Luxury magazine: September 2022

Wes Gordon, the man responsible for reinventing Carolina Herrera, talks to Sarah Maisey about high-octane glamour, the label’s celebratory resort collection and his formidable predecessor

“Everyone has overdosed on stuff,” says Wes Gordon. “You don’t want more stuff; you want good things, things you love, things that are emotional. I try to make sure that everything we do is extra vivacious and exuberant – everything needs to be fabulous.”

As Carolina Herrera’s creative director since 2018, Gordon is used to creating lavish, exuberant collections, and his take on bold patterning and bright colour is widely credited for reinvigorating the house for a new audience.

For his resort 2023 collection, which arrives in stores in November, he has conjured up chic clothing that leans into couture techniques – with a twist. “Something I have really been working on since I have been at Carolina Herrera is taking the very iconic codes of Herrera evening and cocktail – the glamour and the volume – and translating them into a compelling daywear collection that feels very much at one with the house and is just as exciting.”

This unfurls in oversized floral prints, eye-popping colours, animalia, drapery and skilful tailoring, now rendered largely in cotton. The collection’s opening look, a glamorous off-the-shoulder dress with dramatic sleeves and a full skirt, is, for example, crafted from cherry-print cotton faille.

Meanwhile, classic blue pinstripe cotton shirting, with all its masculine overtones, is reworked into a ruched, fitted, 1950s-style sweetheart dress, with a halterneck and flared skirt. “I like that this is a humble fabric, classic men’s shirting, but done in a beautiful, feminine way.”

While the glamour is vintage Herrera, the joyful patterning is very much Gordon’s own and is, in part, his response to the restrictions of the pandemic and a collective relief that the darkest days seem to be over.

“For this season, there was such a celebratory feel. Birthday parties have become three-day affairs and weddings that were postponed for two years are now happening with double the energy. There is so much pent-up joy, so the resort collection is really about a Riviera getaway, and all the things that entails. The glamour, sensuality, the journey, the sunshine.”

Aged 35, Gordon’s rise has been rapid. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2009, and following brief stints at Tom Ford and Oscar de la Renta, Gordon ran his eponymous label in New York for eight years, before being hand-picked to head Herrera.

Describing it as a “pinch myself moment”, he describes how, when Carolina Herrera, the designer, decided to step down from her eponymous label at the age of 79, he was approached by brand president Emily Rubinfeld as a potential successor. While familiar with the house, he didn’t know its founder, who he respectfully refers to as Mrs Herrera.

“I had met her once or twice, like a million people, at a party where you say hi and are kind of star-struck, but nothing beyond that,” he recalls. With a clear overlap between their aesthetics, Gordon was eventually summoned to meet the designer in her office. “I found out on Sunday night, actually, a text asking if I could meet her first thing on Monday morning. It would have been nice to buy a new outfit for it and maybe get a haircut,” he quips.

“She is extraordinary. There are very few people whose presence in real life is as big as how you imagine it to be, but she is one of those.”

Despite being “very nervous”, Gordon says the pair instantly hit it off. “We spent about three minutes talking about work, and the remainder of the hour talking about life, favourite restaurants in New York, books we were reading, our dogs, and I think that told her more about me than any portfolio.

“She is so romantic in her belief that fashion is so much more than a dress. The quest for beauty and the ability to create beauty is such a noble thing. It’s those little details that have always been so important to her, and it’s a belief and a love that I share as well, and that was our common ground.”

Unusually for a handover, Gordon worked alongside Herrera for months, as she introduced him to every aspect of the house she built. “I think what made it such a smooth transition was Mrs Herrera herself and that opportunity to spend that year with her, introducing me to the pattern-makers, and being in fittings together.”

Since it was founded in 1981, the label has always taken its cues from couture and has its own in-house atelier, one of the few American brands still able to make such a claim. It is this access and expertise that has shaped the resort 2023 collection. “I am very lucky to work with our factory and, more importantly, our atelier,” says Gordon. “We have a full atelier, which very few American brands continue to do, and that’s why you see pieces like this.

“They’ve been made by pattern cutters and seamstresses who have spent decades draping precious silks and embroideries and are now taking that expertise and applying it to cotton, denim and gabardine, and creating something really magical for a woman in 2022.”

An understated floor-length shirt dress, for example, is elegantly darted into the waist and has bishop sleeves, while a bustier top has a matching cape that can be worn either as a dramatic hood or pushed back off the shoulders as a stole. Elsewhere, a cherry-print fitted dress is cut to spill off one shoulder.

