Front Row — Page 53

Brett Johnson Fall 2016

February 5, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

New York Fashion Week: Men’s (NYFWM) is a great opportunity for emerging menswear designers to present their collections. And being that NYFWM’s is only in its second season the fashion calendar is primed and not yet overcrowded with too many designers and menswear brands.

That said; when a designer does present a collection at NYFWM it is important to bring their A-game. Consider, the New York fashion terrain is blessed with editors, stylists, and other industry professionals who have witnessed the best of the best, so second or third best just won’t do. And they will let you know it!!

For fall 2016, the American West and the lifestyle of successful men inspired Brett Johnson. There was an interesting injection of American West, Stetson-like hats; that are trending right now. As well as Western shirts, fringed jackets in mustard, burgundy, and bright red which nicely conjured up images of the modern Western theme-inspired man.

Johnson presented a clean, crisp collection that was well styled—with the exception with the outdated Timbaland boots—and highly professional. Unfortunately, that was where of the charm of the collection began and ended. The presentation was peppered with some the fashion industry’s African American fashion elite; perhaps, due to the fact that Brett Johnson is the scion of BET founder Robert Johnson.

Images courtesy of Masato Onoda/wwd.com

Still, clean, crisp presentation, good styling, and the black fashion elite aside, this collection was a missed opportunity for Brett Johnson. Most of the looks in this collection seemed outdated and could have been purchased at major American discount retailers several seasons ago. And being that Brett Johnson has been in business since 2013, it would have been a natural progression of his brand to bring to NYFWM’s something other than a collection that doesn’t register on an international menswear fashion radar.

However, with the right marketing and a little creative ingenuity, this fall 2016 collection could have a large presence in Southern and Midwestern markets, where most male consumers are looking for work staple, not menswear trends and fashion-forward clothing. Still, for work staples there are a host of household brands, so Johnson will have a lot of competition.

Johnson is in the ballpark of understanding his customer, he just needs to bring the wow factor up a few levels. Better luck next time!!

—William S. Gooch

Carlos Campos Fall 2016

February 4, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Carlos Campos often looks to Latin—and more specifically South American—themes for inspiration for his menswear collections. For spring 2016, the “Forastero,” the mysterious outsider, inspired Campos— the “Forastero” is a common theme in Latin American literature. For fall 2016 Campos looked to the quiet elegance of “El Capataz” (The Foreman). And the foreman in this case is, the man who oversees the coffee plantation.

For fall 206, Carlos Campos takes up on a Latin American journey. His “Capataz” is a man who is reservedly sophisticated and we see this man throughout the jointure of his day.

Campos through his chosen color palette expresses the colors and tones of the coffee plantation. With his classic camel tones, Campos references the light roasted coffee beans. Campos’s deep navy and bold winter whites stay true to signature colors that pop up in his collection season after season. And with Campos’ injection of winter white, Campos is staying on trend this season with many other designers—Nautica, Duckie Brown, General Idea, and Custo Barcelona’s menswear—is no longer alienating to the American male consumer.

This collection in some aspects seemed a bit more utilitarian than other Campos outings. There were more pants with cargo pockets and strap appendages of all kinds that reminisce of the utilitarian need of male workers in mountain climates of South America. And one of the more playful injections in the collection was a camel sweatshirt that proclaimed “No Hay Café Sin Agua,” translated means “There is no coffee without water.”

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

The true joy of this fall 2016 collection was the camel outerwear that were presented in hooded bomber, wool trucker, single breasted, and poncho shawl fashions. Standouts in the collection were Campos’ camel double-breasted wool cropped jacket, winter white military cape, and camel kaleidoscope printed sweatshirt.

—William S. Gooch

Greg Lauren Fall 2016

February 4, 2016 by admin 1 Comment

In this second season of New York Fashion Week: Men’s (NYFWM) several menswear designers have instituted a different approach to presenting their menswear collections. Some of these designers realize that having the typical runway/presentation is no longer sufficient to attract industry professionals and consumers. In an era were images from runways/presentations are posted immediately on social media, live streamed, and reviewed in online sites, getting and keeping consumers attention is an arduous task.

