Men’s – Irony of a Man. Yohji Yamamoto AW16

January 24, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Yohji Yamamoto staged an elusive, but powerful collection for the autumn-winter 2016 season. The Japanese designer, who is known for his intellectual, yet sometimes difficult to understand garments, presented a collection which defines today’s masculinity. It might be an old-school, macho guy wearing a tank-top to show off his triceps; there is also the family man, who enjoys comfortable, soft knits. And let’s not forget about the boy who looks good in a man-skirt, which is basically a pocketed sheath covering a pair of woolen combats. Moreover, this meaningful collection was focused on the ironic, hand-stitched signs: “Corporate Motherfuckers” read the slogan on the back of a bumpy, cotton shirt. Then, “The only woman I know is my mother”, and “Help me I’m too hot”. Was this the next, Paris fashion week protest towards the global matters? After a wave of press’ questions, Yohji laughed, saying “It’s a kind of joke”. Whatever all of that means, this collection, based its beauty in its chaos, and in the abstract world of Yamamoto.

Men’s – Spongy Denim. Julien David AW16

January 23, 2016January 23, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Julien David never, but never dissapoints to deliver the most exciting fabrics and textures for his menswear collections. Spongy denim. Do you feel it? ‘Cause I do. Utilitarian jump-suits, blazers, pants, coats – I want to have nearly every single piece from autumn-winter 2016 collection, made of this fabulously durable, warp-faced cotton textile. Moreover, this collection is inspired with Akira, a dystopian anime film from 1988, set in futuristic Tokyo. No wonder why Japan, and its modernistic approach, is constantly appearing on Julien’s mind – all of his clothes, for both men and women, are manufactured in Japan. Except the sharp, aluminum spikes on models’ heads, the collection didn’t directly show the stereotypical, bold nature of anime characters; to a big extend, it was all about a comforting neutrality. And whatever they say about the prosperity and functionality of high-tech textiles, David believes denim will still rule in the future.

Men’s – Safe and Defend. Gosha Rubchinkiy AW16

January 23, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Cпаси и Cохрани. “Save and defend“. If the menswear fashion month wasn’t depressive enough (take Prada’s response towards migrants and Rick Owens’ apocalyptic vision of the world), then Gosha Rubchinskiy delivered us a dose of sweatshirts with Cyrillic signs, which aren’t too optimistic in their meaning either. In Orthodox religion, “save and defend” is a caption which accompanies nearly every icon – they are meant to protect an individual from different oppressions. However, in Gosha’s collection, the sweatshirts were more like direct messages to the world – which might, or might not refer to Soviet nations (specifically Russia), which suffer from political and economic crisis. Traditionally, Rubchinskiy sent the runway with street-cast boys, who had the “I don’t care it’s a fashion show” look in their eyes. The Russian designer is known for his raw and extremely off-duty style – the Tam-Tam Club, a St. Petersburg nightclub from the 90s built-in a former Communist Youth building, is what Gosha mentioned as a place he recalls the closest to autumn-winter 2016 attitude. If talking of the clothes, we all know the signatures – the Гоша Рубчинский (translates into Gosha Rubchinskiy, of course) tops, yellow sweatpants and over-sized, slightly tattered biker jackets phreshed off the runway. In other words, the idea which begun the Gosha Rubchinskiy cult hasn’t changed much. Surely, the designer’s loyal followers will fall in love with these looks.

Men’s – Mastodon – Rick Owens AW16

January 22, 2016January 22, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Looking at the solemn faces of Rick Owens‘ models, who walked down the concrete runway in their furry, fluidic garments, it’s visible that the designer translates a hard topic into his creative vision. Owens called his new collection “Mastodon“, referring to the world’s global problems by creating a dark, apocalyptic story. The designer mentioned that his life-partner (and my fashion godmother) Michèle Lamy had begun keeping bees on the rooftop of their home in the heart of Paris in order to help them after 2015’s hottest summer – and he instantly thought about the endangered world. ” What about the ecological anxiety we are all feeling? What is the worst possible scenario?”

Definitely, according to Rick, it’s not that bright. Heavy, sheep-skin cocoon-like hoodies were styled with over-sized sweat-pants; black, aviator jackets looked quite mournful on the black and white background. The textures play an important role in this collection – “I want to say I vomited this out,” is how the designer summed up the way the strips of fur and wool bubbled around the bodies of street-cast models. Moreover, some of the looks basically focused on a long, flowing silhouette of a dress – however, the models’ heavy-metal inspired make-ups said a loud NO to any possible, feminine or even gentle side of a man. Even though some of the slouchy pieces felt comforting. “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst” Owens added pessimistically.

Men’s – Old Story. Haider Ackermann AW16

January 21, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

“It was all about clash, just the same old story” is how Haider Ackermann described his autumn-winter 2016 collection. In fact, he is right – the new collection revives the designer’s masterful skills with layer and texture clashing. The rock’n’roll attitude was present, too, with the flaccid mohawks on models’ heads and a wardrobe full of skinny leather pants and shirts. The richness of textiles is Ackermann’s other signature. The olive-green and blue velvet jackets contrasted with woolen pants and chic coats while the oriental, jacquard suits made a statement of an elegant men, who is more decadent than ordinary. It’s old-school, but spicy at the same tine. If you’ve seen the film titled Only Lovers Left Alive by Jim Jarmusch, you will surely understand what I feel about this collection – it’s for a vampire-guy who strolls around Tangier with Tilda Swinton, listens to a local indie-signer and seeks his next prey for blood. Even though this vision seems to be highly surreal, it has that elusive “something” that makes my love for Haider’s menswear passionate. Really, I wish I could dress the way his man does, but I would have to dramatically lose some weight…