Gordon utilises the atelier to create evening looks, such as a pink floor-length gown entirely covered in embroidered flowers that he wanted to look “as if you are looking down onto the top of a bouquet of pink carnations”. There is a sheath dress covered in sequin payettes, oversewn with chunky crystals, and a strapless jumpsuit covered in metres of gathered taffeta that releases into a train at the back.

Elsewhere, there is a dramatic cropped puffed dress with a back that Gordon calls a “brush stroke of perfect red faille”, while a 1980s drop-waist cocktail dress in pink and red not only captures his favourite colour combination, but also the spirit of the Herrera woman. “She is unforgettable. I always say the Herrera woman is the one on the sidewalk in hot pink, red or yellow, when everyone else is wearing beige.”

One key element of Gordon’s work is that, while steeped in glamour, it is never fussy and, as such, feels effortless. Case in point, a floor-length gold-knit dress that is chic enough for the evening, yet soft enough to be rolled up into a carry-on bag. “It’s that pragmatism, that zip-and-go approach, that almost sportswear sensibility of great American fashion that is so fabulous,” Gordon says.

He has created other resort pieces that are transformable, such as a mini skirt with a removable tulle train, and a delicate chiffon gown in a poppy print, with a detachable cape, that Gordon dubs a “perfect Dubai dress”.

Of course, one of the label’s enduring silhouettes will always be Herrera’s own signature – a crisp shirt worn with a full, ball skirt. Instead of trying to alter it, Gordon embraces it, offering new iterations each season. For resort, it arrives twice: as a midi-length leopard-print skirt, worn with an oversized pinstripe shirt; and as a floor-length skirt with a jersey top in a matching blue poppy print, albeit in a different scale. This is a ritual he has been practising since he first joined the house.

“When Mrs Herrera had the show that marked the transition from her to me, I surprised her at the end with a parade of all the models wearing ball skirts and white cotton shirts, each a different colour, an homage to her most signature look. Since then, I always make sure to have a new update,” he says.

Even though Herrera is no longer part of the company, the pair remain in regular contact. One topic, however, remains off limits. “We don’t talk about the collection. The first time she will see the collection is at the show. So, that’s a very scary thing, but also it has given me the space to find my own voice at Herrera. Every day I realise how much courage and trust that took on her part.”

Describing it as an “evolution rather than a revolution”, the fact that Gordon’s vision is so aligned with the founder’s is a boon to his tenure. “I feel very lucky to be at a house where my aesthetics, gut instincts, taste and preferences are harmonious with the brand’s DNA,” he says.

Of course, when it comes to knowing his client, Gordon has a little help. “I am actually sitting in a room with the Warhol [painting] of Mrs Herrera, and there she is with the bold jewellery, the technicolour lips, the eye liner. And that’s our woman. That’s who we are as a house, just unapologetic fabulousness and glamour. It’s about being the most empowered and beautiful version of yourself – and owning it.”

Focusing on ‘authentic stories, not the imagined utopias’, an expansive exhibition at London’s V&A is shining a much-needed spotlight on Africa’s abundant fashion talent, writes Francesca Fearon

Fashion designers in the West have frequently looked to Africa for inspiration – Yves Saint Laurent was influenced by Morocco, Virgil Abloh drew on his Ghanaian heritage for Louis Vuitton’s autumn/winter 2021 menswear show and John Galliano created a collection inspired by ancient Egypt for Christian Dior in 2004.

However, until recently, with the emergence of designers such as Thebe Magugu, the first African designer to win the prestigious LVMH Prize, Duro Olowu, Kenneth Ize and Imane Ayissi, little has been said and written about the history of contemporary fashion in Africa.

This situation is being corrected by a joyful, uplifting exhibition, Africa Fashion, on at the V&A museum in London until April 16. It is the first to explore the sartorial history of the continent, starting with the 1950s and 1960s when African nations began breaking away from the colonial powers that ruled over them.

The exhibition successfully knits together contemporary styling with this era of liberation and ideas around expression of identity, potently symbolised by Africa’s use of fashion and, in particular, textiles. In 1957, the revolutionary first prime minister of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, made sure he donned the traditional handwoven kente cloth, which was historically worn by Ashanti royalty, for his state photographs.

