Nigel Cabourn famously keeps thousands of vintage military uniforms from around the world in his personal archive, finding endless inspiration in the details. Mining this resource, Cabourn’s Pre-Spring ‘22 collection explores America’s military presence in Vietnam and the experience of G.I.s at the China Beach Surf Club. During the war My Khe Beach in Da Nang was nicknamed China Beach by soldiers on leave from the front. In 1967, Navy seaman Larry Martin arrived in Da Nang for 4 days of R&R. Martin made friends with the guys at the China Beach lifeguard station and came up with the idea of organizing surf therapy sessions for G.I.s. What started as a small lifeguard outpost grew into a major therapeutic outlet and an unofficial US Military association. The collection echoes the ‘relaxed beach vibes’ of the troops, incorporating uniform details and comfy civvies. Highlights included lightweight quilted nylon parkas that reinterpret US M65 parka liners, ripstop cargo pants based on a vintage Dutch Military style and organic cotton garment dyed sweats.
Nigel Cabourn China Beach Surf Club Pre-Spring ’22 collection – cabourn.com
