Menswear — Page 18

Ernest Alexander Fall 2015

February 14, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

For fall 2015 menswear brand Ernest Alexander looked to the romantic wanderings of the world traveler that is expressed in his own personal style. Creative director Ernest Sabine came to this inspiration through his stay at rented retreat in upstate New York.

Inspired by the rented cabin décor that reflected Southwest and Aztec traditions, as well as the rich colors of nature found around the cabin, Sabine used these nature influences to create a color palette of burgundy, grey and softer shades of brown. These color variations work well for a fall collection. And Sabine expanded this color palette by ingeniously pairing his version on a pea coat—cropped in this instance—and a different perspective on silhouettes and fabrics for fall/winter.

Sabine stepped outside of his usual predilection for classic men’s silhouettes by using gingham as a fall fabric, cargo pants in dark wool colors and an ombre of burgundy and grey for pea coats. All these unusual pairings help elevation this fall/winter collection from on just another dissertation on smartly tailored men’s clothes.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Standouts in the collection were Sabine’s ombre front-zip jacket with dark trousers, denim workshirt, brown wool jacket with shearling collar, gingham trousers, and burgundy waxed, zip tote, olive cotton shirt, grey blazer, grey trousers, ash leather travel bag, ash leather backpack, brown leather blanket roll, and blue wool bomber with blue wool cargo pant.

—William S. Gooch

Carlos Campos Fall 2015

February 14, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

For fall 2015, Carlos Campos looked to Spanish graphic artist and art director Rafafans. “ I discovered Rafafans’ work while walking the streets of Lima, and became fascinated by his use of patterns and collage to create new textures over existing images,” says Campos. “Although the essence of the image was recognizable, what was done to it rendered it completely new and almost surreal.”

Rafafans’ dream-like images are crafted through his use of collage and photomontage techniques. For this collection, Campos used some of Rafafans’ techniques of combining texture and color interplay with photomontages into his fall 2015 collection. This adaptation has resulted in menswear designs in which overlaid collage-like graphic treatments and patchwork elements are superimposed on fabric. Campos’ attention to detail, tailoring and minimalist approach to menswear is still evident and not hampered by these collage and photomontage-like techniques.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

“This collection is about the transformative powers of art to change perception—change in the beholder,” explains Campos. “My designs this season leverages the power of texture and shape to appear different depending on the viewing angle. You could say that this fall for me, texture is the new black.”

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Like some other menswear designers this season, Carlos Campos relies heavily on color blocking. But using color blocking as a way to express his artistic verve is a creative tool that Campos regularly uses. However, unlike in other collections where Campos’ color blocking technique was a strong focus of his designs, this season Campos’ subtle way of employing color blocking was an ingenious to present texture and fabric combinations.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Standout looks in the collection were Campos’ light blue cotton button-up shirt, deep navy silk bomber, stone blue cotton/wool gilet and charcoal grey pinstripe wool dropped rise trouser, deep navy cotton button-up shirt with white geo collar print, blue coat with contrast lapel piecing and deep navy tuxedo pants, and white cotton button-up shirt, deep emerald plaid wool tuxedo jacket and dropped rise trousers.

—William S. Gooch

Fingers Crossed Fall 2015

February 13, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

For fall 2015, Fingers Crossed creative director Ryu Hayama was inspired by still sound, fragile life forms and the hypnotic undercurrents of the deep blue sea. And this affection for all things marine expressed in Hayama’s color palette of deep navy blues and other nautical blue-printed variations.

Though Hayama stayed mostly with a neutral color palette in this “Abyssopelagic” outing, his shock of bright yellow was a welcomed bold color that added the extra pop of color that the collection needed. Color palette aside, the true star of this collection was the ingenious way that Hayama mixed voluminous men’s silhouettes with more tailored looks.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Tailored coats with wide pants were paired with voluminous workout pants and oversized scarves. Pajama pants were matched with leather bomber jackets. And traditional French stripped sweaters were combined with multi-pleated trousers.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Hayama also keeps this collection on trend by employed belted topcoats, mixing wool cashmere with butter-soft lambskin and sweatpants. Mixing formal wear with informal workout gear is a trend from last spring that is taking on a wider for the male consumer. Unfortunately, most menswear designer are not clear on how to marry these polar opposite in an effective way. Hayama was found the synergy that makes polar opposites complement each other. And that is the genius of this collection.

