Menswear — Page 19

Exteberria Spring 2015

September 9, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Leather/animal skins with fur for spring? Though not an untried fabric option for spring—for several seasons we have seen soft leather in shorts, tops and as embellishment for pre-spring garments—still, a complete collection of leather garments is an unusual digression from all the diaphanous fabrics and typical cotton fabrications one would expect for spring/summer collections. However, if the brand is Spain-based Exteberria, perhaps, leather as a spring fabric is not such an odd choice.

For spring 2014, creative director Roberto Lopez Exteberria used leather as a main fabric stable of his collection. And his affinity for leather as a spring fabric choice carries heavily over to his spring 2015 collection.

Known primarily as a menswear designer, Roberto Exteberria has branched over into women’s wear, even including a few women’s wear looks in his appearance at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (MBFW). That said; Exteberria strength is his menswear looks, expanding menswear silhouettes to embrace silhouettes that are traditionally a part of the women’s wear assemblage of silhouettes.

Realizing that the male consumer—particularly the American male shopper— is slow to expand his style palette to include new silhouette, in this collection Roberto Exteberria has kept his silhouettes simple as to alienate the male consumer. Still, a lot can be said for Exteberria’s risk-taking; however, will this risk pay off in retail sales.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green

What can be said about this MBFW outing is that Exteberria provided a much-needed creative lift to what many fashion pundits see as a rather bland spring 2015 season. Standouts in this spring 2015 collection is the opening look of the black leather-pleated man skirt, beige leather vest with black shorts with beige leather inserts, color-blocked leather top with blue man skirt, and short-sleeved tan leather trench with animal skin shorts.

—William S. Gooch

Custo Barcelona Spring 2015

September 7, 2014 by admin 1 Comment

For spring/summer 2015 there is lots of sheer fabrics, bare skin and more bare skin. And no body does bare skin better than Custo Barcelona. Aptly named this SKIN collection emphasized the sensuality of the feminine silhouette, allowing the sexual, and sometimes sassy side of women to come out, front and center.

Custo Barcelona is a miasma orf bold color, fabric combinations, silhouettes and design aesthetic. And where the disparate points of view has left some consumers confused or nonplussed some seasons, for spring 2015 Custo’s crazy quilt of ideas was more cohesive and consumer friendly.

In this outing, Dalmau Custo channeled Giorgio Sant’Angelo with a nod to Rudi Gernreich. The geometric cutouts and subtle transparencies in a range of textile—ultra light linens, flowy silks, and a variety of diaphanous fabrics—helped created depth, texture, and nuance.

The spring/summer 2014 collection made for the consumer who is in shape and not afraid to show some skin. Custo stays in trend this season with lots of cutouts, sheer fabrics and wide mix of fabrications. And though this collection had more a resort point view, projected toward exotic locales, there were some great separates that would work in a variety of spring/summer temperatures.

Though the reveals in this collection were provocative, they were not without taste or sophistication. Still, the daring Custo Barcelona devotees would be more aligned with where the brand is going this season than most customers. That said; there were some separates and in particular the men’s look that would appeal to consumers who are not a part of the Custo shopping cabine.

As always there were lots of bold color combinations in this collection. However, unlike previous outings, there were more neutral—black and white combinations—than usually found in a Custo Barcelona collection. Perhaps, this was one of the elements that made this collection more consumer-friendly. And the joy, sensuality and whimsical spirit of this outing added to the appeal that may capture a more diverse audience.

—Rosemary Ponzo

Parke & Ronen Spring 2015

September 7, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Inspired by Dickie Greenleaf the most coveted character in The Talented Mr. Ripley, Parke & Ronen’s models donned RetroSuperfuture eyewear, schoolboy prep-cuts, tanned bodies with an arrogant attitude. Colors of the collection were inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle set in patterned stripes and printed button downs and Polos in sorbet-flavored palettes of peach, mint green, and limoncello.

Another reference to the film’s glamorous lifestyle was the idea of swimming and sailing. Classic nautical striped shirts with an homage to America’s red, white and blue were quite smart. They helped to balance out a series of swim trunks that perhaps are more preferable for those that fancy the Euro-chic lifestyle in Cape Cod or the Hamptons.

