Written by Menswear Style in Brands on the 15th December 2015

Jenny Schwarz takes influences from her great grandfather who had started a tradition in her family of working in the textiles industry. By trade he was a bespoke menswear tailor in Bavaria during the 1930s and for pleasure he was an adventurer. His name is Johann Schneider which turns out to be a real case of nominative determinism as the word 'Schneider' in English means 'Tailor'.

Just as Johann was equally comfortable in his bespoke atelier as half way up a mountain, the clothes at Jenny Schwarz have dual purpose and cross the boundaries of usage. For several garments they choose to use lightweight merino fabrics from the English A W Hainsworth mill (whose own history of tailored uniform used in both extreme conditions and on ceremonial occasions is a real point of connection for Jenny).

New Zealand merino is again recruited for their T-shirts. Its inherent qualities read like something you might find at the frontiers of fabric technology with its ability to keep the wearer both warm and cool, wick away moisture and remain lightweight. Long have merino and cashmere been used as base layering and once again nature perfected it first. Johann would have worn similar base layers for the adventurous life he led that he documented with photographs. They show him as rather a tiny and insignificant figure gripping to the bitterly cold and precariously jagged sheer faces of the Alps or tethered to his wooden skis as he hurtled off-piste.

The dichotomy between the two facets of her great grandfather’s personality is what drives the creative spirit behind the menswear line that Jenny Schwarz directs. They choose fabrics that illustrate natural performance qualities while bridging the gap between the functional and form balancing the two within each garment. They place garments made from these fabrics firmly next to cotton gabardine jackets and coats in both formal and casual styles. Gabardine cottons went from being used in war to being used in sport, especially fishing as a fishing hook would never get caught in the fibres of the fabric unlike a wool. Garments like these have long been the protective outerwear choice for the discerning adventurer.

Echoing the early days of her family’s attention towards garment construction, Jenny dedicates herself to the perfection of each piece lending more weight to the quality of a garment ensuring it lasts and furthermore, its design stands the test of time. They design for men whose clothes reveal a quality and thought that the observer admires. 

Earlier this month, Jenny teamed up with us to give away one of her Canyon weekend bags to a Menswear Style reader. You still have a few days to get your entry in and bag yourself an early Christmas present!

With garments made from the A W Hainsworth mill and inspiration from Johann Schneider, we Discover Jenny Schwarz Menswear.