L.A. shows its design muscle in three days of men’s runway shows
If the second round of New York Fashion Week’s recently concluded men’s shows proved anything, it was that Los Angeles designers are simultaneously creative disrupters and an established presence deeply woven into the fabric of contemporary masculine American style.
In three days of runway shows and installation-style presentations showcasing the fall/winter 2016 collections, the diverse L.A. contingent displayed a compelling take on dressing today’s guy without the usual menswear tropes and stuffy traditional retreads. And the men’s fashion industry is taking notice.
“L.A. Is the most exciting engine of style right now,” said Jim Nelson, editor-in-chief of men’s fashion bible GQ, after designer John Elliott’s standout show. “And I think John is leading the way. He’s the king of a kind of layered street wear, but what we saw today is that he is evolving that look, and that’s what will keep him on top.”
Evolve Elliott did, as the offerings in his third runway show seemed to explode in every direction in 35 densely layered looks. From a down-filled half-zip jacket in a bonded techno knit to a cropped tweedy overcoat layered over a same-length elongated flight jacket to an inky leather patchwork poncho of counterpointed textures, the outerwear options were impressively sophisticated and street-smart at the same time.
After the show, the designer said his inspiration came from nightclubs in cities around the world, a change from last season’s influence taken from the streets of Vietnam. The dusky palette reflected the shift from day to night.
Instagram-friendly still-life presentations with models arranged in varied formats kicked off the week with a low-key vibe. For CWST (pronounced “quest”), creative director Joe Sadler decided to look outside of L.A. for inspiration, to the Pacific Northwest and the San Juan Islands, where remnants of the ‘90s counterculture mingle with a newly minted tech gentry.
It all added up to an artfully disheveled look that played with highly textured washed woolen jackets in blanket plaids and a primitive pattern inspired by a totem pole, as well as nylon surf-inspired shorts with thickly precise quilting and even a jumpsuit that on closer inspection revealed it was made of quietly contrasting checks.
Matiere’s presentation saw founder Scot Shandalove and creative director Jake Zeitlin dressing modern-day nomads in layered Italian virgin wool and woolen gauze plaids, as well as cashmere and jersey pieces under angular vests and jackets with tech elements like sealed zippers and protective funnel necks.
A cinematic swirl of fog rolled in at Chris Stamp’s Stampd presentation, where a harder aesthetic prevailed with 20 models on platforms looming above the mist. Called New Soldier, the collection explored military details in unexpected ways, like a hand-woven turtleneck with boot-like laces up the sleeves and an officer’s parka in a washed shiitake mushroom hue.
In a walk-up loft downtown on Canal Street, the bicoastal Simon Miller brand offered a preview of its highly crafted but decidedly nonchalant denim-driven line under the direction of Daniel Corrigan and Chelsea Hansford. The fall/winter 2016 offerings include a looser-fitting, wide-legged jean with a ‘90s skater vibe. A special capsule collection of “Made in Japan” denim with artisanal distressing marked with an indigo blue suede patch departed from the company’s made-in-L.A. roots. Indigo shades were also featured prominently in outerwear and sweaters, including a cotton bomber in a thickly woven judo fabric that offered warmth without a weighty feeling. Tonal hoodie jackets and relaxed cashmere cardigans in green, oxblood and yellow echoed the painterly colorings of France’s Ochre Mountains.
At his dramatically lit presentation centered by a full-size boxing ring, designer Greg Lauren was reflective. “I am a proud resident and working artist of Los Angeles,” said the New York native, “and I owe L.A. for finding my voice there.” For this round, he focused on the Baja hoodie and the drop-crotch athletic pant as the foundation for his reworked and repatched vintage aesthetic and this season’s vision of “the beach in winter.”
A model poses at the Greg Lauren presentation during New York Fashion Week Men’s Fall/Winter 2016 at Skylight at Clarkson Sq on February 3, 2016 in New York City. In the center ring, Greg Lauren’s signature drop-crotch knit pants and reworked Baja pullovers.
Sinewy tattooed male models sparred and sported capes as jock heroes in the casual knits while a proper group of striped suits and another trio of black-tie variations incorporated the same knit-cuffed bottoms, proving that his styling gene can easily go toe-to-toe with his uncle Ralph any time.
If winter finds Lauren walking the beach, the Jeffrey Rüdes man is idealized as a jet-setter who’s probably looking down on the landscape as he flies off to a cosmopolitan locale. Rüdes, previously the “J” behind J Brand denim, unveiled an expansive take on nuanced masculine luxury in his much-broadened third collection. There were all the well-heeled traveler’s necessities, like a elegant buttonless trench, an oversize suede travel tote and gasp-worthy furry shearling jackets. But he kept things interesting with unexpected add-ons like a full-length military coat in washed burgundy velvet with brass officer’s buttons or his silken shirts in Wiener Werkstätte and Art Nouveau-derived patterns.
Humorously dubbed “she’s only with you when she’s with you,” the collection from Second/Layer’s Anthony Franco and Joshua Willis was equal parts familiar but elevated shapes with an overall air of heedless youthfulness by Cali kids who surf and skate and roam around looking for love. The designers’ Mexican cultural heritage from growing up back on the proverbial block in L.A. came through in the style they like to call “suavecito,” casual in a ombre plaid overshirt or sharp in the petro-blue moto jacket in oiled calfskin with subtle detailing.
