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Wide leg trousers and oversized duffle coats…not something I naturally envision when I think of Topman. However, at this year’s London Collections: Men, sister label Topman Design showcased a plethora of texture, soft silhouette and strategic layering.
A step back from the usual highly commercial looks ensured that this collection stood out from the rest and challenged my own perceptions on the label’s design abilities. Being somewhat vertically challenged myself, the idea of wide leg trousers and copious layers isn’t necessarily my first choice, but I could easily cherry pick pieces from this collection and build well executed looks.
So firstly let’s look to the colour palette. To start off we had the staple shade of black. Wide leg trousers, paired with oversized tees seemed to be one of the stronger opening looks. With such a heavy shade as black, small details such as patent prints and leather textures lifted the outfits and ensured they didn’t fall flat. The supremely clever styling portrayed an industrial element fused ever so beautifully together into a classically smart look, completed with patent brogues.
We then move onto rich charcoals in the guise of supremely well-tailored suits and a pop of navy to break the palette and add a point of difference. The collection moved onto texture, with the introduction of knits, which I find synonymous with Topman Design as a whole. A chunky grey marl roll neck was the focal point of this look, pieced with a pair of smart wide leg trousers and patent shoes. Mid-way through the show the outfits morphed into soft blues with touches of off-white to give a much needed shot of light colour.
The third portion of the show harboured a sense of nostalgia for the 80s. Strong boxy shapes and highly glossy fabrics all added to this aura. Glossy fabrics were carefully worked into this section of the collection through trousers and exquisite jackets. This,I believe, will be a huge trend this fall. I instantly fell in love with the maxi rain mac, in a patent sheer fabric. Perfectly styled with a highly bright sky blue sweater underneath allowed the colour to be slightly muted, but added a sense of exploration wanting to see what was underneath the mac.
The last section of the show lent itself to the use of patent and wet look fabrics, helping to create detailing on a primary palette of black. Such stunning detail including piped edges, bluff pockets and contrast lapels on jackets which really gave the collection substance and a sense of intrigue as to what would come out next. On the whole the collection was sophisticated yet delightfully edgy. Clever detailing and choice of fabrics varying in handle, appearance and texture, all culminated in a highly cohesive look.
The key details to pull from this when helping to inspire your wardrobe this fall will be glossy/patent fabrics, toggle detailing/wide leg trousers/pops of sky blue and rich red, paired with muted greys. With so much diversity being shown this year at LC:M, Topman Design excelled. It gave a nod to a formal and casual look while still harbouring sophistication.