—William S. Gooch

David Hart Fall 2015

February 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

New York Men’s Fashion Day (NYMFD) by Cadillac is doing its job. And David Hart is a prime example of the NYMFD accomplishing what it set out to do.

Before NYMFD, David Hart was not on the radar of a significant number of menswear fashion editors. From launching his career designing luxury bowties and scarves to launching his ready-to-wear collection in 2013, until NYMFD Hart had not quite made editors stand up and notice. This season Hart not only caught the eyes of fashion editors and journalists, his fall 2015 collection demonstrated that Hart’s aesthetic goes beyond an American sportswear compilation of well-tailored jackets in bold colors.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Looking to the American Southwest, incorporating Native American tribal patterns, and the spaghetti Westerns of the late 1960s, David Hart was able to meld these points of reference into a singular perspective that was modern and thought provoking, causing one to see tribal patterns of the American Southwest in a new and modern way.

There is really nothing new under the sun; however, David Hart’s marriage of Native tribal patterns and the sometimes-campy style of 1960s spaghetti Western will cause male consumers to find a new masculine sexuality in these looks. And David Hart did not abandon his predilection for color in this outing. His blue sapphire suit and rust orange tailored jacket paired with the blue sapphire pant was dead on.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Standouts in this fall 2015 collection were Hart’s Native American tribal-patterned coat with fur collar, red jacket with tribal patterned-embellishments, and black silk tuxedo jacket with black wooly chaps. Still, there were some garments that will not make it into the retail racks—wooly chaps—but that is OK. A little bit of wacky drama works in most fashion shows. In fact, Jeremy Scott has made camp his raison d’etre, and has built a fashion empire around that aesthetic!! Kudos David Hart.

—William S. Gooch

Timo Weiland’s Men Fall 2015

February 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Like many of his contemporary menswear confreres, for fall 2015 Timo Weiland looked to invigorate classic men’s silhouettes and trends from the past with innovative fabrications and twist on familiar silhouettes.

Like Carlos Campos, Martin Keehn, and to a lesser extent Patrik Ervell, Weiland choose to express his affection for classic silhouettes and trends through the prism of color blocked suiting, denim jackets and athletic gear. Though not necessarily and totally original concept, Weiland found a way to marry this myriad of sometimes conflicting silhouettes, trends and classics brilliantly.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

By taking heritage classics and twisting them into new forms, Weiland in the words of the great lyricist Peter Allen made, “Everything Old … New Again.” And isn’t that what fashion is mostly about; taking old silhouettes and concepts and infusing them with new energy and verve. And Weiland use of forest green, a hard color to pull off, was ingeniously combined in his color blocking aesthetic with checkered bomber jackets or window-paned sweaters.

Standouts in this fall 2015 collection were Weiland’s deep rust tan jacket with forest green shoulder patch, black and white bomber jackets and forest green pants with black and white and black fitted bomber jacket.

—William S. Gooch

J. Lindeberg Fall 2015

February 12, 2015 by admin Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

J. Lindeberg gets it right every time. And getting it right is what is desperately needed currently in menswear. In a market that is heavily saturated with menswear garments that rely more heavily on pedestrian taste that might have big retail value rather than clothes that expands the design palette of the American male consumer, J. Lindebergh has found that delicate balance between retail viability and fashion-forward design. This fall 2015 collection reflects just that synthesis.

Inspired between the polarity of the abyssal black canyons of the mysterious dunes of Mars, the red planet, to the panoply of color palettes found on planet Earth, J. Lindeberg juxtaposes these two polar opposites in a collection that employed lots of plaids, parka jackets and a strong 70s rock n’ roll aesthetic.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Imagine 70s British rock bands married the slick tailoring of Savile Row and you enter the stylish world of J. Lindeberg’s fall 2015 collection. This collection is for the fashion-conscious male consumer who wants tailored style combined with a bit of rebel risk-taking.