“The story we are telling is one of agency, abundance and unbounded creativity,” says Christine Checinska, the V&A’s inaugural curator of African and African diaspora fashion. “African fashions are undefinable. But fashion is seen in part as a catalyst with which to share the richness and diversity of Africa’s myriad histories and cultures. We hope to give our audiences a glimpse of this, alongside a taste of the glamour and the politics shaping both periods – the historical and the contemporary.”

Checinska and project curator Elisabeth Murray see the exhibition as a timely celebration of the vitality and innovation of a selection of fashion creatives from the postcolonial years through to current times. Drawing help from Lagos and Accra fashion weeks, as well as industry specialists, the curators held online workshops with designers (the exhibition was curated during the pandemic).

They narrowed down the different themes of the exhibition to include Politics and Poetics of Cloth, Artisanal (“For some designers, the material techniques are their designs’s starting point,” says Murray), Mixology, Afrotopia and so forth, with each designer offering contributions that they felt best defined their aesthetic.

“Afrotopia is perhaps the most cutting-edge section,” says Checinska. “Here you’ll find work by designers such as Selly Raby Kane, Amine Bendriouich and Nao Serati, who are not afraid of addressing today’s pressing issues.”

The exhibition celebrates pioneering designers such as Chris Seydou, who worked with Saint Laurent and Paco Rabanne in the 1970s and 1980s before returning to Mali in 1990, and Nigeria’s Alphadi, who founded the International Festival of African Fashion in 1998, bringing African creatives together with Kenzo and Jean Paul Gaultier.

Highlights of the exhibition include garments by Iamisigo from Kenya, South Africa’s Magugu, couturier Ayissi, and a striking design from Morocco’s Maison ARTC that is a contemporary take on the fully enveloping burqa – sand-coloured and covered with talismanic hands to ward off the evil eye.

Designer Artsi Ifrach, who comes from a traditional Moroccan background, explains how his heritage and traditions have influenced his creativity. “My aesthetic is eclectic and culturally inspired,” he says. “Using vintage fabrics that I collect from around the world, I tell my story with garments and photography.” Arabic embroidery is also integral to his work.

African fashion, he says, “has a strong and important role in the international market”. Slowly, recognition of Africa’s talents is bringing Ize, Magugu, Ayissi and others to Parisian catwalks to display the richness and diversity of the continent.
“I feel like there are so many facets of what we’ve been through as a continent, that people don’t actually understand,” says Magugu, whose acclaim has spread further with the recent launch of a sportswear collection with adidas. “Now, more than ever, African designers are taking charge of their own narrative and telling people authentic stories, not the imagined utopias,” he says.

Ayissi, who was born in Cameroon, is now part of the official haute couture schedule. His colourful, elegant clothes are a blend, he says, of Parisian allure and African culture. “What I am trying to show is that there is no reason why what comes from the African continent should always be considered as ‘apart’, not quite on the same level as what comes from the rest of the world, especially when it comes to luxury,” he says.

He joined the haute couture schedule in January 2020, having previously shown off-schedule. His background as a model for luxury houses such as Dior, Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino gave him valuable insight into how the system operates.

“It helped me a lot,” he says. “The fashion industry, the fashion system, the organisation of fashion weeks, in Paris and the western world, are very different from what happens on the African continent. Without knowing how it works, the key players and also the requirements of the power players of this industry, it is very difficult to make a place for yourself.”

He was chosen to be a part of the official couture calendar after his third application, but he admits he received a lot of advice from the organising body, FHCM. “They have been very supportive and very open-minded since the beginning.”

Nevertheless, while there is growing recognition from the media and fashion institutions, this has not yet led to significant investment. Recent experience, Ayissi admits, “has allowed me to see that when it comes to business, African designers are still underestimated and absolutely not considered with the same eyes and at the same level as western designers by western players of the fashion industry”.

Hopefully this V&A exhibition will act as a much-needed wake-up call.

Class of '22

In search of the next crop of UAE design talent, Luxury singled out five students from Esmod Dubai, the famed French school that has had a presence in the region since 2008, and four from Fad Dubai, a leading fashion institute in the region.

Fad’s Rakshana Krishnan, Kalistar, Tijani Adebimpe and Dhara Sheth collectively delivered some dynamic ideas. Krishnan’s sassy dresses were made from tiered lace and chequered cloth, while Sheth offered a simpler take, with a graphic 3D bodice added to an LBD. Kalistar showed a silver suit with net gaters worn under cropped, flared trousers, while Adebimpe created dazzlingly inventive gowns that presented a twisted alternative to eveningwear.