Parke & Ronen began in 1997 by fusing backgrounds of European traditions of haute couture with American sensibility. And that point of view continued in this collection. Though the brand now leans more heavily toward American sportswear, Parke & Ronen still manage to infuse their collections with European traditions of smart tailoring with attention to detail.

Images courtesy of Presley Ann Slack

And as always if the male consumer wants to look good in Park & Ronen clothes it is necessary to spend quality time in the gym as evidenced by the svelte models that always pepper any Park & Ronen runway show. This season was no exception.

—Kelly L. Mills

Duckie Brown Spring 2015

September 6, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

For spring/summer 2015, “80’s Redux” is the name of the game at Duckie Brown. Inspired by the UK music scene of the mid-1980’s—think The Stone Roses and The Verve—creative directors Daniel Silver and Steven Cox explained that they set out to create a collection that’s a step away from their usually aesthetic. They described this collection as “lighter, softer, and more subversive” than past collections, and that translates into being their “most wearable, most commercial” collection to date.

Noticeably absent this season was their women’s wear. Rather than show both collections together as they did last season, or produce two separate shows, the design duo opted for a look book of their women’s collection and let the men walk the runway.

With the overall theme of stripes, wide-checkered prints and pale colors, this collection starts to resemble the underground “normcore” fashion movement. “Normcore”, a contraction of “normal” and “hardcore”, is the fashion trend of wearing clothing that looks unpretentious, normal, and almost unidentifiable (a lá Jerry Seinfeld in the 90’s.) Never the brand to follow the rules, and ever the ones to play with fit and proportion, Silver and Cox had to add their own spin on it. Present in this collection is the drop-crotch pant of which the duo is almost synonymous, as well as large, oversized shirts accessorized with plaid bucket hats. However, the most unique garments were the curved seam trousers which sat snug at the waist, billowed out around the hips, and curved back in for a straight pant leg.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green

Not neglecting their more daring customers, the designers presented a blue-glittered Harrington jacket that also had a matching pair of shorts and bucket hat. For those wanting to be more fashion comfortable rather than fashion forward, the most wearable items are the outerwear. Solid offerings from a khaki trench coat to a checkered bomber jacket to a plaid utility jacket ensure that there is something for every man.

—Carl Ayers

Carmen Marc Valvo Spring 2015

September 6, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

The big news at the celebration of Carmen Marc Valvo’s 25th anniversary was the forward-thinking vibe that permeated the festive occasion.

Valvo, over the years, has earned renown as a go-to designer for real women, particularly women with curves. His gowns and cocktail dresses don’t just frame shapely bodies, they celebrate them.

For his 25th anniversary celebration collection, Valvo sought to mix classics with a refreshing blast of the new. The classics came in the skillfully cut cocktail dresses and evening gowns that have made the designer such a favorite with a range of stars and famous spouses like Katie Couric, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vanessa Williams, Sheri Shepherd, and Denzel Washington’s wife, Pauletta. But these were anything but nostalgic odes to the past, thanks to Valvo’s use of mesh insets that teased the eye.

An ivory double face cocktail dress was given a racy edge with black scuba mesh detail. Several maillots got the mesh inset treatment. Even otherwise sweet looking pieces in a black and white floral got the revved up mesh inset treatment. The results here were somewhat mixed. While some of the mesh inset work was indeed intriguing and alluring, some of it seemed a tad overdone—too much of a good thing.

But the biggest surprise wasn’t to be found in the gowns or cocktail dresses. Instead, Valvo turned heads by introducing menswear to his collection. These were ensembles for an evening out on the town—mostly combinations of elegant dress shirts with jeans and pants such as a white cotton shirt with—wait for it—mesh inset and indigo printed faille jeans. Some of the most winning looks here were series of organza shirts such as Valvo’s black organza tuxedo shirt and a mandarin orange silk organza shirt shown with white jeans. Here, the organza allowed just enough of a teasing glimpse of muscle and sinew, the perfect complement to the feminine curves on display for Valvo’s women.

Images courtesy of Bennet Cobliner

Valvo saved his best for last with eveningwear embroidered in silver. Some of the best here included a stunning silver floral venise embroidered organza chemise, an ivory silver beaded mini matinee cocktail dress and an ivory silver embroidered mini matinee strapless cocktail dress.

