Ernest W. Baker Fall/Winter 2019-2020: Detroit 1970-1980
Detroit 1970-1980, a decade in which the city was seen both at its best and worst, yet continued to endure. These ten years in Detroit and the lives that passed through the city were inspiration for the Ernest W. Baker Autumn Winter 2019 collection.
Researching Detroit from the 1970s and the authentic spirit of the city brought co-creators Reid Baker and Inês Amorim to the prolific work of Dave Jordano. A Detroit native photographer, his work documented the ins and outs of the city’s life throughout the 70’s.
A glimpse into the various subcultures of Detroit brings inspiration for the season’s lookbook, providing a rich cast of characters representative of the eccentric Detroit locals.
Blending the classics with a post-industrial feeling, the collection is defined on these two contradictory elements. Contrasting blue collar details with a soft edge, or vice versa, seen in garments such as silk carpenter trousers, denim blazers and virgin wool trucker jackets.
The collection once again takes reference to Reid Baker’s grandfather and 92-year old muse, Ernest W. Baker. A company brochure was inspiration for the seasons print, as 12 portraits are listed under the headline “1973 E.W. Baker Advertising, Employees of the Month.”
Both playing off a kitsch American tradition and paying homage to the real people and workers of Detroit, brings the collection full circle.
And as always, Reid Baker and Inês Amorim, of the United States and Portugal, the collections blend their cultural influences between European elegance and an American rawness. Sharing experience working for designers Haider Ackermann, Yang Li and Wooyoungmi. The label Ernest W. Baker was shortlisted for the 2018 edition LVMH prize.
Speaking of Ernest W. Baker, as already mentioned he is Reid Baker’s grandfather. A Detroit ad-man, he serves as a muse for the brand’s identity. With a sense of nostalgia, an intention is made to reinterpret classic garments that feel as if they were taken from Ernest’s closet.
For Fall/Winter 2019, the collection was photographed by Vladimir Kaminetsky and styled by Mauricio Nardi.