There's something so Harvey Dent about not having to choose the face you want to put out to the world, but to embrace both the light and the dark. The Paris men's shows had a few notable looks that will allow us to channel our inner split personality.
VICTOR VICTORIA
As much flack as Miley Cyrus received for those half jean, half sweatpants by Ashish she wore two years ago, clearly she was on to something. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was drinking big gulps of the haterade myself, but now that I see them interpreted by other designers, I'm beginning to warm up to the idea. Actually, who am I kidding. I want a pair!
left to right: Maison Martin Margiela, Yohji Yamamoto
Remember back in the early aughts when men embraced pink in a big way? They were all pink button downs, pink baseball caps, some even wore pink sneakers, all with no hint of threat to their masculinity. The ubiquity of pink was a rare moment in men's fashion so it's not surprising that it's taken so long for men to embrace uber-feminine colors again.
Yellow seems to be the color of choice this time around. As a matter of fact, it was impossible to ignore on the runways in Milan. From trousers to man bags, from canary to pastels, designers made yellow safe for men everywhere. And made it that much easier for us to emulate their looks.
Scroll down to see the yellow clad men of Milan...
SWEATSHIRTS AND SWEATERS
Other than the black trimmed offering by Andrea Incontri, tops in varying shades and tints of yellow could easily be seen as unisex. Take the mustard yellow leather tee by Les Hommes or the slim pale crew-neck by Jil Sander, both are genderless and would appeal to men and women. Imagine a future where you and your guy are sharing the same shirts. It could happen... Maybe.
left to right: Les Hommes, Andrea Pompilio, Jil Sander, Andrea Incontri, Canali
With London ending and Milan just revving up, the Mens Spring/Summer 2015 shows are in full swing. Men's runway is a great source of inspiration even for those of us that prefer the girlier side of things because, let's face it, menswear is inspired by womenswear is inspired by menswear is inspired by womenswear is inspired by...well, you get it.
I've rounded up a few of my favorite trends from the London runway such as DIY patches and fancy bomber jackets. Although all of these looks were made for men, they would work so well on us don't you think?
Scroll below for some spring/summer inspo and check back for a roundup of the Milan and Paris shows.
CULOTTES
I wouldn't call them culottes to his face, but we women know that's exactly what they are. The light two-toned version by Common is my favorite, but the other two styles show just how versatile this look can be for both men and women.
If you grew up outside of Manhattan, which is like 75% of us, than you used to shop at the mall. If you live in the suburbs than you definitely shop at the mall. If you live in a rural area than the mall is probably your weekend getaway. I am a Jersey native so I was for sure a mall rat if there ever was one (Thank you Kevin Smith for giving us a name). And if you were in the mall, you saw the signs for Simon, even if, like me, you didn't know who Simon was.
Never did I think I would see the day when a construction equipment company with an iconic name, would be putting on a legitimate runway show. But this is today's world where boundaries are blurred and your reach is only limited by the scope of your ideas.
Caterpiller, the company best known for it's iconic yellow construction machinery has an alter ego. It's alter ego is called CAT, and CAT has a big time shoe fetish! CAT Footwear has actually been around for over 20 years but has largely been known for work boots. That's all about to change, however, because there is a serious marketing push to modify our perception of the brand. I say modify, and not change, because it's not really a change per se. The brand calls its fans 'earthmovers' after it's famed machines and the logo still contains that testosterone-charged yellow color we're all familiar with. So there is a definite effort to channel the brand's heritage and keep some continuity. Now, I know you're thinking right now the same thing I was thinking yesterday. How the heck is a brand known for construction equipment and dirty, smelly men going to convince me that their shoes are fashionable? Well, let me start with constructing last night's event (pun absolutely not intended, but still funny anyway).
I live in Manhattan and am one of those types that rarely leaves the island. No elitism. It just is what it is. So with everything normally within a half hour reach by subway, I was shocked (not in a good way) to learn it was going to take me a whopping 50 minutes by subway and another 10 minutes walking to get to the venue which was in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Well, maybe that is a little snobby. After chastising myself the whole train ride for not reading through the entire email to learn the location of the event. And after pulling out my GPS to figure out which direction to walk and dreading it the whole time, a vintage, or vintage-looking, trolley pulled up in front of the subway entrance with the CAT logo on the windows. I knocked on the door and asked the driver if he was shuttling people to the event. He nodded in the affirmative. And after my inner self stopped being in awe of my first time inside of a vintage coach, I knew that from that moment on, I had to go into this with a fully open mind.
