Milan Fashion Week. S/S 11.

Missoni....

Rustic knits from Missoni S/S 11 collection, with plays on proportion and intricate strip design, Angela Missoni compared the many layers of her new menswear collection to layers of memories and souvenirs of a more artisanal era.

Milan Fashion Week. Pringle of scotland S/S 11.

Out of the Blue....

With beautiful, billowy silhouettes and a stunning palette of blues which was inspired by the film 'blue' by Derek Jarman, Pringle of Scotland's S/S 11 collection really stood out to me. It was quietly innovative as cotton shirting was shredded and knitted into the same cable on one piece an effect that isn't instantly noticed until seen close up, creating both visually stunning pieces and all entirely wearable. The idea from Creative Director, Clare Waight Keller being 'to completely deconstruct the fabrication of classic menswear pieces such as the trench, the jean and the shirt and reconstruct them in fresh, new and inventive ways'. Pringle are constantly pushing the experimental capabilities of knitwear and I greatly look forward to next seasons collection.

Tilda Swinton Stillimage from film Blue by the Derek Jarmen

Milan Fashion Week. S/S 11.

Marni...

 

Marni's S/S menswear, I love the simplisity and sharpness of the silhouette with short over long layering.






Alexander McQueen....
McQueen's SS 11 Collection, the new creative director and, since 2000, the head of design for womenswear, Sarah Burton, showed her first menswear collection for the house. It was a fluid and seamless execution of jackets, either second skin suiting, belted washed black leather or loose long fitting coats. A red and gold brocade coat stood out beautifully, however I loved the stained shadow shirt which had a charm and quirkiness which represents McQueen.

Vogue Italia April 2010......crochet crazy

Emma Summerton for Vogue Italia - featuring Marjan Pejoski. I love the eclectic collection of pattern and crochet furnishings. Reminds me of the William Gedney photography used in the JW Andersons S/S 11 Collection....

 

OCCURING TRENDS......from NY and LFW

Looking at collections from NY and London fashion week, there are some visible trends showing through.....

He wears short shorts...

Designers like, Martina Rose, Topman, Marc Jacobs and Yigal Aerouel have all chosen boyish silhouettes, cut at the thighs with deep pockets the look is very nostalgic and all have similiar palettes of greens and camels which have featured alot throughout most of the menswear collections.

Hold up.......

As this seasons trousers get bigger and baggier, statement belts and braces have feautured heavily on the catwalk also translating through to the style on the streets.

Boy, necklace.....

This is one summer trend I love, beautiful accesseries have come out from Christopher Shannon, Robert Geller and New Power Studio shows, replacing the usual neck suspects like ties and bow ties, necklaces have de-formalized and added an subtle, summer edge.

Hatters.....

   

LFW S/S 11. Christopher Shannon.

Staycation.....

Christopher Shannon's S/S11 collection dubbed 'staycation' was inspired by a varity of holidays that he had never got to go on, both sporty and nostalgic. With a witty camouflage print and beautiful accesseries the collection had an cool, ethic vibe which was enthusized by reggie beats that were blasted down the catwalk. I love the infusion of techo mesh trims and nylons that brings sportwears back to into fashion. 

 Best bit has to be the beautiful neck satchel, love it!.....

LFW S/S 11. JW Anderson.

JW Anderson is a designer I have only recently discovered and his S/S 11 collection about a boy and girl falling in love and running away to take a road-trip across America makes me love this romantic anarchist collection even more. With beautiful florals and patchworked trousers it has the sense of salvage, saving and borrowing clothes. JW Anderson used the 'honesty' of William Gedney's photography as the starting point to his collection. Even the accessories of spike collars mixed with floral scarfs and leather boots with encrusted swarovski crystal toecaps all add to the poetic rebel image portrayed in the clothing.

  

LOVE LOVE LOVE JW ANDERSON'S BOOTS. IN MY OPINION ALL SHOES NEED ABIT OF SWAROVSKI'S AND TASSELS.