—Karyn D. Collins

Perry Ellis Spring 2015

September 5, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

The active guy in the city and his adaptation to that urban landscape inspired Perry Ellis’ spring/summer 2015 “Changes and Horizontals” collection. The visual design aspect incorporates the linear elements of grids and architecture and the intersections that a person passes every day on the street.

The fabrication of this collection is a bit more technical. As described by brand creative director Michael Maccari, the design team focused on the garments inside and out, making things lighter, more functional, and more seasonally appropriate. They began with a pure base and built upon that, using color, grids, lines, shapes within shapes, and reflective fabrics that are commonly found within the cityscape.

The silhouettes stand firmly where some menswear trends are projecting to: less skinny, more full-bodied, shorts to the knee, pants to the ankle, less Euro, more American sportswear. The selected color scheme seems to effortlessly camouflage itself in the urban palette. The colors are trans-seasonal, done in spring fabrications; deep reds and blues, a variance of shades of khaki and a strong black and white presence. The geometric and natural prints marry especially well into the city theme, reminding us that intricate design, whether made my man or Mother Nature, is always around us.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green

The heritage and future of the brand are also important elements in this collection. Says Maccari, “[we’re] always looking back to what Perry would have done; keeping one foot in the past keeps the brands DNA alive and then moving that forward. So the idea that having dress fabrics in casual silhouettes or more active silhouettes, there’s always that one foot in, one foot out kind of idea; one foot here, one foot in the future. It’s just playing with shapes and fabrics and finding that balance; that’s what keeps it moving forward and keeps it a little bit practical as well. There’s a very strong history in it, but there’s also the approach that it doesn’t have to be taken too seriously. There’s a fun element to it, and there’s a realness to it.”

—Carl Ayers

David Hart Spring 2015

September 5, 2014 by admin 3 Comments

David Hart looked to Palm Springs, natural landscapes and the modernist architecture of Alexander Neutra, Frey Wexler, and Lautner for inspiration for his spring 2015 collection. Though Hart has only had his namesake collection a few seasons, his penchant for classic American sportswear combined with sartorial craftsmanship is key to his aesthetic. And that point of view is front and foremost in this outing.

With color palettes that range from succulent green to electric blue to pistachio to dusty pink, this collection is aimed to the male consumer that is not afraid of bold color. And Hart’s bold color predilection is right on target with his Palm Springs inspiration and Julius Shulman’s color photography of prints and patterns.

Hart has also managed to evoke a 1950s Palm Springs resort feel to this collection without making the collection seem dated or too vintage while still maintaining his inspired point of view. There is craft in finding that delicate balance. This collection could have easily become an homage to 1950s Palm Springs. But, it is not; the collection is fresh, current and has market appeal.

There were not breakout menswear silhouettes in this collection or innovative uses of new textiles in this spring collection. Instead, David Hart is continuing to do what he does best, presenting classic men’s sportswear in a way that is fashion forward and appealing to the average male consumer.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green

Standouts in this collection were Hart’s suit in dusty pink with all over yucca print cotton dress shirt, knit merino wool argyle polo in navy with sand Irish linen Bermuda shorts and tuxedo jacket in Italian silk jacquard, tuxedo trousers in black mohair, cotton pique tuxedo shirt, and atomic print cotton bowtie.

—William S. Gooch

Lucio Castro Spring 2015

September 5, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Lucio Castro references cinematic beach scenes from 1970s foreign cinema in this spring 2015 collection. (Think Luchino Visconti’s Death in Venice (1971).) Mix this reference in with “Soviet summers” in the beach towns of Odessa and Sopot and Castro’s Argentinian roots and you have a dynamic hodgepodge and which to create a collection.

Unfortunately, this interesting assemblage of motifs missed the mark in this outing. Though there were separates—especially the shorts and jackets—that could be mixed and matched with garments from other menswear collections, Castro sometimes failed to bring all these references into a cohesive point of view. And the macramé-like belts, which added a folksy quality to the clothes, need to be eliminated.

