Think Percival x Ilaria is a simple ode to the two partners' mutual love of polo shirts? As it turns out, this capsule has actually been generations in the making. Laden with rich references to '70s-era Italiana, Scorsese films, and A-list stylist (Ilaria) Urbinati's own heritage, this six-piece capsule has a hefty history to it, the kind you might not catch at surface level.
When the Taxi Driver vibe has been repped for years now by the likes of Chris Evans, Barry Keoghan and Donald Glover – all of whom form part of Urbinati's roster – as well as the stylist's own grandfather, you realise there's plenty to dig into here. Settling down to chat with GQ just minutes after the collection's launch, Percival head designer Chris Gove and Urbinati herself talked us through how this vintage-rich capsule came to be…
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How did you get to know Percival, Ilaria?
IU: From using it on the guys. Most famously, of course, with ‘The Impressionist’ on Chris Evans. And so I just became a huge fan of Percival. Every time I put it on someone I'd get so many messages asking about the brand. I love a brand I can put on a celebrity and anyone can be able to buy it for themselves.
I love to put guys in knitwear, specifically knit polos. I do a lot of red carpets but I also do a lot of press days and it can be hard to find something that feels stylish but is still casual and comfortable. The Percival knit polo is that; better than a T-shirt, and more comfortable than a suit.
What was the inspiration for this collaboration?
CG: Ilaria has been great at seeing the polos and looking to move them on. She had some incredible references from her own heritage as well as other spots.
IU: A huge area of inspiration for this design process is an old photograph I have of me and my grandfather when I was a child. He was a really important person to me and a huge reason why I went into menswear. He was so stylish. That classic Italian, old-school guy with beautiful coats, ascots, polos… and he just really taught me what a gentleman should look like.
In this photo he's wearing a knit polo. It's this that we completely based the design of the burgundy and brown polos on. I loved having this ode to him and 1970s/80s Italian gentlemen. I grew up watching Scorsese films like Mean Streets and it's also always been an inspiration to me. I love that aesthetic.
How did you manage to recreate that polo?
CM: It almost looks '50s era. It's gorgeous. We were going back and forth between the sample and the photograph trying to recreate Ilaria's grandfather's in a very literal sense. We really felt like we were bringing it back; reviving it from the era it was created in.
IU: Then there was even an interesting spark that came from watching old vintage reels of people walking through the streets of New York City. I was watching one one day and I paused it and zoomed into the far background and there was a guy just minding his own business wearing the most beautiful polo and I was like: we just have to make this.
You can feel the American-Italian energy in even the promotional imagery shot with Diego Calva, the whole capsule is about getting that '70s feel, all the while working within the Percival DNA.
CG: What's funny too is that the knit polos we made at Percival began with a photo of my grandad, so we've really come full circle. The difference there was that it was more English: a bit stiffer. The V-neck wasn't that open and everything was tidy and conservative. He was a ‘50s era spy in the war wearing polos in that way, whereas Ilaria’s lens is more rich with Americana and Italiana. She injected the Riveria [aspect] that makes them so louche.
How did that ethos play out in this collection?
CG: It was funny. We'd do a sample and Ilaria would say “No, the V-neck needs to be lower”, so we'd do another and she'd say “No, lower still." We were like: “Okay, how much sexy chest do you want to show?” But it's great. It's great to be pushed where we wouldn't usually be. We've ended up with something that feels more European, nodding to that heritage but still fitting in with everything we've always been doing. Right now guys seem to be more concerned with dressing timelessly — doing more with less — and this does that.
IU: I wanted it to feel worn in. I wanted it to feel like something you've owned a long time, that's gotten soft around the neck, and it's a little more open and relaxed. Like something that might have actually been your grandparent's.
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