  A William Gedney photograph.

LFW S/S 11. JAMES LONG.

With whimsical colours from head/hair to toe and beautiful knits from James Long his S/S 11 is by far my favourite menswear collection from LFW. James worked with artist Ethan Cook to create oil slicks and marble-ized prints, and with frayed, dip-dyed knits which were inspired on a recent trip to Woodstock the creative vibe of art and music definatly showed.

This is a great interview from Dazed Digital with James Long about his collection.

What was the thinking behind the prints of the collection?

James Long: I worked with the artist, Ethan Cook to create the prints for the collection. I went to Woodstock in May and there was this guy that we saw that had a great spirit and there was a lot I wanted to capture from him.

There seems to be a great emphasis on lots of different textures

James Long: Texture is always in the mix – with the leathers and the knitwear. I put a lot of denim in. it’s very Woodstock inspired. Not hippy but hallucinogenic inspired.

You’re always known for your work with leather – how did you push forward and experiment this time?

James Long: It’s hard to print on leather so we put this liquid ink on the leather. Also, the cowhide skins are splashed with acid that removed the fur and reburnished. We’ve tried to do that before but this is the first time we’ve been successful.

Is making menswear personal for you?

James Long: Yeah it’s my heart and soul – it’s what I do every day. Everything goes into it from the people I work with, people I know who inspire me. I have a lot of muses who help inform the collection.

If you were to sum up an emotion running through the collection, what would that be?

James Long: Relaxed hallucinogenic!

LFW S/S 11. MAN SHOW.

Martine Rose S/S 11

I was very excited to see what had come from the MAN show at Royal Opera House for its Spring Summer edition, and I wasn't disappointed. The first designer was Martine Rose, aptly titled 'cut-and-paste' her collection mashed a varity of ideas together. From military bullet proof style jackets to ornate, interior prints, I loved the brocade prints and tailoring of the looks.

 Girl on the Streets has the same military/feminine energy as the  'cut-and-paste' collection

Felipe Rojas Llanos. S/S 11.

Felipe Rojas Llanos's menswear S/S 11 collection had beautiful simple silloehttes. I really love the rich colour palette of indigo blue that stood out inbetween the other collections at MAN, slight rounded drop shoulders contrasted with cutting, angular hems. And with light and shiny silks and crisp white shirts, the result was high quality with a minimalist slant. Based on a novel called 'Legion of Super Heroes' there was a definate playful edge with the last look including a super hero cape.

New Power Studio. S/S 11.

Last but not least, New Power Studio S/S 11 Menswear collection was a sure spectical. The show started with a casual aesthetic of pastel shirts and tracksuit style trousers, a group then danced onto the catwalk draped in toliet paper scarfs which I wasn't too sure about but as Thom Murphy was inspired by domestic items from his new flat finished the collection with jackets based from mops and rubber gloves it all seemed to make sense and ended the MAN show on a high.

The 'domestic' inspired pieces really reminded me of the 2009 Vogue shoot where house hold objects were used to create clothes on a budget.

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LFW S/S 11 the boys begin....

 SIBLING.....

KnitHead....

 

 Iv only recently come across the work of Bronwen Marshall which I totally love....graphic tailoring and meticulous attention to detail, Bronwen's vision of menswear is geometric, anonymous and sexual. Just thought I'd add some pictures for reference as the prints are divine.....

HAUNCH OF VENISON, LONDON.

On another knit related note....Joana Vasconcelos who uses alot of mix knit techniques thoughtout her sculptures is currently being displayed at the Haunch of Venison. My favourite piece is her sculpture 'Victoria', it has a grand blackness which lures you into it's ornate, tactile surfaces. I love how the installation morphs between a monster and a muse, made from hand knitted fabrics and crochet it was inspired by the many styles of Queen Victoria. However it seems very representative of a part of fashion design going on today, and reminds me alot of a Gareth Pugh collection entangled together.

 Joana Vasconcelos, 'I Will Survive'.