Brooks Brothers Fall 2008

Brooks Brothers have rolled out their ad campaign for Fall/Winter 2008, and it's the best work I've seen from them for a long time. The black and white photographs, taken in Central Park, sum up the best things about the brand. It's all about smart city clothes, traditionally-cut suits that don't leave you worrying about the vagaries of fashion, and elegant casual gear for a weekend in town. Then add an extra large helping of big city glamour, with images of skyscrapers rising above the trees of Central Park.

It's self-consciously retro, but there's nothing wrong with that. It's a million miles away from the hideous rhinestone-studded t-shirts on sale at their Las Vegas store that I've written about previously.

The details are artfully done. The first photo above looks could have been taken any time in the past half century, with a very simply-cut suit, pocket handkerchief in a TV fold and a pair of clunky bluchers. The second shot has an alligator handbag, tweed hat, and an impromptu football game in the background. I also adore the dog on the right side of the picture. The third shot is perhaps the most cliched, but I still think it's a strong image.

As a footnote, I find it interesting that Brooks is running a big ad campaign with photos of Central Park and trumpeting their affiliation with the Central Park Conservancy. Paul Stuart, Brooks's more stylish neighbour on Madison, produced their winter catalogue last year full of photographs taken in the Park, which also had a tie-in to the Central Park Conservancy.