Men’s – Dark Nostalgia. Thom Browne AW16

January 26, 2016January 26, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

There was an elusive, Rene Magritte mood during the Thom Browne autumn-winter 2016 presentation for men. Just like in the surreal paintings of this Belgian artist, the New York-based designer staged a nostalgic, mournful collection of meticulously detailed coats and suits. Note the chaotic stitches which jut out of the coat above – and the pants, which look tattered and old. Even the socks have little holes. But there is beauty in this type of rawness, and Browne is absolutely aware of that. The hats which dramatically obscured models’ faces were made in collaboration with a long time friend of the designer, Stephen Jones Millinery.

As for the end of a very, very good fashion month of menswear, the New Yorker’s collection felt like a delightful dessert (even though it wasn’t as colourful as you might suspect a dessert to be). Time for haute couture, and the remaining labels with their pre-fall look-books…

Men’s – Opera Garnier. Dries Van Noten AW16

January 24, 2016January 24, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Ok, Dries. You win.

And it’s not only because you had the best fashion show venue, comparing to all the other designers and brands of this season. In fact, the runway was situated in one of the most important places in Paris – on Opera Garnier’s stage, from where the guests had a stunning view on the red, velvet auditorium. The Belgian designer said that he had been trying to book this place for 15 years: “Every year we applied and applied and applied, and every year they said ‘No.’ But then they said ‘Yes!”. So no wonder why the autumn-winter 2016 season seems to be extremely significant for Van Noten. The fashion industry holds two main types of designers – those who do a “show” instead of “fashion“, and those who do “fashion” but can’t afford or want to have a “show“. But Dries Van Noten is an exception – everything in his fashion show is in full, poetic symbiosis. And I tell you, the clothes from this menswear outing are as exceptional as the place they were presented in.

It all started quite calmly, with a few well-tailored tuxedos and coats. And then, then, it felt as if the Madame Butterfly appeared on the stage – the over-sized suits styled with turtlenecks; the magnificently embroidered military jackets with Belle Epoque motifs and baroque emblems; the to-die-for waisted coats with attachable fur collars made me sigh and feel the real, chronic yearning of the season. If talking of the oneiric, face embroideries, they were made in collaboration with Wes Wilson, the graphic artist who conveyed the visual expression of the psychedelic West Coast at its ’60s/’70s. There was a refreshing clash between the operatic, bohemian elegance and the “get high by the beach” skate-board guy. A kind of subverted reality.

“What is reality? What is the dream? Where does everything start and begin? So for me it was really good to be able to show here onstage and not in a room. It turns your world a little bit upside down.” Dries Van Noten has definitely staged the most beautiful (and additionally, wearable) collection up to now – but I don’t think anybody else will create a greater impression this season. A very, very high target is set.

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 – 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…