Some menswear designers find the sober color palettes and textile fabrications of fall/winter creatively limiting and restricting. Only designers that understand the craft that can be found in utilizing houndstooth, wool plaid scarves, military olive peacoats, coal miners wool boucle jackets can elevate this muted colors and wintry fabrications to a dissertation on a modern man’s style and taste. And the addition of silver metallic boots assisted in keeping this outing fresh and fashion forward.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Standouts were J. Lindeberg black leather shirt and fitted leather pants paired with swaddling houndstooth-patterned scarf, camel military-inspired coat, silver metallic biker jacket with fur lining and blue plaid suit. Bravo J. Lindeberg!!

—William S. Gooch

2(X)IST Spring 2015

October 23, 2014 by admin 1 Comment

Is there a male equivalent fashion show to Victoria’s Secret fashion event extravaganza? Some would argue that the 2(X)IST menswear show ranks right up there when it comes to showing the beauty of the male physique through the lens of a fashion runway presentation.

Though not as celebrity studded as the Victoria’s Secret show, and not televised on a national television network, the 2(X)IST menswear event has top male models on the catwalk and there is a lot of eye candy to around. Did I mention that the swim trunks, underwear and active wear are top of the line? I should have, because this season 2(X)IST pulled out all the stops when it came to bold colors, tropical prints and style.

Known primarily as a top of the line underwear brand, in the past couple of seasons 2(X)IST has expanded their design aesthetic to include leisure wear and active wear. The brand still stays true to its signature look of versatile clothes that are contoured to the body; however, the 2(X)IST teams correctly understands that the modern man’s daily life is more varied and peripatetic than ever. And that comfortable, stylish under garments which contour to the body promote confidence, a sense of well being, as well as ease of movement.

In this spring 2015 collection the 2(X)ST design team found that connecting thread that establishing cohesion between their active wear, swim wear and under gear.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green

Standouts in the collection were the no-show trunk in palm spring lime, neoprene zip-up jacket in black and neon yellow with CORE Hampton swim brief in black, PRO sliq brif in marble tech Poseidon, and Trainer tech windbreaker in black with Trainer tech dot print racerback tank in black. Top models in the lineup were André Ziehe, Oraine Barrett, Ronald Epps, Thor Burlow, Saville Dorfman, Emilio Flores, Jonathan and Kevin Sampaio.

William S. Gooch

Ricardo Seco Spring 2015

September 12, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Ricardo Seco seeks to firmly put Mexico on the fashion map with his current collection for spring 2015, entitled “DREAMS.” Staying true to his Mexican origins, Seco was inspired by the Wixárika tribe and incorporated the beading and multi-colored details of the native community into this collection. Juxtaposed to simple pieces and classic silhouettes, the tribal fruit-colored designs were also seen in the accessories, such as belts, necklaces, skateboards—that look too cool to ride—and custom New Balance sneakers. Not new to creative collaborations, Seco has also partnered with Converse, Casa Cuervo, and Disney in the past.

“My collection DREAMS is a collaboration with the Wixárika, an indigenous community from Mexico, who are known for their beading. As they create each beaded piece they put their dreams into their work. With these pieces and the World Trade Center venue I made a collection for future dreams and the next generation that will live and work here. This collection and its venue are standing for the generation of future dreamers to come,” states Seco.

Making his New York debut in 2012 as a menswear designer, this time around, Seco also showed his first women’s collection as an equal counterpart to his men’s collection. His women’s wear included skirts, bombers and jumpsuits that evoke global thoughts of chic Paris and laidback L.A., especially his leather dresses and tops. His men’s pieces included shorts, pants, and shirts that translate from rocker to skateboarder, particularly his jackets. Wanting to impart an appearance of truly global fashion, Seco combined Wixárika colors with urban neutrals of black, white, and grey in textures of suede, leather, cotton, neoprene, and silk.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green

This collection will easily sellable and will seamlessly blend into almost anyone’s current wardrobe. Seco doesn’t offer anything too visually shocking, but every piece, whether for women or men, offers the simplicity of comfort without sacrificing style.