From military to sleek, the denim trench wasn't all over the runway, but showed up enough times to capture our attention. Considering the internet was all abuzz when Rihanna wore a Miu Miu denim trench coat, the idea of wearing one next spring isn't all that far-fetched.
Christopher Raeburn, Eudon Choi, Tommy Hilfiger
Suck, Squeeze and Pull Shorts
Just looking at these shorts and I know I will be sucking my breath, squeezing into them and pulling them out of every crack throughout the day. As unfathomable as this routine might seem, with looks from heavyweights like Rodarte and Tommy Hilfiger coming down the runway, prepare to do the unthinkable.
Rodarte, The Elder Statesmen, Tommy Hilfiger
The Denim Shift
Well they're not quite shifts, but we love the unexpected voluminous take on the denim dress.
Eudon Choi, Christopher Raeburn
Black & White
Although none of these looks are denim, the total and complete representation of noncolor that is black and white deserves an honorable mention. There was so much black and white on the spring runway that I am beyond feeling foolish for thinking vertical stripes were just a one season hit. Get your pops of color in shoes, handbags and accessories ready because you'll need them for spring.
When you get to the 0:35 second mark in this video, you'll get a quick glimpse of me snapping pictures with my iPhone of GStar RAW's New York Fashion Week Night. I had every intention of posting those very pictures today. But then, of course, I saw this video, almost spit out my Red Bull (I hate coffee) after seeing myself and then decided the video was much better. Especially since I missed the performance by Kasabian. Bummer.
Instead of the mega runway show that G-Star usually puts on during Fashion Week, they opted instead to have a curated exhibition at The Highline Hotel. Other than the lack of A/C, it was the perfect venue for the presentation that was put together. As attendees walked through the long courtyard, a spotlight projecting the words "RAW" in an eerie blue glow above the entrance made me feel as if I were walking into a chiller thriller. We walked up stairs, down pathways and through doors with original works by G-Star RAW such as denim covered kayaks and "exploding" jeans leading the way. The winding, ever changing path, as well as the overall atmosphere spawned conflicting emotions of forboding, curiosity and excitement. Whoever put this idea together truly deserves a round of applause for the Hitchcockian suspense.
The main hall was lined with curated pieces as if we were in the Denim Museum of G-Star RAW. Lamps were covered with denim horse "armor". Miners masks complete with vintage hard hats were stacked on a shelf. A watercraft that I can only describe as a hybrid between a submarine and a kayak was constructed with a denim cover. And a statue with a denim mask over it's face like the pope incognito loomed over the crowd as if saying "come my children, all are welcome, all are welcome". And in between all of that was the collection.
Centerstage were men's and women's jeans stiffened and posed for the presentation on a catwalk of light. However, it was the raw denim and carrot leg silhouettes we've come to expect from the brand. The real star was the introduction of G-Star's new eyewear collection which launches in January. I happily tried on a few pairs and took a few selfies in them (see DenimHunt on Instagram). The glasses come in both sunnies and prescription ready clear, with special features being raised screws and flat lenses for an industrial aesthetic.
Overall, it was a great fashion week concept. Especially for those of us beginning to tire of the fashion week chaos as described in RackedNY and the NY Times.
Aww hell, I took pictures. Why let them go to waste. See below for pics from the event.
While most of the spring shows have been punctuated with midi-length A-line skirts that are an homage to the dresses of the 1950's, denim skirts have hit the runways in an unexpected return from cheesy obscurity. The timing couldn't be more perfect for we could only feign demure in a midi length skirt but for so long before wanting to vamp it up a bit. Rawr!
Veronica Beard, Peter Som, Rachel Zoe, Jeremy Scott
Ornate Graphics and Prints
There's a party down below and it just won't stop. The lights haven't yet gone out on printed jeans, but for spring the wattage was turned down. In keeping with the lightness of the season, prints took on a sheer quality while still being emblazoned all over like those that went down the runway at Diesel Black Gold.
Diesel Black Gold, Rachel Roy
Distress My Boyfriend!
Or rather, distress my boyfriend jeans please. The irony of being the anti-vixen by donning the shape concealing silhouette of the boyfriend jean is that we do everything in our power to show some skin. Hanging it off the hips, cuffing to show ankle and shredding it to show some "leg" are just a few of the not so subtle techniques we use to let people know there's something to see underneath all of that fabric.
The days of all denim runway shows (a'la LA Fashion Week) are long gone, but denim and denim-inspired looks continue to be incorporated in the shows. Although New York Fashion Week is still in full swing, here's a roundup of what we're seeing so far....