New talent from Esmod includes Janta Kumari, Taruni Kottakota, Arjun Naveen, Alaa Elghrabli and Fatima Saad, who all crafted their collections with skill and passion.

Kumari worked around the idea of a young Pakistani woman in New York, fusing hip hop with traditional embroideries to create contemporary, transformable pieces, while Kottakota embraced a Victorian Gothic aesthetic, creating looks from dried flowers and crinolines that evoked the formidable Miss Haversham from Charles Dickens’s Great Expectations.

Naveen deconstructed denim, using rust, laser etching and latex to create unique fabrics cut into curved seamed jeans and jackets, while Elghrabli, who is also a painter, created looks centered around the practical needs of artists, with pockets, flaps and surfaces to store, hold and clean brushes.

Saad, meanwhile, revealed a rare talent for couture, with cocktail looks garnished with oversized bows as trains. In a field brimming with raw talent, she displayed a skill far beyond her years, making her a name to watch.

Fashion director Sarah Maisey
Photographer Greg Adamski
Hair and make up Ania Poniatowska
Models Nyajouk and Kristine at MMG, and Mitchell
Stylist’s assistants Nihala Naval and Sneha Maria Siby Videographer Nilanjana Gupta
For behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the designers, follow @luxuryexplained on Instagram

The founders of Bahraini fashion label Noon by Noor tell Sarah Maisey how they’ve built one of the GCC’s most successful fashion brands

Shaikha Noor Al Khalifa and Shaikha Haya Al Khalifa, the Bahraini duo behind Noon by Noor, always knew they wanted to create a fashion label.

The designers both hail from creative families – Shaikha Noor is the daughter of renowned Bahraini artist Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa – so it was little surprise when, after studying fashion design in America, the pair, who are close friends as well as cousins, returned to Bahrain and decided to launch their own brand.

Focusing on quietly sophisticated, pared-back dressing, Noon by Noor has always existed in the space where masculine and feminine codes intersect. Bridging the gap between menswear and womenswear, it consistently offers propositions that combine the best of both.

So for autumn/winter 2022, traditional men’s shirting arrives as dresses, while traditional dress fabrics are cut into shirts. A loose-fit, utilitarian sports jacket is elevated using raspberry satin, while a smartly tailored suit jacket, now carved into the waist and paired with a full circle skirt, is made in a rich jacquard. Another suit with the same cut is scattered with hand-embroidered flowers.

Masculine structures such as funnel necks appear throughout the collection, balanced with soft, flowing, full-length dresses. Assured and elegant, evening wear arrives with a twist, as a straight-cut mini dress in plissé silver lamé that hints at glamorous nights out.

The strength of the brand stems from its rigorous editing process, made possible by the strong friendship between its founders. Unafraid to push the team and each other, the pair explain how this is fundamental. “Our conversations sometimes challenge us creatively, and it helps to sometimes take a step back and look at the bigger picture,” Shaikha Haya explains.

“As the collections are built and the brand evolves, we jointly steer the ship and enjoy creative and strategic conversations with our team. These are a vital part of our creative process and start with concept, colours, fabrics and intention.

The brand’s evolution has been measured, but meaningful. With the aim of being “internationally recognised” by 2011, the pair decided to take the label to America via a showcasing event in Los Angeles. Such was the buzz, the pair were soon invited to join the New York Fashion Week schedule, the first GCC brand to do so.

It debuted in New York with its spring/summer 2013 collection, and went on to show in the city for 16 seasons, before switching to London in 2021. While the shift was not easy, it felt like the time was right to move into a new arena. “New York had been amazing,” Shaikha Noor says.

“It helped us launch internationally, but it was time for us to switch our approach to more intimate and focused events in the European market and our home market, and to expand our customer base internationally.”

When the pandemic struck, the pair were able to take advantage of the pause to rethink their strategy and doubled down on their core idea of discreet luxury. “We tuned into the silence and made improvements better suited for today’s customers,” Shaikha Haya says.

This meant reducing the collection to only 21 pieces, where, propelled by an ethos of “less, but better”, all frippery was striped away, leaving a core of functional, skilfully constructed clothes that blend opulence with relaxed silhouettes.

Aware the pandemic also triggered clients to rethink what they do and do not need, the duo has also stepped up brand awareness, from their lauded debut at London Fashion Week in September last year to a link-up with the Bahraini breast cancer awareness campaign, Think Pink.

The brevity of the new collections allows each piece to be seen in its entirety, and they flourish under the microscope. The details in each proposition can be seen and appreciated in full.