What does work in this collection is the easy, relaxed vibe of the clothes. Still, the collection had a bit of junior men’s feel to it. And though this collection bordered on a junior menswear resort presentation, there were pieces that could be worn in less temperate spring climates.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green

Standouts in the collection was Castro’s mélange green Boris cardigan, green reverse stripe shirt, and cream-quilted knit shorts, navy Mac jacket with polka-dot lining, bright blue free plaid shirt, navy and black-stripe textured shorts, and green suede jacket, white concession tee with olive Donnie shorts.

—William S. Gooch

J. Lindeberg Spring 2015

September 5, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

For spring 2015 J. Lindeberg looked to rock n’ roll silhouettes of the late 1960s. This inspiration is a carryover from last season, and true to form creative director Jessy Heuvelink continued to find a way to make this point of view fresh, current and invigorating. Entitled “Biotopia” Heuvelink infused florals, prints and 3-D embellishments while maintaining the collections nod to 60s rocker style.

Though the brand over the years has become known for collections that have high consumer appeal, this spring collection’s continuation of very familiar silhouettes—tight pencil suit pants and narrow jackets— Heuvelink did take some risks, mostly in the fabrications and mixing of a variety of influences.

Where this collection excels is in Heuvelink’s marrying of different street and rocker styles from the 60s with a mix of color and print fabrications without loosing its modern point of view. Though at times the collection may seem like an homage to the Fab Four or rock n’ roll bands like the Rolling Stones, The Turtles, and Jim Morrison and the Doors—there is also a slight nod to the early rock bands of 70s in this collection with hints of the Ramones and Jefferson Airship—this collection is far more than that. The chicness and elegance distilled through Heuvelink’s kaleidoscope of influences and fabric combinations should solidly places this collection in the constellation of male fashionisto’s spring 2015 faves.

Heuvelink elevates this spring outing from a 60’s rock band tribute by pairing patterns and fabrications with silhouettes that were never put together during that era. Zebra-stripped tribal jackets with mesh tees and skinny trousers, bomber sleeveless jacket with a grey jumpsuit, and a suede grey short trench with white jeans were never seem in the tumultuous Sixties. Still, the collection is slick, sophisticated, well-thought out and consumer friendly.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green

Standouts in this outing is Heuvelink’s zebra-stripped tribal jacket with skinny trousers and mesh tee, sleeveless grey bomber with grey jumpsuit, and hand-pained floral leather jacket.

—William S. Gooch

Carlos Campos Spring 2015

September 5, 2014 by admin Leave a Comment

Last fall/winter season New York Fashion Week (NYFW) tried something a little different. For the past few seasons, the menswear presence during NYFW has seen a significant reduction in the amount of menswear designers that present during the spring/season runway/presentation season.

With the most prominent menswear designers presenting in London, Milan, and Paris in late June and menswear market weeks following directly afterwards, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense for menswear designers to show their spring/summer collection in New York City in early September. Most of the decisions around the menswear collections have been made two months prior to NYFW. That said; Y-3, John Varvatos, and recently Michael Bastian, as well as many other menswear designers no longer show in NYC.

With corporate sponsor Cadillac, last February NYFW looked to minimize the cyphering off of menswear designers. And it seems to be taking effect. For spring 2015, 10 menswear designers—sponsored by Cadillac—showed at Industria Superstudio the day before the official start of NYFW.

Carlos Campos was one of those designers. For spring/summer 2015 Carlos Campos looked to athletic active wear as expressed to graphic elements and bold colors. Taking a nod from artist Javier Abarca, in this collection Campos has evolved his man from an interesting the fashion guy who had a deep penchant for updated sportswear looks to a man who is chic, sophisticated and on trend without abandoning his love of garments at that facilitate comfort and ease of movement.

Where in previous collections Campos would stay mostly with neutrals, for spring 2015 there were bold dashes of color throughout the entire collections. And the graphic elements in this collection that went beyond mere embellishment really added that wow factor that was sometimes missing from some of Campos’ previous outings.

Image courtesy of Ernest Green

Dressing his guy at every jointure of his day in not new for Campos. However, in this collection, Campos raising the bar in refinement and fashion-forward sensibility, demonstrating that his guy is not only sporty, but also has a strong sense of style.

—William S. Gooch