An Exploration Galapagos

For the spring/summer collection of 2013 Michael Bastian got his inspiration from the history and wildlife the Galapagos Islands. An unlikely place to look to for inspiration? When you think about it, it’s entirely logical. Fashion is all about evolution, about adapting to a changing world. What could be more fitting than going to a place where life, like a great fashion brand, found its own unique ways to evolve?

Surviving in style

We wanted to find the feeling of exploration tempered with the rugged technical elements you need to survive in a tough environment. You will also find plenty of references to the many different South American patterns, cuts and indigenous textiles. We pay homage to the many explorers, travelers and whalers who have visited the islands by incorporating romantic details from their dress. This new collection represents what we are about, evolving and finding our own way while honoring the past and picking the best bits of what is happening in the outside world. Towering over the whole collection, as it should, is the spirit of Darwin.

The pieces

In this collection you’ll find an amazing mix of South American patterns and styles, mixed with classic pieces with a rugged edge. We use colors inspired by the wildlife and flora found there, tortoise, olive, golden sand, turtle egg to name but a few. You’ll find knits and jackets, animal prints and patterns inspired by the cultures of the great continent of South America. Yet all the pieces have an unmistakable Gant feel to them.

The Galapagos and Darwin

Far off the coast of Ecuador lies the Galapagos Islands, a collection of over a hundred island, rocks and islets. They are famous for the many endemic species that have evolved there over time, untouched by the influence of the outside world. On these rocky shores the naturalist Charles Darwin came ashore from the H.M.S Beagle in September of 1835. There he found animals not seen anywhere else. While collecting specimen to bring back to England he was told that tortoises differed from island to island, as did the mockingbirds. This fact was a cornerstone in his theories on the evolution of the species.