With the London leg of Fashion Week for men – London Collections: Men’s A/W’14 – now complete, we’ve a lot to consider before fall… Do we check, stripe or go graphic with print; choose yellow, orange, blue or red; be dapper, or dramatic and oversized?
Helping you review your choices way ahead of the season is our summary of the best, in shows – our top 10 collections from the runway, including the crazy-cool creations of Kay Kwok and the classic shapes at Christopher Raeburn and Richard Nicoll.
Showing off ‘forward-thinking prints with men’s tailoring,” recently graduated (for the second time) Kay Kwok presented a collection of futuristic fashions for the daring and discerning man. Straying from odd-ball to unbelievably chic, Kwok’s cool clobber saw graphic prints and asymmetry on cocoon sleeves and suits. And what an adventure it was.
MAN – the joint initiative between Topman and non-profit organisation Fashion East – returned to the London runways with more emerging talent, selected by a panel of buyers, stylists and journalists. As is ritual to the initiative, each designer received a bursary, catwalk show-production, PR support and pro advice to launch their labels, and the show this year saw Alan Taylor , Bobby Abley and Craig Green take to the stage. It’s clear to see why.
Since graduating in ’02, Richard Nicoll’s worked with some of the best and won many awards in womanswear. Showcasing his very first menswear collection, Nicoll’s signature ‘’dandy-ish sportswear’’ came in play box colours and neon brights. We’re sure you’ll be bringing some your way, soon.
Known for his reinterpretation of the military fabric and his signature piece ‘The Pop Out Parka’, Christopher Raeburn returns to menswear with a collection of clean sportswear in an outdoorsy palette, broken by pops of sunny yellow. Yes please to any coat or jacket from this line up.
British luxury brand Hackett brought its ‘best of British’ approach to A/W’14, with a series of slick suits in heritage check and tartan. Pink popped here and there throughout, amid masculine shades of navy, brown and grey – which is great for guys who make a tradition of pushing the boundaries of colour, ‘politely’.
With endeavours to sit between “brands that fear creating something different and those which push collections too far,” Agi & Sam’s A/W’14 collection was far from middle of the road, drifting seamlessly between chic staples in monochrome shades and off-the-wall printed cocoon tops. Add something Agi & Sam this fall or sooner still.
Christopher Bailey’s reign at Burberry reveals another brilliant collection of colour and quality, used to reincarnate fashion’s key pieces. Accessorised perfectly – giant scarves slung down the side of some models; silk ones knotted around the shoulders of others – and with a palette that will populate your wardrobe with ease, Burberry Prorsum did A/W wisely, with necessities that’ll be lost on no one.
Full of finery and a brave nostalgic nod to eras bygone, E. Tautz took men away from the favour of a purely skinny silhouette, and invited them to play with structures of a larger scale; big coats with big prints to bolster your look, plus wide legs and red to make eyes wider still. But there was of course slick suits, coats and neat little jumpers, too – amounting to a varied showing-off by designer Patrick Grant that you’ll enjoy showing into your wardrobe.
Coventry, England-hailing Oliver Spencer put forward a collection painted in bright burnt orange, soft grey, browns and dulled khaki. Injected with a feeling of comfort and real wear-ability, Spencer’s easy-going garments have ‘cool guy’ written all over them.
Another stand out from the 3 days of shows is Katie Eary’s outlandish collection, which is a punch in the gut with punk-era performance. Fashion’s new fire-starter lead buckles, zips and pleated skirts down the runway, alongside animal print, mouse ears and horn-shaped hair, conjuring what seems a rather eerie, edgy dream to vivid-coloured reality; a collection a cult-following will enjoy living in next fall.
Image source: Londoncollections.co.uk
