THE JOURNAL
Weeding, pruning, watering… Midsummer is a busy time for those of us with green fingers. So, what better time to check back in on the menswear scene’s very own gardeners at Miles Leon? Founded by Portland, Oregon natives Messrs Jules Canda and Ryan Edmonds, and launched in 2022 as part of our MR PORTER FUTURES designer incubation scheme, Miles Leon is a fresh menswear brand that finds inspiration in the practice and philosophy of gardening.
Bear with us if you’re new, because this isn’t about starting a trend for Wellington boots and thornproof gloves. Instead, Canda and Edmonds’ “garden” is metaphorical, providing a conceptual framework around which to grow their brand. With an outlook on design and an approach to doing business that are rooted in many of the same qualities that gardening promotes – patience, attentiveness and a commitment to sustainable growth among them – Miles Leon promises to offer a tonic to the whimsy and frenetic pace of the wider fashion industry.
As you might expect, we’re huge fans of what Canda and Edmonds are doing. Amid the rise of “fast fashion” – clothes designed and produced at breakneck speed, to catch the passing winds of the latest fad – a brand that celebrates the idea of “owning a few nice things, taking care of them, and making them last”, as Edmonds put it to us last year, feels quietly revolutionary.
Speaking of nice things, the clothes themselves are also inspired by time spent outdoors, with plenty of natural materials, earthy colours and functional details borrowed from heritage workwear. If you’re looking for something to wear while on your hands and knees weeding the flowerbeds, though, we recommend you look elsewhere. Miles Leon’s underlying inspirations might lie in the garden, but the finishing, attention to detail and fabric quality of its garments speak more closely of a luxury brand.
A continuation of the debut season, Miles Leon’s spring/summer 2023 collection sees the return of a few familiar silhouettes in breezy fabrics perfect for those in-between months as late summer slips into autumn. One of our favourite pieces from autumn/winter 2022, the cropped Dahlia jacket, is now available in a navy-blue cotton chambray. A lightweight but hard-wearing fabric, it also makes an appearance on the Garden trousers, a utilitarian style that earns its name with roomy bellows pockets and reinforced knees.
“A brand that celebrates the idea of owning a few nice things, taking care of them, and making them last”
Knitwear is another highlight of the new collection. Knitted work shirts and Henleys in shades of lilac and off-white feel at once timeless and contemporary, tapping into the trend for rustic, heritage knitwear that was sparked by last year’s film The Banshees Of Inisherin. Easy-wearing but packed with individual character, they’re the sort of pieces you’ll find yourself reaching for over and again as we move through summer into the cooler months.
There’s plenty more to come from Miles Leon, too, so keep an eye on our What’s New page for further arrivals in the coming weeks, and looking beyond the immediate future, don’t be surprised if this is a brand that sticks around for a long time. We certainly won’t be – we selected Canda and Edmonds as one of our three MR PORTER FUTURES finalists for a reason. With the seeds planted and the first green shoots beginning to emerge, this is one brand we can’t wait to watch grow.