The Story Behind Kanye’s Latest Style Obsession
And as Weston notes, Kanye’s affinity for Dunhill is a sign that what the brand is doing is working. Dunhill was founded in London in 1893, and became known for its luxury motoring accessories and, later, tobacco products and classic tailoring. Its identity is deeply, almost psychotically British. When Sean Connery introduces himself as “Bond, James Bond,” in “Dr. No,” his lips wrapped around a cigarette, he’s lighting up with a Dunhill lighter.
The Richemont-owned brand began to shake its tweedy, Jaguar-driving associations in 2008, when a young designer named Kim Jones joined as its first creative director, establishing the label’s fashion ambitions before leaving three years later for Louis Vuitton. After a revolving door of designers failed to leave a mark, Weston landed at Dunhill in 2017 from Burberry, where he had spent nine years working under the beloved Christopher Bailey.
Some creative director