Impeccable tailoring is mixed with couture-level detailing, a white mini dress is seemingly conjured from wisps of fabric and roomy coats bring a sense of protection and cocooning, especially when teamed with shorts in caramel faux fur.

Elsewhere, denim is introduced for the first time. “It feels right when we consider the way we have all adapted our wardrobes to working from home over the past two years. We cut trousers with the relaxed slouch of a sweat pant and jackets like cardigans,” says Shaikha Haya.

Using a palette of indigo, khaki and caramel, softened with colours such as lavender and rose, the collection is wonderfully understated. “We brought the collection to life with plays of materials and textures, and by creating interesting contrasts using colours, fabrics, and silhouettes – a clash of clichés,” says Shaikha Noor.

The secret to being able to weather the trials of growing a business, not to mention a global pandemic, is, the women believe, their shared history. “Having grown up together, it has made working together a lot easier,” Shaikha Noor explains. “We understand each other implicitly and feel comfortable being fully transparent with one another. That’s key to building a rock-solid partnership.”

The designers take inspiration from their customers. “The Noon by Noor woman is the centre of everything we do,” Shaikha Noor says. “She asserts herself by dressing in a way that reincarnates her individuality. However, her self-assertion is by no means an imposition on anyone. She is confident and strong, but open. She simply transcends boundaries.”

Born of paper and passion

Fatima Al Mahmoud meets the bold founders of Lebanese accessories brand Foux, which was launched last year in the midst of a major economic crisis

Out of cardboard, paper, passion and glue, one of Lebanon’s most intriguing up-and-coming brands was born. “We built it from scratch,” say Fouad Naccache, 28, and Hassan Malle, 29, the creative minds behind Foux.

Founded last year, Foux made its debut with a unique line of genderless handbags designed to “elevate any look”. “We were sitting on the balcony when we grabbed some cardboard and created a prototype of what is now our bestseller,” says Naccache. “We knew when we constructed that bag exactly what our vision for the brand would be. And we went for it.”

Having worked in interior design and architecture respectively, Naccache and Malle found their calling after completing their studies in luxury brand management. “We wanted to share something of our own design with the world,” says Naccache. “Something that looks like us and reflects our identity.” The duo joined forces, quit their full-time jobs and poured their heart and soul into a small business that has since flourished.

Coming from the French term “foux”, which translates as crazy or insane, the name is fitting for a brand launched in the midst of Lebanon’s economic downfall. The outcome, say the designers, has also been “crazy”, as they never expected for their home country to be one of their biggest markets.

“It was so inspiring to us and it pushed us to keep going. Despite all the odds, Lebanese people did everything to support us and support our business, and we couldn’t be more grateful,” Naccache says.
Lebanon is currently facing one of the world’s worst economic crises since the 1850s, according to the World Bank. The national currency, the Lebanese pound, has lost more than 90 per cent of its value, pushing almost three-quarters of the population into poverty. The situation is exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, electricity cuts, supply chain shortages and a banking crisis that locked up depositor funds.

“We took a huge risk and launched our business at one of the worst times Lebanon has ever seen,” Naccache tells me. “But we followed our guts, and we are forever proud that we started from home and expanded.”

Despite the odds and challenges, Foux was able to launch six sleek bag designs over the course of a year. From clutches to belt bags and crossbody pieces, each of the models comes in a number of vibrant and eye-catching colours. The brand ships internationally, with points of sale in Dubai, Nigeria, Cairo and Doha.

With plans under way to establish a global presence, the creatives behind the brand have their eyes set on an even bigger picture: giving back to the planet. Foux takes pride in being vegan, sustainable and ethical, three values the founders take to heart. “We all have an individual responsibility to protect our planet,” says Naccache. “It is everyone’s duty to help in any way to give back to the Earth.”

From manufacturing to packaging, Foux products are eco-friendly, causing minimal harm to the planet or its inhabitants. “Fast fashion may be the trend now, but slow fashion will soon take over, as it should,” Naccache says.

While Foux’s values will remain unchanged, its trajectory is versatile. “As we speak, we’re currently experimenting and exploring to see where we can take our brand in its second year,” says Naccache.
While bags will continue to be a Foux staple, the founders are keen to introduce other items to the roster that align with their identity. In the meantime, they are relishing a reality that once seemed unattainable. “It all happened very fast,” says Naccache. “Never would we have thought that one year could change our lives for ever.”

