MAN FRIDAY SUCCESSION AND THE NEW RULES OF POWER DRESSING
Make like a major player this autumn, with some help from the hit show,
If you haven’t heard of Succession, the Sky Atlantic drama series based on a Murdochstyle billionaire empire headed by fictional patriarch Logan Roy, I apologise now. Because your dark autumn nights will henceforth be spent behind a cushion cringing in glorious discomfort at the latest dramatic twist in this Lear-like power play among a familial vipers’ nest. Series two has landed just in time for the colder nights, when we need more clout and substance in our wardrobes, and it provides a masterclass in how the stealth-wealthy are dressing now. Who knew that knitwear could look so threatening? Award-winning costume designer Michelle Matland offers a new definition of alpha male dressing that’s less about the brash shirts and pinstriped suits of the Gordon Gekko Eighties, more the downplayed athleisure attire of those Palo Alto tech billionaires. Pater familias Logan has a fondness for (as well as pitting his offspring against each other) plush knitwear – think sleek cardigans, zip-fronted sweaters and gilets with dandyish scarves in lieu of corporate suiting. Ditto his scheming sons Kendall and Roman, who opt for open-necked black shirts and the sporty utility jackets that Jeff Bezos surely has on order from the likes of Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli, to convey a sense of discreet-but-serious luxury that’s less traditional than a classic suit. Quietly expensive trainers – in handsome suedes and pristine leathers – complete the look.
This on-screen feast comes just as The Row, Mary-kate and Ashley Olsen’s wildly expensive, wildly covetable label, opens its doors in London. The collection is made up of quiet power pieces: pristine grey cashmere coats, puffer jackets in softest silk, sporty knitwear (rather than the sedate kind), all in an upscale Manhattan palette of grey-ongrey with prices to match. So, as the season switch to our more substantial winter wardrobes begins, what’s the modern power broker wearing these days?
First rule: swap the structure for something more fluid, such as knitwear that can be worn with sharp suits and a jacket/gilet combination. The latter has risen in the Silicon Valley ranks, evolving as a signifier of quiet power among certain pockets of the Davos-going elite – see Bezos’s fondness for them.
Substitute your formal footwear for something that’s less obviously corporate, such as elevated trainers or smart boots. Finally, look at your accessories roster – ties are out in favour of louche scarves and discreet smart watches (none of your flashy varieties, or those that prioritise something as straightforward as telling the time).