London Collections: Men was back again in full force for FW14 last week, with a creative cocktail of super-cool emerging designers and well-known names. London is no stranger to pushing the boundaries, and many of these were pushed during the week, with gender-bending references, sexual undertones and rave-ravaged party shows. The best bits for us were definitely these…
Muscle mania prowled the catwalk in London as Astrid Andersen’s beefy boys took to the runway with their street-ready swagger. Sporty track pants, baseball tees, bombers, slogan sweats and bulked-up puffa jackets made a macho masculine statement. The testosterone level tripled with slashed crop shirts and tight lycra that flashed bulky body-parts and gym-fit six-packs. Sheer-lace jumpsuits and tees made it borderline sexual. But the oversized trousers, logo-overload separates and chunky metal necklaces gave a gritty Hip-Hop twist to proceedings, with flashy turquoise and gold colours to ramp up the loud “look at me” factor. Swirl-print satin fabrics and sleek, lustrous shirts added an edge of exclusivity to the power-punch designs.
Androgynous architecture from Antoni Gaudi met 80s power-dressing from the style stars of “Dallas.” This was our initial musing at the JW Anderson show, when pampered pretty boys with immaculate high-heeled shoes glided across the floor in super-exclusive outfits. Playful prints and perfect facades gave a touch of 80s New Romanticism that mixed eloquently with affluent 80s essentials such as wide power-pad shoulders, big collars, extravagant frills and high-waist trousers. Deep and revealing V-neck cuts, patent leather shirts, tight-clasp black collars and thick rolls of bonding tape gave a daring nod to S&M bondage, whilst sheer-mesh blouses, flesh-flash capes and big-frill jackets gave a hint of femme-fatale dominance. Our favourite looks were the floral-print ensembles in slick precious jewel tones.
Our favourite show in London this year was a raucous retro-revival of 70s print and psychedelic sportswear. Models walked out in trainers and tracksuits with wet post-shower hair like they had just finished football training. Cool cartoon jumpers featured Andy Warhol style illustrations of cigarette packets with kitsch writing on them against bright colour-burst backgrounds. Tracksuits, hoodies and all-weather football coach puffas were emblazoned with 70s flower-power wallpaper patterns, while the colour palette remained bright like a pack of Crayola pencils. The pièce de résistance was the sugar-coated soundtrack featuring 90s pop classics such as Dane Bowers and Victoria Beckham “You’re out of your mind….!” Pop-culture panache at its best 😉
When we saw the warning sign at the entrance to the showspace saying “Danger! Flashing lights ahead”, we knew that we were in for some fun! But not a deep house rave with disco lights in outer space! As soon as the models marched down the runway to the sounds of pumping beats and cosmic electro lights, we were transported to a different dimension. Long coats, shimmering tunics and tailored suits were taken to the twilight zone with extra-terrestrial prints of satellites, solar sunsets and friendly aliens on acid. Star Wars facemasks added to the inter-galactic vibe, and the metal disc structures wrapped around some of the models looked like the remains of crashed UFOs. It was literally from another galaxy…
The sugar-sweet world of Disney got turned on its head with a twisted nightmare of warped prints and devilish Disney details. Mickey Mouse ear hats gave an obvious glance to the Disney dreamland, but looks took a darker turn when Disney’s most evil and famous character Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” appeared in the form of devil-horn baseball caps. Her devious black crow sidekick Diablo was splashed across t-shirts, trousers and sweats, whilst frightened cartoon eyes looked on across cropped tees. The Disney palace appeared on one jumper, whilst sinister slogans in Disney fonts such as Dream On and RIP made it clear that we were no longer in Fantasia land. But teddy bears, candy pink and Palma violet fur pieces added a welcome dash of childish fun and frolics.