For fall 2016 Greg Lauren went for the ultimate attention-grabbing moments. And it worked!! Though his fall 2016 collection included his brand’s DNA of a deconstructed, layered aesthetic with a heavy nod to Americana Western themes, Lauren’s fall 2016 presentation extended his brand’s DNA to include a more athletic, robust male aesthetic that was missing from previous outings.

Using pugilistic themes as inspiration for his fall 2016 collection, replete with a boxing ring and other fisticuff paraphernalia, Lauren divided his presentation into different scenes. With the pugilistic theme being the main theme, Lauren also included an artist theme, a winter beach theme, shoe shine gang, journal gang, and re-interpretation of men’s suiting theme.

Lauren is making an impression in menswear for deconstructing traditional menswear silhouettes and reconstructing those recognizable silhouettes into something innovative and thought provoking. Take for example, the 18^th century men’s suit with tails, Lauren deconstructs this classic model and reassembles this look into a current distillation on men’s suiting seen through the lens of comfort and casual ease that is appealing to the modern male consumer. The hoodie is reinterpreted and refreshed into a California beach-inspired outerwear parka.

Images courtesy of Giovanni Giannoni/wwd.com

Now, the question that comes to mind with Lauren’s design aesthetic is if his oeuvre will appeal to a wide demographic of male consumers. Probably not; however, niche markets are becoming bigger in menswear and Lauren’s design aesthetic fits right into that category of menswear consumer brands that gives the chic, sophisticated consumer something fashion forward and different.

Standout looks in the fall 2016 collection were Greg Lauren’s charcoal tent stripped Baja parka, charcoal dinner jacket, hooded patchwork long flight studio jacket, and linen patchwork tux shirt with square rib.

Robert Geller Fall 2016

February 3, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Is James Bond in the building? You would have thought so if you witnessed Robert Geller’s fall 2016 runway presentation. All the Bond-like props were front and center; spy attaché case, chic trend coat, derby hats slyly tipped over the eye and let’s not forget models with swagger.

Still, James Bond was not quite the inspiration for Robert Geller’s fall 2016 collection. The German-born Geller took inspiration from a German’s children’s book, The Grey Gentlemen. This German children’s story centers on men in in grey suits with a grey complexion who come to a German town suck time and all the life and joy out of the town. Not a Grimm fairy tale but grim nonetheless.

It is very clear for Geller’s fall 2016 collection that he understands where menswear is going. With is combination of familiar silhouettes that work paired with unconventional silhouettes—man skirts, man aprons, gaucho-like pants, Geller has ingeniously discovered how to mix the old with the new without alienating his audience. And while there is a strong nod toward classic looks in this collection and is a prominent project to where menswear is heading.

Also, what also works in this collection is Geller’s ability to dress his guy at almost every jointure of his day. There is great outwear, looks that are more casual and looks for that adventurous dude whose fashion risk taking is chic and exciting.

In addition to the combination of classic and unconventional silhouettes this fall 2016 collection contains an interesting range of colors and fabrications. Geller introduces his fall 2016 design aesthetic with mostly neutral colors, greys, black, browns and some navy; however, by the end of runway show that was a dynamic injection of color evidenced in deep purple, bordeaux, and mustard. Coincidentally, this varying color palette was matched by Geller’s inclusion of fabrications that included velvet, satin, and light-as-air cupro cotton.

Images courtesy of vogue.com/ Indigital.tv

Geller is getting it right; truly understanding that the modern male consumer’s thirst for interesting and innovative clothes is wider than previously assumed. And retailers are starting to stand up and take notice. We anxiously await his spring 2017 collection!!

—William S. Gooch

velvet, satin, and light-as-air cupro cotton

Nautica Fall 2016

February 3, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Who says you cannot wear white after Labor Day, certainly, not Nautica. Well, if Nautica has its way a lot of stylish men will be donning white throughout the entire fall and winter 2016/2017 seasons.

