Hindsight is a funny thing. In 2009, there’s been plenty of speculation about the future of The Duffer Of St George but the label has re-emerged with one of its strongest collections to date. In 2005 similar speculation occured as people gossiped whether the brand was still relevant. In the Autumn of 2005, Duffer answered its critics by releasing the Expedition collection. Looking back, all the fairisle knits, buffalo plaid and down parkas were really ahead of the curve of the current resurgance in American work and hunting gear.

I was fortunate enough to be put in contact with Marco Cairns at Duffer and took the opportunity to get the inside story on a collection that is a personal favourite of mine.

B&F: The Duffer Expedition collection from A/W 2005 featured a lot of buffalo plaid, down parkas and fairisle. What is it about these elements of the classic American hunting look that you liked so much to incorporate them into your designs?

Marco: Well that particular collection had been gearing up for a while. I’ve always been into old LL Bean and Woolrich etc. In fact I bought my first arctic parka in New York in 1989 and still wear it now.
We used to stock the Woolrich hunting line in the Soho store years ago as well as vintage J. Press and Brooks Brothers shirts, as well as many others. I have also been told many times that we where the first to import Red Wings for a fashion purpose. Apparently they where being used on the oil rigs off Scotland.
It was actually looking into the heritage of British Columbia when the idea for a collection was ignited; Cowichan knitwear and Hudson Bay blankets etc. So myself and the design team took a road trip, starting in Vancouver and travelling up into Indian territory. Then looping back towards Seattle with a quick stop to visit Filson. Eventually driving down the east coast through Oregon towards San Francisco and ending at the Rose Bowl. We had more than enough inspiration and ammo to design the pants off anybody and where pretty eager to get started.

B&F: This look wasn’t nearly as prevalent in the Winter of 2005 as it is now. Do you think you kick-started something, or was it merely a coincidence?

M: It was just a time and space we where in. I don’t know if we started anything off in the fashion sense. A lot of buyers didn’t know what to make of it. Maybe we where too far ahead of our time. I rigged the showroom out with old fishing and hunting props, even had a couple of bow and arrows. I was collecting vintage Red Wing boots back then, so we had them hanging everywhere we could. At one point there was even a suggestion to have a stuffed polar bear installed.

B&F: Looking at the models used, I recognise faces from the Shorts Gardens shops. How much of what you were designing was informed by what the boys in the shops were wearing?

M: When it came to models it was always to use the people around us to capture a more realistic feel about the clothing and everyone was bang into it. Plus it was cheap of course.

B&F: I can see a lot of the late 80/early 90s Polo Country Dry Goods line in the way Duffer Expedition was set up and the clothing that came out under that name. Was there any relationship there? Where there any other outside influences?

M: Of course I’ve always been into what Ralph does, but I can’t say I sat down and thought I’m going to do a Polo type collection. It’s just a feeling I have for what I call classic clothing. When I travel I always take a lot in and then regurgitate it back out. You have to visit places and get under the skin of it all. That’s what I would call an outside influence.
But the influences can come from anywhere, an old film or photograph maybe a book or just how certain people wear clothes.

The following images are from the lookbook for the Autumn/Winter 2005 Expedition line by The Duffer Of St George.

The Duffer Of St George