“Follow your gut,” he adds. “If you have a vision, wherever you are in the world and whoever you are, just follow your heart and something will happen. Something will turn up.”

From the heart

Sitting flush against the skin, Chopard’s delicate heart-shaped jewels are a house emblem – rendered as multilayered sautoirs, statement rings, diamond-encrusted earrings and delicate pendant necklaces in malachite, onyx and other vibrant hues.

Hearts are encased within the dials of watches, grouped to create floral forms and elevated when covered in diamonds. And they are granted lucky charm status when reshaped into four-leaf clover designs or seen sitting at the centre of a Hand of Fatima design.

This month, the self-dubbed “maison with a big heart” is launching its latest iterations of the popular motif. New necklaces, chain bracelets, rings and earrings experiment with the idea of a single miniature heart, offering delicate, dainty proportions and pieces that can accompany their wearer from a Pilates class to a work meeting and then on to an evening out.

The My Happy Hearts collection is designed as a symbol of self worth, consisting of easy-to-wear pieces that can be bought on a whim. They should be self-gifted – a declaration of independence that doubles as an expression of self love. And they can be worn alone, discreet and unassuming, or stacked, mixed and matched in infinite combinations.

The pieces are playful and solid despite their reduced size. Hearts crafted from gems such as white mother-of-pearl, blood-red carnelian or clusters of diamonds are encircled in ethically sourced white and rose gold, to form striking accessories for the neck, arms and hands. Earrings can be acquired individually for greater flexibility – to be worn alone, grouped on one ear or sported asymmetrically.

Also incorporated into the collection is Chopard’s signature dancing diamond design, combining two of the maison’s most recognisable styles. This allows the precious gems to move freely within their heart-shaped enclosures. “These are hearts in every state and in all directions, stacked head to tail or majestically solo, with the tip of the heart pointing inward, like an endless reminder of the power emanating from within,” the brand says of the pieces.

In Chopard’s hands, the heart becomes more than a personal signifier – it is also a symbol of the desire to help others. The brand has previously partnered with The Naked Heart Foundation, an organisation dedicated to helping children with special needs that was set up in 2004 by supermodel and philanthropist Natalia Vodianova. Chopard created a special edition of the Happy Hearts bangle bracelet adorned with a pink mother-of-pearl heart, with a percentage of all proceeds going directly to the foundation.

Since 2009, the maison has also worked with Petra Nemcova in supporting All Hands and Hearts – Smart Response, helping to rebuild safe, resilient schools in areas impacted by natural disasters. To provide funds for the organisation, Chopard created a special-edition 18-carat rose gold bangle for women, featuring a red heart as well as a heart with a dancing diamond.

$143,230…

… is the price of this fully restored Jaguar XK120 from 1953. Here’s what makes it so special

When it made its global debut in 1948, the Jaguar XK120 was dubbed the “fastest car in the world”. And Hilton & Moss, a British specialist in the sale and servicing of classic and prestige vehicles, is currently offering a near-perfect version of a 1950s model of the groundbreaking sportscar.

Almost 70 years old, this Jaguar XK120 from 1953 has been treated to a comprehensive restoration at the 75,000-square-foot Hilton & Moss facility – leaving it with less than 500 kilometres on its clock. It offers a glimpse of the car’s glamorous heyday, as well as the revolutionary engineering that made it so remarkable.

Marking Jaguar’s first foray into the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race in 1950, the XK120 laid the groundwork for the XK120-C, otherwise known as the C-Type, which went on to earn Jaguar its first win at the prestigious competition a year later.

Hilton & Moss’s silver XK120 began life in the US as a pastel blue left-hand drive. It eventually made its way back to the UK to receive its makeover, which covered everything from the tyre treads to the windscreen. The vehicle was converted to right-hand drive and also treated to an extensive upgrade of its 3.4-litre straight-six engine, with the introduction of a new five-speed transmission. State-of-the-art disc brakes have been introduced on all four corners of the classic car.

“At Hilton & Moss, we have the pleasure of offering some incredibly special vehicles for new owners to enjoy,” says Peter Hilton, founder of Hilton Group. “However, bringing one of the most storied sportscars in history – a true forefather of modern motoring performance – to our sales showroom is a true honour.

“The Jaguar XK120 is where the British marque’s modern motorsport story truly began, and it redefined the performance and enjoyment that motor vehicles could offer on the road. We’re excited to see the reaction of a discerning Jaguar-lover looking for their perfect driving companion when they take it home.”