For fall 2016 Nautica drew inspiration from that juxtaposition of city meeting the sea. The 2016 urban dweller can now look to Nautica for nautically inspired garments that reflect architectural inspirations, textures, and details. This newly juxtaposed cross-pollination of urban and aquatic life has produced a collection of very wearable, sophisticated garments that the Nautica man can wear at almost every jointure of his day as he traversing continents, culture, and lifestyles.

For decades, Nautica has made a tradition out successfully translating nautical themes into contemporary menswear garments that would appeal to the male consumer who might not necessarily look to nautical or aquatic motifs as a point of reference for daily clothing options. With its updated nautical message of “inspired by the sea, designed in the city,” Nautica is looking to re-imagine its signature nautical aesthetic for the modern male consumer who has a more utilitarian, versatile lifestyle.

That said, Steve McSween, Nautica’s vice president of global design menswear, has lived up to the challenge of re-invigorating Nautica’s design aesthetic, particularly for fall 2016. And McSween and the design team accomplished this new direction while staying true to the brand’s DNA.

Are the brand’s design silhouettes the same? Mostly, yes; however, the fall 2016 collection does includes some new additions including some fitted long coats, reflective parkas, and an array of multi-striped striped sweaters—a real departure from Nautica’s affection for solids.

Still, the overall look of Nautica is essentially the same. Nautical influences are still a primary influence in this outing. However, what is uniquely different about the brand this season is its projection toward the international urban traveler, which moves the brand’s appeal away from solely American sportswear. And the styling of the fall 2016 collection was absolutely superb.

As previously mentioned there is lots of white, or should I say sail cream, to go around—white pea coats, white admiral coats, white parkas, white bombers, and white slacks and sweaters. And Nautica’s predilection for white this season was punctured with chicness, sophistication, and a sense of modernity.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Standouts in the fall 2016 collection are the brand’s sail cream wool admiral coat with camel Mohair Merino horizon turtleneck with sail cream twill officer pant, jet navy wool technical parka with carbon fine Merino rib turtleneck and jet navy nylon Navtech jogger pant, kelp green slick nylon hazard jacket with sail cream slick stretch turtleneck and jet navy snappy nylon Navtech jogger pant, electric blue stealth reflective down parka with carbon soft reversed deck shirt and carbon nylon Navteck short, and sail crème windowpane bomber with jet navy stretch ponte jogger pant.

White after Labor Day, you betcha!!

—William S. Gooch

General Idea Fall 2016

February 3, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

It has been a couple of seasons since General Idea has shown in New York City. Thankfully, when Creative Director Bumsuk Choi decided to come back to NYC, there is now a New Fashion Week: Men’s fashion week, placing the Korean brand around fellow menswear confreres.

Always known for its great coats and jackets, in previous seasons Bumsuk Choi has been inspired by an urban warrior aesthetic, sporty color blocking, outdoor mountaineering and camping, and functional athletic wear. And as with every collection there are strong Asian influences expressed in clear architectural, minimalist ideals.

For fall 2016 there were, once again, strong Asian influences and clear architectural, minimalist motifs. However, in this outing Choi has found a way to synthesize all these influences into a single, refined dissertation on modern sophistication as expressed in men’s outerwear. From the stylish, clean lines of his jackets and coats to the subtle color combinations to the bold digital prints on black backgrounds, this collection was by far Choi’s most refined and masterful. It is as though Choi has finally found his oeuvre without sacrificing the brand’s emphasis on freshness and youthful charm.

Where in past collections, Choi’s age demographic focused primarily on the stylish man in his 20s, this collection could appeal to a much wider age and style demographic. And the now and next point of view that should always be a part of every collection, but is sadly missing from most, was delicately balanced in this fall outing.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Though there were some garment combinations that seemed slightly out of place in this otherwise cohesive collection—beige cotton sweatshirt with eyelet detail, denim short-sleeved tee shirt with triangle patch detail and denim pants, and beige turtleneck wool tee shirt with navy wool overalls—overall Choi’s fall 2016 collection was a wonderful evolution and projection of where General Idea is going. Standouts in the collection were black wool oversized coat with graphic and black wool oversized knit turtleneck, camel alpaca oversized coat, ivory wool long bomber jacket with navy tape detail and ivory wool knit turtleneck, and grey leather jacket with graphic.