—Carl Ayers

DARKOH Spring 2015

September 11, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Joyce Darkoh is one of the few female designers that specialize in menswear. A graduate of Germany’s prestigious Modeschule Schloss Eller, Joyce has spent over a decade refining her skills in men’s made-to-order suiting. In response to the high demand of in-between sizes and body shapes—which require made-to-measure services—and the request for instant product availability; Joyce launched her eponymous ready-to-wear line, DARKOH, in 2013.

The brand is anchored by its use of high quality worsted wool from renowned English and Italian mills. However, for spring/summer 2015, Joyce presented suits made of modern fabrics such as denim, light cotton, and multi-color tweed. Her color palette for spring 2015 also took a divergent trail; while previous collections had been dominated by darker, earthy and industrial hues, this time she opted for pale pinks, vibrant blues, crisp whites, and chocolate browns.

Aside from an eye-catching color selection, Joyce gives her customer an array of options for the cut and fit of his chosen garments. There were the ever-trendy, slim cut, single-breasted suits as well as classic American double-breasted options that, while more full-bodies, also maintained a slimming silhouette. For the more casual gentleman looking for nonsuit selections, there were woven tops and a multicolor silk tweed overcoat. However, the truly eye catching standouts were the washed indigo double breasted suit, the pink and tan woven suit, and the dark blue/white dotted tuxedo.

Images courtesy of Omen PR/Dennis Madigan Photography

The entire collection was stunning, from start to finish, including the amazing accessories by Hayes Hamilton. With a penchant for creating custom suits for men of all shapes and styles, DARKOH is a sure hit for any man, whether he’s a linebacker or desk jockey.

—Carl Ayers

Marlon Gobel Spring 2015

September 11, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Transhumanism: a cultural and intellectual movement seeking to transform the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities. Transhumanist thinkers speculate that humans may eventually be able to transform themselves into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label “posthuman.”

This philosophy of “transhumanism” serves as the inspiration of the Marlon Gobel spring/summer 2015 collection. The collection is based around three main points: (1) human augmentation through technology resulting in us becoming stronger, faster, and better; (2) technology is fashion from the fabrics to the electronics we use; and (3) a “wearable device” can be anything from a water repellent fabric coat, to eyewear that captures what your eyes may miss, to a handheld super computer you use to communicate and share your life.

For spring 2015, designer Marlon Gobel has taken contemporary menswear and advanced it with a futuristic feel. He has refrained from designing a “one size fits all uniform of the future” and instead offers selections that vary upon lifestyle. For the more fit and athletic male, there are form-fitting tees and polo shirts paired with 5-pocket shorts that fall perfectly at the knee, seeming to give a nod to his tutelage under designer Thom Browne. For the more universal casual wear customer, there are wonderful wardrobe staples offered in cotton dress shirts and full-fit trousers that fall right at the ankle. Asserting that you can be fashion-forward even in a post-modern world, Gobel provides a double-breasted blazer and a formal jacket for those who want a classic look, no matter the century.

However, what particularly stands out in this collection is his outerwear. His crocodile motorcycle jackets in silver and gold give a Tron-like speed demon effect, while his navy neoprene trench prepares you to battle the elements in any environment. One interesting highlight is his nylon-stretch and cashmere-knit shoulder shrugs. Variably, they work well with his athletic and casual wear while subtly flirting with modern-day androgyny.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green

Thankfully, Gobel did not over-design this collection. He stayed away from the idea of unisex bodysuits or shapeless robes that are often depicted as futuristic clothes. Rather than being costumy, Gobel kept some of the current trends in menswear and modernized his garments with accessories by Knox Armor gloves, Dominic Elvin augmentation headpieces, and shoes from the post-modern design company United Nude. Fortunately, for the Marlon Gobel consumer, this collection is very customer-friendly and will fit into your wardrobe for now and many seasons to come.

—Carl Ayers