First Look: River Island x Matthew Miller

River Island has announced that its latest Design Forum collaboration will be with British menswear designer Matthew Miller, who follows in the footsteps of Lou Dalton, YMC, and Tourne de Transmission.

Inspired by the brand's conceptual design philosophy, the 10-piece capsule collection is based on items from Mathew Miller’s private archive of military garments and fuses functional design with contemporary streetwear.

Launching in June, to coincide with London Fashion Week Men’s, the Design Forum collection will include outerwear, tops and moderns designed around a modern interpretation of traditional military apparel such as bomber jackets, combat trousers and oversized sweats.

“The Design Forum collection is based on my private military archive so the opportunity to re-issue these pieces has been a creative journey that is particularly personal to me,” explains Matthew Miller. “We worked closely with the River Island design team; taking inspiration from museums and rummaging through vintage showrooms we strived to created a collection that not only draws upon my core design aesthetic, but appeals to the River Island man”.

Matthew Miller to collaborate with River Island

Key highlights include stone washed parkas and combat trousers cut from Swiss camo cloths in laundered cotton, as well as a khaki patch pocket shirt, and oversized training sweat and hoodies, cut from scuba and lightweight jersey fabrications. All featured in a muted colour palette synonymous with 40’s army uniforms and service dress in earthy tones of khaki, olive, and charcoal, complimented by rich accents of rust and pink camo.

The range will launch with a short film at London Fashion Week Men’s in June as part of the Fashion Film evening with the British Fashion Council. The film will be premiering alongside films from two other designers, selected by the Fashion Film panel and funded by River Island.

The River Island Design Forum x Matthew Miller collection will launch in selected stores and online from June, with prices ranging from 25 to 110 pounds.

Images: illustrations of the River Island Design Forum x Matthew Miller collection courtesy of River Island