MENSWEAR COLLECTIONS REVIEW BY SIMON GONCALVES (PICTURED), A SMASHING YOUNG WRITER WHO DESERVEDLY WON A PLACE AMONG FINALISTS IN THE VIRGIN AUSTRALIA MELBOURNE FASHION FESTIVAL INAUGURAL FASHION WRITING SERIES. PHOTOS: STYLE.COM
Simon Goncalves
NOSTALGIA PERVADED LAST MONTH’S FALL/WINTER 2015 MENSWEAR SHOWS IN LONDON, MILAN AND PARIS; A CERTAIN HISTORIC NOSTALIGIA THAT HURLED US BACK TO AN ERA OF FREELOVE, FLORAL PRINTS AND….BROWN. YES, GENTLEMEN, THE 1970s ARE RESURRECTED AND UPON US.
London Collections: Men saw two collections in particular; Katie Eary and Topman Design, so saturated in 70s vibes, some suspected they were copied directly from that decade. Did they did draw inspiration from some underground hippie street kid commune, or just coincidentally pioneer their own 70s-vibe originals? We don’t know. What is known; last season’s presentations from Topman and Katie Eary had enough flower-power to pollinate the rest of the menswear runways this season. They were, in other words, first off the 1970s-vibe rank.
For fall/winter, we saw London aggrandise its long-held reputation for pushing boundaries by continuing to “pioneer” the 1970s. Next, Milan went all conventional with the smallest hint of 1970s then, finally Paris, as always, had that perfect balance of forward trending 1970s, mixed with more conventional styling.
Of course, there were other buzzes at the menswear weeks. Rick Owens had everyone talking about #dickowens, for example, but the show that shocked most, was Gucci’s. Put together in only five days, the production team, with Alessandro Michele at the helm, polarised audiences, presenting what Flaccavento described as the femminiello, “an homme-femme as delicate as the silk he wears”. So, a new concept? No. As far back as Fall 2013, J.W. Anderson wooed audiences with his gender-splicing creations. The femminiello now seems to be the signature move for any designer seeking notoriety along the lines of “fresh”, “experimental” or “subversive”.
Now, without further lyrical waxing, below are some overviews of trends that dominated the fall/winter 2015 runways:
FUR
Fall/Winter’s most decadent fabric was everywhere. It wasn’t all ‘vegans/PETA proponents-look-away’ though. Faux fur had a strong presence on the runway too. Whether it was a shearling jacket from AMI, a faux covering from Gosha Rubchinskiy, a full zebra from Cavalli or even just a fur collar from Versace, dramatic outerwear was in. Put it on.
Coach
WO-MAN (main photo, top: Gucci)
It was termed the J.W. Anderson effect. Designers added androgyny to their menswear formulae. Some carefully added drops to the test tube: Craig Green and Raf Simons produced feminine silhouettes that narrowed shoulders and followed the waistline of the models. Others blatantly poured it in: Gucci showed models in seductive silk blouses and rouge lace tops that were so feminine they had the audience playing Guess-the-Gender. (How will this filter down to menswear retail racks? Wait and see but, we may have to get used to the idea of doing a Mick Jagger and start borrowing our girlfriends’ clothing.)
BAGGY TROUSERS
The love for skin-tight trousers has cooled-off (unless they’re leather or you’re Hedi Slimane who has churned out the same bottoms at Saint Laurent for three seasons now). There’s a pants party now that, unlike times past when only snakey-legged men were invited, is less discriminatory and has gym-loving, soccer-playing men with tree-trunk thighs power-squatting for joy. Maison Martin Margiela let trousers blatantly drop from waist-height and gather at the shoe. Loewe tastefully flared them at the bottom. A safe medium though, were those let loose at the thigh and worked to an oh-so-subtle taper at the ankle.
Jil Sander
BELTED COATS
Four seasons ago, the wool overcoat made a glorious comeback in a small range of standard colourways; navy, charcoal, black and tan. Since then, we’ve watched its evolution: first with new textures and fabrics, then with the addition of patterns and prints. This season saw another stage of that evolution: the belt. Almost every coat shown was belted at the waist; effortlessly tied, or neatly buckled and secured. The effect narrows the waist, broadens the shoulders; what man could refuse that?
Bottega Veneta
GREY
The indisputable shade of the season, ubiquitous in all three cities. Sure, it sounds depressing, but so is black and what man can argue against the classic necessity of a black suit or coat? So, get some grey in your wardrobe; dark as charcoal or light as heather. Mix up layers of it or keep it greyscale, head to toe. Look to Italo Zucchelli for inspiration. He presented an entirely grey collection for Calvin Klein that still managed to be one of the most refreshing shows of Milan’s menswear week.
Calvin Klein
GET NECKED
Necks were wrapped, or embellished, at most shows. Ties, cravats, turtle necks, small scarves, some scarves so large they could be renamed neck blankets.
Christophe Lemaire
1970s
Giant collars, large lapels, elongated flared cuffs, bell-bottom pants. It’s back. The 70s. We’re not talking flower-power, daisy chain 70s, more Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock 70s. More zipped leather jackets and glammed up pimps in luscious brown fur coats 70s. It’s rocker chic, but not with the rigidity of stiff, unyielding fabrics that confine legs and pelvic appendages. Rather, it’s a languid, nonchalant rocker chic that flows in the looseness of a trouser or creamy fluidity of a smooth leather jacket. You can easily melt into it.
Loewe
Mr. Goncalves is mentored by Voxfrock editor, Janice Breen Burns. Other finalists include Kathryn Carter, mentored by author Dana Thomas, Hung Tran by Mitchel Oakley-Smith, and Laura Gardner, mentored by Vault editor Yasmin Nguyen. Tickets for FASHION CRITIQUE: FACT OR FICTION?, a panel discussion at 6.15 PM., Friday March 13, now available through The Wheeler Centre, here.)
Simon Goncalves, info@voxfrock.com.au
