry, it goes without
question that it is something that has been pondered and lingered over, with
much consideration ploughed into it before deciding. Not just because we
require it to fit the shop and the shop to fit it, but also because we hope to represent it for a long time. Nothing can be predicted in retail, and indeed fashion, but with a brand that started just slightly before Pickings & Parry did, you hope both will grow together. With such a similar grounding in ethics I’m certain this will be the case for 1st Pat-rn.
Born in 2012 with a capsule collection, Cristiano Berto and Silvia Piccin founded
an independent company, 1st Pat-rn, in Follina, Treviso, Italy. Both designers had worked together for twenty years in various guises and grew tired of companies they worked for not producing the best possible quality products. In Silvio’s words, ‘selling product without a soul’.
The name “first pattern” was found in a label, stitched into a 1944 herringbone
US Army shirt from a dead stock warehouse of military equipment in Normandy
many years ago. It usually refers to a “first prototype” or “first trial” of a specific
series of clothing, generally military pieces. This was also to be their first trial
into independent manufacturing so the title is apt. Their independence is
something they believe is paramount. Cristiano and Silvia are overwhelmingly passionate about what they do and vocal too, their own ethics echo ours at Pickings & Parry and Heffernan & Haire. Cristiano expounds:
“Since the first day we would like to try to do something different, not only in the
product, but also to give to the customers the experience of “a real product at the
real value”. This is very important: we think the product should have something “to say on quality, details, manufacturing and above all the “concept”, the product should not be just a “design” of something that is “in fashion”.
Their garments contain three souls and encapsulate a whole lot of things we love
at P&P. Firstly the International Trad (from traditional) Movement, referring to
Ivy league and Preppy Style but with their interpretation through adoption of
modern fabrics, details, enhancements and pattern adjustments.
The second soul is the concept of Italian and European workwear, with the
emphasis being on European rather than overseas; specifically Italian workwear
circa 1950, that is also influenced by modern workwear.
To complete the triptych is military clothing, Indumenti Da Fatica (Fatigue
Garments) and form the revival of classic pieces like the military field jacket, the
service jacket, the fatigues trouser and the chino inspired by the original pattern,
but reshaped in a modern way. These are mainly based on European military
garments from their archive.
The materials and details they use in production are a thing of beauty, from
parachute poplin and gabardine to super lightweight technical wool and
Tricotine, a 385 gram mercerised cotton that they could never persuade past
employers to use because they did not think it would sell! We currently have the Cruiser jacket in this material and it is wonderfully soft and lightweight.
Another personal favourite from the new collection is a fabric woven in Japan, a
combination of Pima Cotton (one of the softest in the world) and Nylon, making it
water resistant, soft and crinkle resistant…a perfect traveller. We also have this
in the Landman pants, the Cruiser jacket and the Wanderer vest.
Finally the details are no exception; buttons are all horn, bone, coruzo or natural
brass with no expense spared, even on the labels! Plus if you like pockets as
much as we do, you will not be disappointed…
This is the second season we have carried 1st Pat-rn, if you haven’t seen it in
person then now is the time to come and check it out before it all disappears again!
