- Real Men Wear Heels – Fashion Shoot - 25 February, 2014
- A Straight Man Worth Knowing – Philip H. Mancuso - 19 July, 2013
- A Fashion Forward Letter - 12 July, 2013
It’s a general rule, that the first handful of collections shown will set the pace for the entire season, and it is time for the resort collections.
Resort season is honestly my least favourite because it’s all so obvious. It lacks glamour, drama and quite frankly imagination. That being said, it does bring a fresh perspective to the trends of the fall/winter shows, and if we’re lucky a hint at the things to come for pre-fall.
The first 5 collections to be presented, seen, and reviewed were: Bottega Venetta, Chanel, Diesel Black Gold, Dior and J.W. Anderson for Versus by Versace. If the first 5 collections are any indication of the future wardrobe of society’s elite, they will be outfitted in iconic pieces in bold colours and lots of patterns. Oh Joy.
When I tune in to the Chanel collection – no matter the season – I expect to see, sequins, chiffon, and lots of tweed. However, this season Uncle Karl gave me original Gabrielle Chanel before she battled Dior, sporty chic. He showed oversized cable knit sweaters in a pretty boyish cut, comfortable separates that resembled a jersey fabric and he avoided the classic colours. There were no pinks, no blues, just simple blacks, whites and cream… Ah c’est magnifique.
British bloke J.W. Anderson, took notes from the streets and brought back the Versace sass that made Gianni famous. With stark contrast of white and black and strategic slits and cuts, the grudge movement was in full effect. And right before you could criticize him for “too much black” he sent out 8 looks of vibrant colours paired with either white or lace. The collection was a mixture of the two dynamic brands, Versace colours and prints, but all manipulated under Anderson’s hands.
Bottega Venetta and Diesel Black Gold are two companies that are true to their consumer. Every season you are never surprised but also never disappointed. These are brands that aim to be the continual basics in your wardrobe. Diesel gave chic edge with the use of monochromatic looks in black and white, army green, leather ascents, and detailed structure while Bottega gave effortless beauty with chiffon, flowing knee length dresses, original prints and conservative bust lines. It’s as if the two companies played off one another for a mother daughter feel, and it was nice.
Last but not least, there is Dior. Raf Simons has proven to be a remarkable choice for the heritage brand over the last few seasons and this season is no different. Rather it is his choice to reinvent the new look power suit in a sleeker silhouette with rich colours of red and blue, or his ability to mix fabrics such as sheer with metallic or prints and lace. Either way, Monsieur Simons is definitely setting the tone for fashion forward classic pieces to be seen on sandy beaches, everywhere, with the use of colour blocking, crop tops, dresses, jackets, suits, and pants. I wouldn’t be surprised, if the entire collection get shipped straight to American Vogue for the August Editorial.
So what does this mean for men? We are already second in the world of fashion because we statistically just don’t shop as much, meaning our trends come second. But, it never fails that whatever is put on the runway for women, trickles down to us… eventually.
This season I’m predicting the use of flamboyant colours in suiting most likely from brands like Dior, Burberry, Prada, and Louis Vuitton. I anticipate leather ascents and the edgy army movement to make a brief come back in the younger brands like Diesel, J Brand, and Vince. And if we’re lucky some of the cooler companies like Alexander Wang and Givenchy will give us mixing fabrics and juxtaposed prints.
Here’s hoping.
