Mr. Versatility
The Spring/Summer 2010 men’s runways in Milan and Paris had no shortage of fantasy. From the seafaring dangerous dandies of Vivienne Westwood to Galliano’s Napoleon meets Lawrence of Arabia desert dwellers, they told the tale of escape and exploration through bold prints, bright pops of blue and kilometers of embroidery.
But there was also something noticeably different this season. The trappings of character and flights of fantasy were layered as lightly as the gauzy Arabian headdresses, and it wasn’t difficult for even the casual observer to strip away the fantasy veneer from the runway looks and see solid, versatile and commercial pieces that would be key components of most modern men’s luxury wardrobes (if that modern man doesn’t mind showing a bit of leg, as close-cropped, ankle-baring trousers were nearly ubiquitous). Most notable were the linen pieces -- jackets and pants in gray pinstripes and Prince of Wales checks -- lightweight nylon jackets and ultra-thin suede and denim shirt jackets.
Don’t think the season was devoid of spectacle. Few in the crowd of the packed John Galliano show, staged in a long-abandoned, graffiti-covered municipal pool on the edge of Paris, are likely to forget it -- especially given that it closed with Michael Jackson’s “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” less than 24 hours after the pop singer had moonwalked off this mortal coil. But even Galliano, one of the best showmen in the business, seemed determined to deliver a collection that didn’t require much mental energy to translate from catwalk to cafe.
That left buyers less than bowled over but still bullish on the practicality of what they saw on the runway. “As a fashion director, you want to go and be completely surprised and blown away,” said Durand Guion, vice president and men’s fashion director for Macy’s Inc. “This year, there wasn’t as much flash -- but there were a whole lot of wearable clothes; less craziness and silliness and more job-getting, career-making clothes. A real return to tailored wardrobe pieces.”
Durand cited Giorgio Armani as one example. The designer showed one of the most classic and elegant collections in recent memory (indeed, he dubbed it “Classicismo del 2010”). Exquisite three-piece suits in his signature tailored silhouette reminded you why the phrase “Armani suit” is a byword for “power suit” (one favorite was in a Prince of Wales check, and King Edward VII, the man behind the pattern, would almost certainly have it in his closet were he alive today). There were also unlined shirt jackets in distressed leather, crumpled linen blazers with white contrast-tape lapels and lightweight treated denim that looked surprisingly upscale in casual suits (that such pieces didn’t look laughably cheesy are evidence of Armani’s mastery).
The collection was grounded in shades of gray (a utility player in the male wardrobe), but Armani used this season’s blue accents to provide visual pop in pinstripes, geometric prints and leather bomber jackets, cementing next summer’s Armani man as one cool operator.
Likewise, it didn’t take too much mental capital to translate the pieces of John Varvatos’ sophomore runway show in Milan into something that could kick it up a notch in a cubicle near you (though we’d opt out of the cuffed short pants). Also working from a gray palette (with the occasional subtle accent shade of pale yellow or red), he served up a relaxed version of traditional English suiting in glen plaids and checks in crinkled cotton, wool and linen textile blends.
“If there’s one seasonal fabric, I’d go with the linen,” said Macy’s Guion. “There’s a lot of these new blends and treatments, so it doesn’t get as wrinkled as it might otherwise -- which is great for a beach weekend but not in the office. And the pinstripes and Prince of Wales checks we’ve seen means it can really be dressed up or dressed down. That versatility is really going to be key for next spring.”
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‘Wow’ factor
But luxury isn’t just about making sure you’ve got clothes to cover you up for every occasion (or we’d all be wearing Louis Vuitton burlap sacks). It’s also about making an emotional connection -- the must-have “wow” factor that makes some things covet-worthy. And that’s what Michael and Sara Dovan, owners of the Traffic boutique in the Beverly Center, are placing their focus on for Spring/Summer 2010.
“We’re going to leave the basic stuff to H&M; and the Gap,” Michael Dovan said. “We’re really looking for something special, something new and fresh. It needs to be really amazing.”
Sara Dovan pointed to Dolce & Gabbana’s heavily embroidered black and white jackets and studded denim and Kris Van Assche’s sheer shirts as the kind of things they think their customers will open their wallets for next spring. She especially liked Alexander McQueen’s paint-splattered “Analyze That!” collection (for the first time, the designer opted to do a static presentation instead of a runway show, which allowed people to get a close-up look at the Jackson Pollock-inspired paint drips, fun-house mirror Jeff Koons-meets-Botticelli blazers and cobalt blue flecked ties). Dovan pointed to a silver melting-mercury Jacquard suit: “It’s the first time I’ve left a showroom knowing I’ve already got the piece sold,” she said.
McQueen’s psychologically heavy collection (it was inspired by the anguish of the creative process and accompanied by a short film depicting a man in the midst of a mental breakdown, writing all over himself and flinging human waste against the walls) was the rare exception to a theme that ran through the collections in both Milan and Paris: a sense of lightness -- in fabrics so sheer that a James Perse T-shirt feels like a saddle blanket by comparison, in the range of tranquil blues from pale pastel to electric and cobalt, and even in attitude.
That’s how designers Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, who traditionally forgo the runway for a presentation format, ended up personally showing their Spring/Summer 2010 collection to key journalists and buyers in Paris, while a mini dachshund named Little Swan curled up at their feet.
“We thought it fit with the laid-back idea of the collection, Horsting said. “Imagine you’re lying in your suit on the grass looking up at the sun. That’s the feeling we wanted.”
The collection, based in white and a muted palette with sun-faded yellows and blues, was devoid of the duo’s usual signature V&R; trompe l’oeil details, with one exception -- a dress shirt with a band of gingham fabric right above the belt line that resembled the waistband of a pair of boxer shorts. It was a welcome visual punch line that helped underscore the laid-back aesthetic of the season.
The fabrics of Raf Simons’ latest men’s collection were the only thing light about it, but they were the standout touch. Most of his pieces were severely belted, not just cinched at the waist but with leather belts coiled around the upper torso and arms as well, a serpent-entwined RS logo embroidered on jeans back pockets (from a designer who usually eschews such things) and a soundtrack plucked from Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” The sheer tops, though, were haunting, with writhing serpent prints that seemed to hover like holograms around the models.
Prints turned out to be the other big trend for next spring. There were the designs of Dries Van Noten, who mixed and matched tribal-inspired patterns, geometrics and plaids with abandon, outsized hound’s-tooth check prints at Prada, the aforementioned serpents and even vintage automobile side-view mirrors, a pattern that appeared on shirts at Alfred Dunhill.
Whether the boys of next spring and summer ultimately opt for the multi-purpose lightweight nylon jackets and desk-duty pinstriped linen of John Varvatos or Z Zegna or splurge on the spectacularly sparkly must-have jackets of Dolce & Gabbana and Alexander McQueen (or, if the economy rebounds, choose both) remains to be seen.
But the recently wrapped shows make it clear that the luxury labels are no longer selling just the sizzle, they’re serving up the steak too.
And that’s something the meat-and-potatoes man can really sink his teeth into.
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