The location for the Autumn 25 campaign captured by photographer Luna Conte is the British institution Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge. The museum was originally the home to former Tate curator of the 1920s and ‘30s, H.S. Jim Ede, and his wife, Helen. It features an array of artworks by the likes of Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood, alongside a personal treasure trove of ceramics, furniture and design.
Autumn '25 Collection
For Nick Wakeman, Founder and Creative Director of Studio Nicholson, it’s a space that encapsulates her love of texture and thoughtful, authentic design, which is crucially not overthought. “These are exactly the things that I push when I am creating garments, everything must feel natural and not tortured,” she says. “Even with the best set designer on earth, you couldn’t create what Kettle’s Yard is or looks like. It doesn’t really feel arranged; there are these wonderful little spots and places you can pause. It’s full of surprises. Your eye is drawn to things that intrigue you, that you want to touch,” she smiles. “I think it’s somewhat reflective of how we try to think about the collections at Studio Nicholson.”
“In terms of themes for this Autumn collection, I would say the idea of military uniform was front and centre,” says Wakeman. “It was the first season in a while where we studied vintage militaria and considered how we could reinvigorate them, make them less literal and more modern.” The collection’s colour palette pivots around Air Force blues and various shades of khaki alongside washed black, pewter and kelp, while the overarching sensibility is for Studio Nicholson’s core uniform pieces, which readily explore the tension between soft and tough. “As always, texture is key; from Japanese wrinkled denim and noisy cotton, to super soft linen viscose or leather,” Wakeman says.
Beautiful Scottish merino knits are new for this season - the Sark polo jumper or the Inverness high v-neck are each seamless in construction and knitted traditionally on the round. Wakeman’s personal love of corduroy - she recounts various stories of wearing the fabric as a teenager - is found in this Autumn offering via the latest iteration of the Riso pant. “I really felt for needle cord in particular. I love the way corduroy wears down, usually in a quite lovely scuffed-up fashion,” she says. “So, for the Riso pant we over dyed an existing green fabric to black.” Meanwhile, contrast leather collars add punch to the men’s revere mid-calf trench and the Dani jacket, which comes in parcel or a washed black.
One of Wakeman’s favourite materials, noisy cotton, returns this season. On menswear this includes the Yale pleat-front in boulder, while on women’s Wakeman introduces tops and dresses in this fabric for the first time - see the Cover top and Ikela dress both in reed - alongside the Mitra pant, which features a split hem detail at the ankle.
“We’re particularly excited by the new Marylebone jean,” observes Wakeman, of a new pant named in honour of the newly opened London store and available in both a rinsed indigo and raw black denim. “It’s unique in terms of shape as it has an extremely long rise - the zipper is 18cm - so it’s mega roomy in the crotch, but narrower in the leg, so it creates a super interesting silhouette.” In addition, the new District jacket and Seb pant, which can be worn as a set, are rendered in a glorious wrinkled Japanese denim.
Meanwhile, in other new pants news: the women’s Fellini, a wide cropped shape and the women’s Nasser, a wide into tapered leg with a belt waist, feature in the same softest vintage twill.
To contrast the utility themes, Autumn 25 also includes bold tailoring in grain de poudre across menswear and womenswear with various pieces cut in this elegant material, such as the women’s Araz suit jacket and Chatto pant alongside the men’s Vortice tailored jacket. For womenswear, the Arles bustier top in tumbled double cotton, and the Simos dress and Rouen shirt, crafted in an excellent crinkled crushed viscose are also highlights. In menswear, the Karst shirt and Line pant are elegantly cut in a pleasing light tech wool.
Key shoes this season include the return of the women’s Moon shoe, alongside two new unisex styles: the Korine, an elasticated slipper and the Woodrow, an update on the classic desert boot, both in suede and deerskin. Meanwhile, the Studio Nicholson bag offer, including the Doublet, Shiboru and Airport bags all feature in the latest Autumn 25 campaign shoot alongside the Pythagoras merino rib scarves and hats.
DOCUMENTED BY LUNA CONTE
