Opinion | Gieves & Hawkes widens its appeal while keeping its Savile Row traditions

"This new store on Ice House Street is important as it represents a new direction for the brand," says Gieves & Hawkes' dapper creative director, Jason Basmajian, sitting comfortably on a plush leather couch during his latest visit to Hong Kong.

The British men's tailoring brand that boasts "No. 1 Savile Row" as its address has been here for a long time. But since Hong Kong menswear company Trinity Ltd. (which is under the Fung Group umbrella) went from licensing the brand in Asia to buying it outright, huge efforts have been made to bolster this heritage house.

All creative design and direction has been consolidated in London, and a move to elevate the product and a quietly confident strategy to modernise the image has been evident since Basmajian's appointment earlier this year.

"I've definitely lightened up the collection and the aesthetic," he says. "I've loosened up the suits, by pairing them with chambray and denim shirts, and showing knitwear. It's about bringing in that kind of ease, and also bringing back traditional British fabrics, which I love."

"I'm from Boston, which is about as English as you get in the United States, so I've always had an attachment to English aesthetics and sensibilities. I love Scottish cashmeres and Harris Tweed, but here I'm giving it a little bit more glamour and style."

The brand has been hosting impressive presentations at London Collections: Men since February, and is moving itself further into the fashion industry framework - even though Basmajian says, "this is a brand that's about style, quality and cut", rather than fleeting trends.