Men’s / Gameboy. Prada SS18

June 19, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

“They are hand-drawn, human, simple and real. Even if they contain of course all the worst fantasy, they look simple. . . . They are little fragments of life, which is what you get now from the information, the media: So I was more and more attracted by them. Even if I never liked them.” What’s Miuccia Prada talking about this season? Comic books!

The venue of the spring-summer 2018 fashion show was all covered in James Jean’s and Ollie Schrauwen’s graphics and prints, presenting some utopian, subverted reality – a reality, that has always been Prada‘s fantasy. The pieces covered in comics illustrations, like bumbags and knits, will surely end as the season’s most coveted pieces of Prada maniacs. Miuccia associates reading comics with young boys, that’s why the Prada gameboy went for geeky Velcro straps, a collar-up shirt and lots, lots of nylon. Childhood naivety in pure form: the boys are happy with their gaming achievements, while wearing red pants and sandals with socks. But Prada doesn’t want her male customer to infinitely fall into infantilism. Note the voluminous, wool coats. “Everything was a little bit too naive, too simple, so we thought these heavy coats would be the right counterpart. That is just fashion—because we love it.”

One can’t ignore the fact that it was the first men’s Prada collection in a while lacking the women’s looks. As the female part got a separate resort show a month ago at Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the guests had to focus solely on menswear. Surely, that was the aim of the brand’s management – to some extend, you rather got more ecstatic about those few dresses and gorgeous pumps than the line-up of suits. But showing both men’s and women’s clothes in a show used to be Miuccia’s vision, so…

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s / Out of The Studio. Marni SS18

June 18, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Although Francesco Risso‘s third collection for Marni wasn’t well-received by the critics, his spring-summer 2018 collection works like a charm as for me. The collection has a lot to do with Marni’s main house-code: utility-meets-edgy. These clothes are the right fit for men, who like it slightly too big and comfortable simultaneously- but not falling into passé normcore or the up-and-coming corpcore. For Risso, style is arty, most of all. That’s why he invited octogenarian ceramic artist Magdalena Suarez to make prints for his intriguingly tailored shirts. I doubt any artist wears Marni while painting or sculpting – but the “out of the studio” look matches the label’s sophisticated aesthetic. Some of the styling indirectly refers to Prada (Francesco used to work for Miuccia) or Raf Simons kind of appearance – see the striped tank-top worn with a man-skirt hybrid or the slouchy voluminous suits. But who isn’t inspired with these two nowadays?

Collage by Edward Kanarecki (backdrop featuring Joan Miro’s ‘Self-Portrait’ from 1938 & Ugo Rodinone’s ‘Clown’ sculptures).

Men’s / Strip Everything Back. JW Anderson SS18

June 16, 2017June 18, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Looking back at J.W. Anderson‘s memorable man-skirts or heavy boots covered with studs and flowers, you would never believe that the designer might suddenly do something so… simple. “No-fuss fashion basic-ness. Trying to strip everything back.” This is how Jonathan Anderson summed up his spring-summer 2018 collection presented at Florentine gardens of the Villa La Pietra (as a special guest of the season’s Pitti Uomo). And then he added, “I think this is the first season I’ve tried everything on myself. It was like going back into yourself.” Even the jeans are cut in the way he really likes it. And I like this type of cut, too – slightly baggy, cropped. Also, who doesn’t love a pair of off-duty Converse? Anderson collaborated with the sneakers brand for the upcoming season. Multicoloured heart patches bring on the hippie mood of carefree, summer nights. Chunky knits and tattered-looking jackets will be the perfect choice for a breezy beach day. Sometimes it’s worth going chinos and loose t-shirts, to just settle down and chill.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Men’s – Haiderness. Berluti AW17

January 26, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Haider Ackermann‘s appointment as the creative director of Berluti was one of the best news of 2016. In the past, Berluti had some good collections under Alessandro Sartori, however the overall image of this menswear brand was unclear. Knowing and loving Haider at his namesake label for years, his new role at Berluti felt promising – in fact that was a certain success. Although it’s just the debut collection, Ackermann already presented his new additions to the historic brand, sending down the runway few women’s looks (worn by Liya Kebede, Jamie Bochert – his long-time muses). Berluti girls matched their boys, who also fancied velvet blazers and earthy colour palette. Camel coat was the opening look, signalling Ackermann’s approach to everyday wear, rather than rock & roll dandies we know so well from his own collections. The lilac aviator jacket in suede is a dream-come-true, just like the coats with over-sized, fur collars. Drooling! Need even more of that Haiderness.

Men’s – Poetry. Ann Demeulemeester AW17

January 25, 2017January 25, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

When Ann Demeulemeester stepped down from the role at her namesake brand in 2013, I wondered – how difficult will it be for any successor to continue her legacy, yet not fall into biting the archives? Sébastien Meunier had his ups and falls since he became the creative director at Demeulemeester. But his men’s autumn-winter 2017 is unconditionally the best to date.

Perhaps it’s the season, where he found the balance between his personal creative language and Ann’s style codes. It was one of the most sensual and beautiful collections I have ever seen for men – pure poesy, where everything flows and works together, from the textures to the colours. From delicate white shirting with lace to all-black equivalents, Meunier re-invented, consciously or not, the way we perceive a poet: eccentric, romantic, on the boundary between ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’. Even the fur-lined parka jackets would dress a modern-day Edgar Allan Poe or William Blake. Eventually, it was Ann who said those words about both, poets and her favourite colour: “Black is not sad. Bright colors are what depresses me. They’re so… empty. Black is poetic. How do you imagine a poet? In a bright yellow jacket? Probably not.”

In her work, Demeulemeester often used feathers and plume, whether in jewellery or vest-making. Meunier did nonchalant, big feather shawls and breath-taking hats, which looked so elegantly decadent that I’m just… speechless.