—William S. Gooch

Duckie Brown Fall 2016

February 2, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

OK, so Duckie Brown only showed six looks for their fall 2016 runway presentation. Interesting concept!! Lots of fashion pundits and industry professionals were outraged and chagrined that one of their fan favorites would show such a skimpy collection.

Still, if you are going to present such a downsized collection, each garment better be a masterpiece. I wouldn’t call each garment in this collection a work of art, but compared to Duckie Brown’s spring 2016 collection—which was a mélange of misfires and missed opportunities—the fall 2016 collection, though miniscule, was well done and leagues above spring 2016.

Where Duckie Brown’s design aesthetic for spring 2016 somehow got very lost in translation, the fall 2016 collection was short, sweet and a return to the Duckie Brown the fashion aficionados all love. With a collection that centered on the simple white shirt and black suit, industry professionals saw the return of the oversized pants and jackets with a hint of androgyny.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

Creative Directors Steven Cox and Daniel Silver’s traditional white shirt altered to include a hoodie and bomber silhouette was a brilliant nod to the athleisure wear trend. And the design duo’s boxy, oversized double-breasted jacket and additional topcoats was an interesting and fitting homage to the brand’s penchant for minimalism.

Less is more was the order of the day for Duckie Brown’s fall 2016 collection. And it actually worked!! Who says a collection has to have 25-plus garments? If you can show your design brilliance in what amounts to a small capsule, why not!! 2016 is all about finding what works, and if short and sweet works, go for it!!

—William S. Gooch

Suitsupply Fall 2016

February 2, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Most men love a nicely tailored suit; especially, if the suit collection includes a variety of textures, fabrics and aligns itself with a modern projection of the finely dressed man. For fall 2016 Suitsupply does all of that, and more.

Inspired by a stroll around New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and the great works of art like Mark Rothko’s “ No. 3/No.13,” which highlights Rothko’s iconic “multiform” method of blurred blocks of transitioning colors, the Suitsupply design team began to re-examine how the lines and shape of their suit silhouettes could be made to render a more uniformed wholesome approach to perspective, color and tone. The suits became a canvas to facilitate Suitsupply’s design team’s new perspective on their modern distillation and projection of where their design aesthetic could go.

Though the fall 2016 collection did not stray very far away from the classic suit silhouettes the Suitsupply is becoming known for, the infusion of the incredible color palettes of the warmer shades of copper, emerald, deep ocean blue, and hues inspired by the colorful terrains of Afghanistan and Tibet elevated and injected a contemporary approach to the classic suit.

The fall 2016 collection incorporated looks of layering that was informed by the Mark Rothko’s brush stroke approach. And by supplemented the classic suits with vests, knit sweaters and bodywarmers, the Suitsupply design team provided a more casual, relaxed quality to the collection. Also, the cashmere options in palettes of soft grey, camel, and off-white brought more texture to the fore.

Images courtesy of Ernest Green/fashionreverie.com

With this collection, Suitsupply proves that classic suiting does not have to be boring. And, additionally the incredibly handsome male models from Soul Artist Management were an extra bonus for this fall 2016 collection. Though Suitsupply was founded in Amsterdam, founder Fokke de Jong really understands the way American men want to dress.

—William S. Gooch

ELLERY Pre-Fall 2016

January 19, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of CM Media PR

As most designers this season continued to look to the 1970s for inspiration, ELLERY followed suit by also referencing the era of disco, bell bottomed pants, and sparkle and shine.

Unlike many design houses, ELLERY stayed away from the 70’s era obvious choice, disco/Studio 54. Instead, the New Zealand design house drew inspiration from another dance form, the staged theatrical stylings of Bob Fosse.

