Leonard Choo, Curator of La Veste, On All Things Jackets
The couture exhibition by Alliance Française de Singapour showcases jacket artistry throughout history, including runway pieces by French fashion houses Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and more.
If you haven’t already done so, take some time out to visit the La Veste exhibition by Alliance Française de Singapour. The showcase serves as a contemplative journey into the enduring allure of the men’s blazer, and explores its artistry through designer pieces from iconic French fashion houses like Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and more.
The exhibition is curated by renowned international fashion consultant Leonard Choo, who handpicked 42 exceptional examples from law professor and fashion photographer David Tan’s private collection. Here, he gives us the lowdown on his favourite pieces from history and the runway.
A great jacket…
Should graze the body, and not constrict it.
Name a quintessential jacket in fashion history.
The Regency-style tailcoats from the end of the 18th century — see any photos of Beau Brummell or his contemporaries — as they are arguably the first iteration of a jacket. On the heels of the French Revolution, they encapsulate the drastic shift in menswear from being signifiers of ostentation and excess, to the “new age” of modesty and rationality.
Favourite piece from the La Veste exhibition?
The Glenn Martens of Y/Project for Jean Paul Gaultier Fall/Winter 2022, with the trompe l’oeil print of the male form on the outside of the garment. Conspicuously risqué and incredibly clever in its presentation of the “dressed” man.
Best jacket accessory?
I love a good thematic lapel pin. It could be a silk flower, scrimshaw bone, precious stones, or even a cheeky statement on the proceedings. I have a teapot chained to a cup for afternoon teas, and a gold phone with its receiver on a chain for introductory conversations.
Name one iconic jacket in film history.
Robert Redford’s pink Ralph Lauren suit in The Great Gatsby (1974) — what a bold, fabulous colour choice.
One jacket you dream of owning?
Prada’s Fall/Winter 2012 campaign had a series of mid-19th century-inspired frock coats. Some of them, especially the foulard-patterned and contrast-lapel ones, really resonate with my personal old-world aesthetic.
Lastly, sartorial elegance or avant-garde?
The best is a clever interplay of both! As the La Veste exhibition shows, the most exciting jackets build on, reference, or break down traditional codes to make a statement and pose a point of view.
The La Veste exhibition will run until 16 March at La galerie, Alliance Française de Singapour.
