Art

Men’s – Silver Swagger. Junya Watanabe AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Remember my post on Brioni’s latest collection? The ‘zaddy’ is in fashion. And for real good, according to Junya Watanabe. Stylish daddies united in the designer’s autumn-winter 2019 collection shown during Paris fashion week. Aged 40 and up, those guys looked far cooler than today’s teen ‘influencers’ (ad that’s a 19-year-old’s honest opinion, by the way). Watanabe focused on reinterpreted workwear and everyday essentials, done in his signature patchwork style. There were those grown-up, day-blazers and not-too-formal shirts, but as well a lot of cropped silhouettes (like one of the corduroy pants) and, oh my, yes, Breton-stripe tops. All that topped with those very well-nurtured beards. Junya called the entire line-up ‘silver swagger’. Jokes aside, but ageism is a problem in modelling across all genders – so seeing an entire collection worn by mature men, who aren’t necessarily professional models, is refreshing. Into this.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Timeless. Lemaire AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Lemaire’s menswear collections aren’t obvious, but also not over-complicated. They aren’t drowned in Instaworthy runways. They just are, presented in a showroom and in their look-book. But what’s most admirable about Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran’s contribution to menswear is that their designs always look timeless. Even if the designers mention any inspirations, those musings are very personal and not too literal. “There are some references, like Nick Cave. His Birthday Party period, when he used to have his suits made in Hong Kong. Slightly ’70s,” Christophe said. But the two wanted to focus more on the shape this season. Tran added: “The silhouette is maybe more defined, and the shoulder more shaped than in previous seasons.” From loosely fitted blazers and classic trench coats to signature ‘work’ shirts and Portuguese, heeled boots, I want every single thing from this line-up. Even the berets, made in collaboration with Laulhère, look compelling. While Sarah and Christophe surely had something else on their mind, I kind of see their autumn-winter 2019 collection as the wardrobe of some Paris-based archaeologist, maybe historian, who actually looks very chic (in an intellectual way)… just a thought.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Bourgeoisie. Ami AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Haven’t written about Alexandre Mattiussi‘s Ami for a while. But when I saw the brand’s womenswear, now getting bigger and better than ever, I kind of fell in love with this brand again. The Ami man and woman walk together, shoulder-to-shoulder, very, very well. Mattiussi called the collection “an homage to the bourgeoisie” and said he imagined his men and women as the sons and daughters of old Parisian money who were going for tea with their grandmothers, but planned big nights ahead. The many shades of beige, from coffee noisette to ecru, looked quintessentially Parisian, and the pink-ish and green-ish colour drops well added up to the palette. The boys wore shearling jackets and hoodies with Eiffel tower prints, while the girls had masculine coats, blazers and floor-sweeping shirt-dresses on. CHIC.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – A Different Travel. Undercover AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

Although Jun Takahashi‘s autumn-winter 2019 Undecover collection was built around Stanley Kubrick’s ‘A Clockwork Orange‘ (the protagonist’s face appeared few times on duvet jackets, knits and socks, while some of the models carried matching canes), there was much, much more to the outing. Beethoven and Edgar Allan Poe appeared in the season’s main graphic, abstractly mixed with an UFO spaceship. This brings us to Jun’s friendship with Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, who used the same prints in his latest menswear offering (which was presented the same day) and labelled most of the pieces as ‘Valentino Undecover’. But wait. There was also the invitation that featured Caravaggio’s Supper at Emmaus. Some of the pieces were labelled with words (in phonetic Russian), like sabog (boot) and prestoopnik (criminal). Criminal? The feathered masks could have been some sort of dramatic, yet very chic, robber look. But the hats with a single, coloured feather? More of a muskeeter. And no, you don’t have to really comprehend all that or truly understand what’s the connection. The Japanese designer, who is known for balancing authentic streetwear with avant-garde, took us on a travel that’s above time and dimensions. The garments and accessories, from cable-knitted epaulets and sweatshirt-jumpsuits to heavy trekking boots and corduroy total looks, are heaven. And the finale, featuring only all-red looks, might have been a metaphor of hell, but the one with very good-looking demons and devils.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Loud. Raf Simons AW19

| Design & Culture by Ed

While everybody expected to see something rather melancholic from Raf Simons this season, just a month after his abrupt, yet understandable exit from Calvin Klein, the designer surprised us all with a collection that’s experimental, bold and as loud as Whispering Sons – a Belgian post-punk band that played live during the show. Even Laura Dern screamed in the David Lynch film stills that were scattered all over the garments. Not only drama’s up in Raf’s autumn-winter 2019 collection. Volume as well. But in case of the designer, this doesn’t neccesarily means a bunch of XXL sweatshirts (that I actually no longer can look at this season…). Yes, Simons makes tailoring great again, especially when it comes to coats. Whether in satin, camel or leopard print, the silhouette is nearly floor-sweeping and utterly entrance-making. While the Instagram feed went mad for the blush-pink ensemble, I personally fell in love with the black, woollen number tied with a matching belt. Love seeing Raf doing Raf

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.