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18th September 2019

Goodwood and the British luxury brand Connolly’s new collaboration celebrates their shared automotive heritage – and the racing career and style of the 9th Duke of Richmond, aka Freddie March. So who better to model the collection at Goodwood than his great-grandsons?

Photographed for MR PORTER at Goodwood Motor Circuit by James McNaught

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Charlie (left) wears Hornet sweater in Shetland wool, plated with cashmere inside, £350, inspired by the Hornets, regulars at Revival who were in turn inspired by the American motorbike gang culture of the 1940s and ’50s. Will (right) wears Submariner Rollneck knitted in Austrian technical merino wool, £365, Needlecord trousers, £310, and the ACME Racing Whistle, £65, inspired by the old police whistles formerly used during racing at Goodwood to alert pit-stop teams to the coming and going of cars.

“IT’S AN OBVIOUS AND NATURAL FIT,” says the Duke of Richmond of Goodwood’s collaboration with British luxury brand Connolly: the new Goodwood X Connolly collection, photographed here by James McNaught for MR PORTER. “Connolly is a great success story,” he continues, “and there’s clearly a passion for motoring and an automotive heritage that we both share. The collection is a fabulous reflection of what Goodwood is all about – loosely based on the look my grandfather developed when he raced his own cars and motorcyles in the 1930s. When it comes to Goodwood’s automotive heritage, I very much look for inspiration from my grandfather’s wardrobe and pictures of him when he was driving or flying.”

This limited edition wardrobe represents the racing style and love of adventure that Goodwood and Connolly have long been renowned for, and celebrates the motorsport pedigree pioneered by Freddie March

Will wears March Moto Coat in 100 per cent vulcanised cotton with leather collar, £1,100, inspired by a trench worn by Freddie March in the 1930s.

The current Duke’s grandfather, the 9th Duke of Richmond, raced as Freddie March during the 1920s and 1930s – before bringing motor-racing to Goodwood in the 1940s. And it is Freddie March’s passion for all things automotive that enlivens the classic menswear designs, such as trench coats, roll-necks and overalls, that make up the 19-piece collection. So where better to photograph Goodwood X Connolly than at the Motor Circuit that Freddie founded? And who better to model the clothes than his great-grandsons, the current Duke’s sons, Charles, the Earl of March, and Lord William Gordon Lennox?

As for Connolly’s heritage, the company, founded in the late 19th century, made leather that graced the seats and fittings of many luxury car marques, including Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin, along with the Queen Mary ocean liner, Concorde and of course those iconic benches in the Houses of Parliament.

I very much look for inspiration from my grandfather’s wardrobe and pictures of him when he was driving or flying

Will wears Submariner Sweater knitted in Austrian technical merino wool, £365, and Mechanic’s Asymmetric Blouson, £390.

“I very much admire what Isy has done with Connolly since she re-launched the brand in Clifford Street,” says the Duke. For Connolly’s current incarnation is a relatively recent phenomenon, the work of Isabel Ettedgui, the wife of the late founder of seminal fashion brand, Joseph. At Connolly, Ettedgui has set out to create a British luxury brand selling “beautiful objects, beautiful clothes, well-designed pieces of furniture” – all of which are showcased with exquisite taste at the brand’s Georgian townhouse in the heart of Mayfair. Meanwhile a fourth-generation family member, Jonathan Connolly, is also producing beautiful leather for the interiors of luxury cars, boats and planes.

Charlie wears Overalls in lightweight washed and tumbled Italian cotton, £390, and cashmere red Beanie, £135, inspired by Stirling Moss’s racing headgear.

“Isy is passionate about things that are well-conceived and well-crafted,” says the Duke, “and she has a really personal vision for what she’s doing at Connolly. We couldn’t be more excited about this collaboration.” For Ettedgui, meanwhile, “this limitededition wardrobe represents the racing style and love of adventure that Goodwood and Connolly have long been renowned for, and celebrates the motorsport pedigree pioneered by Freddie March. Combining natural-fibre performance with classic sportswear aesthetics, this is a collection of elegant pieces built for racing, grand-touring and travel.”

So we see Will Gordon Lennox sporting a trench coat based on a coat Freddie March used to wear. A flight jacket gives a nod to Freddie’s fascination with aviation; there’s a scarf inspired by the Gordon tartan that he wore under his jacket while racing. And all of this shot at the Motor Circuit, which “as a location”, says James McNaught, “is as good as it comes”.

All images photographed by James McNaught for MR PORTER. Goodwood X Connolly is available exclusively from MR PORTER, MRPORTER.COM

This article was taken from the Autumn 2019 edition of the Goodwood Magazine.