Black & White
With the proliferation of black and white on the runway this season, I'm beginning to wonder if all the designers used the same trend services. I mean it's evvvrywhere. However, while last season, it was predominately in stripes, this season the monochromatic trend has moved into more graphic territory with avant-garde prints and slick colorblocking.
Nicole Miller, Rachel Comey, L.A.M.B., BLK DNM
Metallics
It's no surprise that metallics are making a comeback and designers like Nicole Miller are playing with the trend by using sick art deco embellishments. For those of us that want something a little more subdued, Johan Lindeberg's BLK DNM offers a more chic version.
Nicole Miller, BLK DNM
Dresses and Shifts
Dresses stuck mostly to above the knee styles and played with volume. Designer's varying interpretations like Rachel Comey's homespun version and Jill Stuart's slick mod shift will give us many options to play around with come Spring.
Jill Stuart, Rebecca Taylor, Rachel Comey, Jen Kao
Not So Shorts
If the spring runways are any indication, shorts are going to be less leggy and more roomy when the season rolls around. I wouldn't toss my short shorts out just yet. These roomy shorts are meant to be an addition and will add more variety to our wardrobes, allow us to wear more shoe options (think non-skanky high heels and shorts) and hopefully, hopefully, will be the start of wearing shorts in the fall.
DKNY, Jen Kao, Rachel Comey
Trousers
Boyfriend, palazzo's and 70's style trousers lent to an anything goes theme when it came to volume in women's jeans. Hmm, maybe anything goes isn't quite the right phrase. Volume has been a constant on the runway for a few seasons now, but there's usually a similarity in the silhouettes across brands. This season, there is a welcome variety in the styles which will allow us to play around with different looks this spring.
Rachel Comey, Jen Kao, Trina Turk, Rebecca Taylor
Denim Shirts & Tunics
If you were one of those people that thought denim shirts were a one season wonder how does it feel to be wrong. Don't worry. I've been there myself. I can't forget about how wrong I was about the boyfriend jean. From button-downs to tunics, from casual to dressy, designers are making denim shirts that can be worn from day to play to night. And what's better, they're transseasonal! I wear my denim shirts all year round. It's going to be a long, long time before anyone ever doubts the staying power of the denim shirt again.
BLK DNM, Jen Kao, Rachel Comey, Rebecca Taylor, Trina Turk
Ripped and Torn
Feels like de ja vu... Again. It seems as if every three years we're discussing ripped and torn jeans. There's just something about that little sliver of skin that peeks through the whispy white threads of an expertly shredded hole that is akin to the peek of an ankle back in the days of Victorian fashion, no?
Rachel Comey, Nicole Miller, BLK DNM
Jumpers and Playsuits and Onesies, Oh My
No matter what you call it, from the first moment the onesie became for grown ups...or hipsters, we couldn't stop obsessing over them (even if we're not actually wearing them) Boilersuits and stilettos sum up working class luxe nicely just as overalls and flats juxtapose (yes I said it) farmer chic and downtown cool. Long story short, we can't get enough of the one piece item with the many names.
Trina Turk, L.A.M.B., DKNY
Denim Jackets
What can we say. They won't go away. The 90's influence is more evident this season with oversized denim jackets, perfect for switching out with your varsity and baseball jackets which are sure to still be around next spring. We also like the classic look of the moto jacket a'la Rebecca Taylor and hope that we'll see more upmarket takes on that particular silhouette as the shows go on.
DKNY, Jen Kao, Rebecca Taylor
Keep checking back for more New York Fashion Week Spring 2014 Runway trends...
New York Fashion Week is a few short days away. So while we're all vibrating in anticipation of the scene on and off the runway, I thought it'd be cool to wet your appetite with another week of fashion that ended very recently.
Oslo Fashion Week's Spring 2014 shows ran from August 12th to August 17th and we got an invite! Of course goint to Norway wasn't quite feasible, but the good peeps at Mardou & Dean sent us a live feed as well as imagery of the full collection.
My favorite piece didn't open the show, but the color combination and mod patchwork of the colorblocked leather pants (above) are a look that should be duplicated in denim and corduroy in my opinion. And the full body yellow jeans and top are a good indication that I can still wear my yellow jeans next year.
Thinking it may be a problem coveting a brand based in Norway? Mardou & Dean have an e-commerce site and they deliver to the States. Problem solved.
Scroll down to see more images and a slideshow of the full collection of Mardou & Dean Spring/Summer 2014 and get ready for New York!
