London's first mens fashion week in the form of London Collections in June of last year was a sign of the city's surge of creative talent, as well as menswear's unstoppable rise of late. Yesterday saw the beginning of the event's Autumn/Winter 2013 showings, with numerous shows and installations going on around the capital. Take a look below for a run through some of my favourite shows from day one.
I've been a big fan of Kit Neale since his quite recent beginnings, partly because of how he injects a sense of humour into his designs through clever prints, but also because of his attention to the bigger picture. I interviewed him a while back, and he told me that he sees no point in creating unwearable clothes that won't sell because as he put it, he's got to pay the bills. Putting what he preaches to practice, he presented his fried egg prints and Scooby Doo slippers the only way many could find them acceptable- in their local caff. With rhyme to reason, or reason to rhyme, those neon eggs look a little more tasty, and those tutti frutti puffer jackets deliciously tangy. Inspired by the Charles Atlas mockumentary 'Hail the New Puritan', yesterday saw Kit reinforcing exactly why we love him.
Richard Nicoll's debut menswear collection in June was celebrated for its slick, urban minimalism- something the crowds wished for again for A/W. It was there in yesterday's show, albeit weakened by the inclusion of questionably oversized tailoring not carried well by the rather sickly-looking models. The strongest pieces were simple with interesting details like contrast lapels and panels (also seen at Lou Dalton).
Topman's journey through the cold months of Autumn and Winter started with an opening look much like that of a polar explorer, with white tailoring cleverly layered upon a textured cream knit underneath a cool cropped parka, toughened with a pair of luxe hiking boots. Layers of contrast textures and statement shades continued on the models' trip through the reds and siennas of Tibet and China before culminating in seafarer shades of navy. Strong, wearable pieces made this an exceptional show, something Topman's female counterpart might take note of.
Photos from Fashion 156 and Style.com.
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