“Cabaret” and “Pippin” images courtesy of tumblr.com

Fosse, perhaps, was at the height of his choreographic genius in the 70s. During this period Fosse created some of most pivotal work. From “Pippin” to “Dancin” to “Chicago,”—you also have to include the classic film “Cabaret” and the dance cult film “All that Jazz”—Fosse incorporated the release from sexual inhibitions of the past and the exquisite synthesis of ballet, modern, theater dance, and lyrical jazz all seen through his special vision of theatre and dance.

Image courtesy of CM Media PR

For pre-fall 2016, ELLERY attempted to capture Fosse’s flair for the theatrical and flamboyant sensibility in a collection that harkens back to an era in fashion where the unusual and show stopping garments were showcased a lot more frequently. The standard 70s silhouettes of bell bottomed pants and a juxtaposition of masculine and feminine forms are a definite part of this outing, and interestingly those elements are hallmarks of Fosse’s choreography.

Still, creative director Kym Ellery takes these elements a step further. Bell bottomed pants flair out at the knees and end above the ankles. Masculine topcoats and jackets reveal more feminine silhouettes underneath. And the neutral color palette—which is the primary color palette in the collection—is more modern and utilitarian in scope than what was employed in the 70s.

Images courtesy of CM Media PR

The individual pieces nod to the 1970’s with a uniquely modern riff. Fabric choices harmoniously clash; traditional suiting and British silk houndstooth meeting foam jersey, Japanese cupro, and Swiss lurex net. Classic suits are reinterpreted in the ELLERY vein with flared trousers, slim coats and drawstring blazers all accented with contrasting buttons. A classically monochromatic color palette is highlighted with metallic electric blue and moss green, burgundy, rust and a dash of leopard print.

Images courtesy of CM Media PR

Though this pre-fall 2016 outing borders on the theatrical and avant garde, there are a significant amount of wearable pieces in the collection. After all, ELLERY’s design aesthetic is not for the faint of heart, but for that fashion risk taker. And this collection definitely lives up to the brand’s style DNA. And we are better for it!!

—William S. Gooch

ELOQUII’s Pre-Spring 2016 “Sweet Spots” Collection

January 7, 2016 by admin Leave a Comment

If you live on the East Coast, winter weather is finally here. And though east coasters have barely started wearing winter garments, some pre-spring 2016 collections will be in stores very soon. You might think this is an odd business model, particularly as you are shivering from the winter chill and winter clothes are widely discounted across the country. However, that is the way retail works in the US. Remember, the retail market needs new product in the stores every six weeks.

That said; for those curvy girls who love fashion-forward spring clothes and long for warmer temperatures, ELOQUII debuts its first pre-spring collection, Sweet Spots. ELOQUII is quickly becoming one of the premier go-to fashion brands for curvy women who want affordable, trendy style. ELOQUII has solidly placed itself as a brand that understands how the modern curvy wants to dress.

This first pre-spring collection from the brand combines two classic ELOQUII prints, the humble dot—hence, the collection moniker “Sweet Spots”—and a striking leopard print, perfectly suited for the spring season. Blush pinks in combination with bold, graphic prints, create a balance among ladylike silhouettes and romantic details. Dresses, tops, skirts, and pants can be mixed and matched or worn as separates in the warmer season ahead.

And staying on trend, ELOQUII brings back the Peter Pan collar. The Peter Pan collar popped up on runways for spring 2010, referencing styles from the 1960s. And the Peter Pan collar trend keeps coming back every other season. Where some brands have re-invented the Peter Pan collar, as detachables or connected to shirts with flouncy ties and bows as seen in Chloe’s spring 2016 collection, ELOQUII has opted for more traditional fare, appropriately reflecting 60’s trends.

Images courtesy of LaForce Stevens

ELOQUII’s pre-spring “Sweet Spots” 2016 collection is now available online. ELOQUII caters to curvy women, sized 14–24. For more information, go to eloquii.com.

—William S. Gooch