In a slight nod to the male fashion followers out there, the fashion media have been focusing on the menswear collections over the past week, reporting from the front line of shows such as Paul Smith, Dolce and Gabbana, Hugo Boss and Givenchy. While I wasn’t able to out to the shows (mores the pity) I have been devouring the updates on all the trusted fashion websites (nothing to do with the veritable troop of hunky male models, honest) to form a fashion report for t5m’s followers.
As with the most recent womenswear shows (back in darkest February) the collections didn’t seem to follow a major consensus. Rather, the common theme seemed to be that there was no common theme. Some shows seemed to have their own micro-themes such as Hugo Boss, where the whiter than white suits gave the impression of an army of angels marching down the runway. Both Versace and Missoni showed oodles of linen and khaki in creams and beiges: obviously these models were lost in the desert pre-show.
The Dolce and Gabbana show couldn’t resist going all out on their own micro-theme: American Western. Although, as the New York Times duly noted, the design duo restrained themselves from camping it up and instead the models trotted down the runway in faded and ripped denim (also a favourite womenswear trend for this year) and snug-fit jackets in soft brown leather. Never have cowboys looked so chic.
Aside from micro-trends, we were all happy to see that Stylish Man prevailed across the collections. A couple of shows centred around a more deconstructed look (sloppy tees and distressed fabrics, as seen as Emporio Armani) but a major trend was for outfits to look put together – formal and wearable. Paul Smith showed typically smart and sharp suits in a variety of fabrics, plus a particularly nice grey lightweight trench coat which would improve the wardrobes of many a working man. Raf Simons at Jil Sander also gave a defined silhouette, with slim lapels on the jackets and trousers tailored to chic cigarette hems. There was also a lot of grey around, the muted palette only adding to the smooth, suited and booted finish. We agree with the Guardian’s Fashion Statement that, as with the women’s collections, grey will feature hugely in the autumn/winter wardrobe.
On a slightly more comic note (although we’re sure it wasn’t intended as such), Dolce and Gabbana set out to introduce men to the clutch bag. The D&G models pretty much carried these exclusively on the catwalk – shunning the usual satchels and other office-appropriate accessories. We’re not too sure this trend will catch on, and frankly the t5m girls are hoping that men go to the other extreme: Wimbledon has meant that luxe sports bags are back, and we can’t get enough of Roger Federer’s gold-trimmed attire….
