“Clothes make the man”. So said American humorist and author Mark Twain. His famous quote was a comment on power. “Naked people”, he concluded, “have little or no influence on society”. In the hundred plus years since Twain’s observation, considerably less of our bodies are now habitually covered. But his quote is still valid. Clothes make statements. And since clothes “speak” for the wearer, shouldn’t our sartorial messages – at least some of the time – speak to the greater good? Scabal think so.
For more than 70 years Scabal’s innovative excellence in the design and manufacture of luxury men’s fabrics has made them a leading global company and allowed them to expand to made-to-measure and ready-to-wear male fashion. A family company, Scabal’s leadership extends to corporate social responsibility. Scabal have launched a peace fund to support the work of Médecins sans Frontières – the doctors who risk their lives in crisis areas to provide emergency medical care for those who are metaphorically “naked” and vulnerable. Scabal has designed a Super 120’s charcoal 100% wool fabric with the word “peace” woven in pinstripes. Hundreds of the word appear in the suiting fabric, yet they can only be read at close range.
The sine qua non for a better world says JP Thissen, Chairman Scabal Group, “is peace and respect” for our fellow human beings. If the “naked” have little influence on society, then it is fitting that a company clothing men of influence should weave a “peace” fabric. Not one that shouts its message, but rather one that conveys its credo peacefully, quietly and with authority. Forget for a moment the semiotics of fashion, Scabal has made its commitment clear. Peace, peace, a hundred times peace. That is the mantra of the fabric and that is Scabal’s wish – and COVER’s – for 2013 and beyond. DJ
