London Collections: Men Day 2 Highlights

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The second day of LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN was a mixed bag in my opinion, whilst some designers showed some boundary-pushing collections, others were rather bland. My three favourite collections, however are featured below.




This collection from CHRISTOPHER SHANNON was slightly more toned down than his previous offerings, and seemed to be aimed less specifically at the East London market. That being said, Shannon's design aesthetic was firmly stamped on the collection - key pieces included leather tailed shirts and hybrid parkas - still very Christopher Shannon but slightly less streetwear-inspired. I also loved the half-and-half comic prints on knitwear and his use of colour blocking.





An ode to minimalism, you would be forgiven for brushing past MARGARET HOWELL's AW'13 collection due to the print-heavy avant garde shows this LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN. But there is always something so effortlessly stylish about Howell's clothing and I would easily wear most of the looks from this show. The beret (also seen from YMC this season) is a welcome addition and is surprisingly cool when teamed with Howell's wonderfully simple creations, but it will remain to be seen whether this trend will take off next Autumn.





JONATHAN SAUNDERS' collection was reassuringly colourful for autumn / winter, with orange and cobalt blues being teamed well with more muted tones of navy and mustard. There was also a large focus on print, with all-over prints on tees and shirts, as well as colour blocking and panelling used on outerwear. His use of acid bright ombres was also admirable and panels of patent leather made for an interesting play on texture. Some very covetable pieces from this collection indeed.

London Collections: Men Day 1 Highlights

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So the second LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN finished this week, and with it came a lot of very exciting menswear for AW'13. I was unfortunately unable to attend as it nicely coincides with our busiest time at work, so I spent this week completely nocturnal re-merchandising our store through the nights. It's a glamorous life... But enough about that, here are my highlights from Day 1 of LCM.



MEADHAM KIRCHOFF showed some surprisingly simple and staple pieces of menswear, including breton stripes and plaid shirts - however the boys mixed these in with their more trademark 'kitschness' for the true Meadham Kirchoff vibe. Shirts and coats came with elaborate embellishment while Victorian lace and cut-out shirting gave the collection a modern-day Oliver Twist feeling, which was aided by the bin bags surrounding the models. Homeless chic if you will.




The FASHION EAST menswear installations contained some of the most exciting designers that are working in London in my opinion - the juxtaposition of classic British tailoring brands coming from Saville Row and the new generation of avant garde designers is what is really driving London's fashion voice right now. Within FASHION EAST, particlar favourites of mine were JOSEPH TURVEY who showed a fusion of streetwear and casual tailoring emblazoned with dalmation prints (the models were even holding real dalmation puppies, which is never a bad thing); BOBBY ABLEY whose space-inspired streetwear collection incorporated metallics and clever layering for an air of futurism; and KIT NEALE who once again showed a print-focused collection, this time taking inspiration from British pubs and the greasy spoon caffs.




Finally, RICHARD NICOLL showed a minimal and sleek collection with a hint of futurism that is both modern and wearable. Head to toe prints and tonal outfitting in a cool colour palette gave scope for a play on texture and silhouette, with sleek fabrics complimented by more rugged knits and outerwear. Nicoll colour-graded his looks from greys to cool blues then to a finale of intense orange from clothing down to the accessories. I need to get my hands on an orange fisherman beanie asap...

NYFW: My Top Menswear Looks

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So New York Fashion Week is over, and with it came some interesting menswear. I have to say, I wasn't blown away by much shown there this season, perhaps due to the relative success of the London Collections: Men. But here are my favourite nine looks from New York. Why 9? Because I like things in three's and I couldn't find 12 looks I felt strongly enough about.

1. Public School - The wide-brim hat is on my wish-list for A/W and will still be wearable come SS'13, teamed with a longline blazer and below-the-knee shorts this look is perfect.

2. General Idea - Skateboarding influences are set to be a big trend for SS'13 and the combination of multiple brights in one outfit stands out for me.

3. Joseph Arnoud - Differing shades of bright blues teamed with simple white trainers give a clean rather than overpowering look that shows attention to detail.

4. J. Lindeberg - The contrast of smart and street in this look is genius and a varsity bomber layered over a suit and tee is effortlessly cool. The shades and up-turned lapels are nice finishing touches.

5. Robert Geller - Slouchy suit trousers are one of my key pieces for AW'12 and SS'13 especially when teamed with a casual shirt and trilby. The smart bottom half compliments the casual top half perfectly.

6. Todd Snyder - The short-suit is something we have become used to, however Snyder has updated this look by including jersey shorts and boots worn with thick socks to again contradict the shirt and blazer.

7. Michael Kors - The slick 60's look is a nice addition to SS'13 trends and Kors has colour blocked superbly, using just enough of a highlight colour to avoid the obvious monochrome references.

8. Perry Ellis by Duckie Brown - I love the full oversized effect in this outfit and the grey-on-grey creates an interesting overall look. Not sure about the hat though.

9. Alexandre Plokhov - The blazer and super-relaxed trouser helps to prevent this outfit from being too obviously gothic and keeps it looking modern, but the styling and accessory choices give it a dark twist.


Image Source: VOGUE.

London Collections: Men - Day 1 Highlights

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This week has marked a historic moment in men's fashion as London hosts it's very first menswear only fashion weekend, celebrating the best design talent in our city. London has been the first city to make steps towards a new future of men's fashion, giving menswear it's own standalone fashion event as womenswear has had for years. To celebrate this occasion, all this week My Style Ramblings is hosting a menswear takeover, so expect highlights from the best shows and collections, street style stars, style icons and men's lookbooks. This week it's all about the guys.

To kick things off, here is a rundown of my favourite shows from Day 1 of London Collections: Men. First up is Lou Dalton. In the words of the lady herself, the collection is 'sports sartorial', and her take on sportswear feels original and quintessentially Lou Dalton, from the clean lines to retro references and cool colour palette. The mix of elegant sportswear pieces and classic tailoring makes this my favourite Lou Dalton collection to date and will be eagerly anticipating this hitting down in stores.

Martine Rose showed a plethora of denim and neoprene, and played with oversized silhouettes creating interesting looks that bordered on fetishistic. Although this may have been down to the semi-sheer face masks worn by the models... Placement prints gave the classic white shirt a twist, and light wash denim came in oversized flares and jumpsuits, while neoprene sweats and jackets were boxy and updated with punchy bright colours.

90s skateboarding culture was brought back with an amazing collection from Topman Design. Following on from their all-black Autumn / Winter offering, this collection is the polar opposite - bright colours and graphic graffiti prints were accessorised with beanie hats and skateboards. There was some use of tailoring, in sporty airtex fabrics or grey suiting cut into jumpsuits creating a casual and modern twist. Slogan tees and sweats in bright colours with matching shorts continued the retro Americana theme but was made relevant to a London audience.

Xander Zhou showed an outstanding collection that played with textures and structure to create classic yet current pieces. Models clad in silk suiting were visions in white and dungarees and leather vests provided the more directional aspects to the collection. Zhou is firmly on my radar from this point on.

Image Source: LONDON COLLECTIONS