Recap Paris Fashion Week Menswear FW2016/2017

More then ever last week’s Paris menswear shows have got us all hyped up about next winter. Milan already hinted at what is going to be an epic fashion season, Paris just topped it off. Sending us a mixed message and proving for once and all menswear doesn’t have to be just about monochrome suits. The biggest names up on the Paris catwalk calendar showed us how the dressing game for f/w 2016/2017 is done. Bold, colorful, opulent, outgoing, cool and original as it turns out. Here are some of the Paris fashion week highlights, almost making you want to skip both spring and summer 2016 all along and indulge in all these fresh styles.

1. Oversize
Raf Simons (unchained) show seemed to be all about playing proportions. Small (skinny) pants paired with XL V-neck sweaters, checked shirts, woolen coats and quilted jackets reaching as far as the models knees. And while we spotted a few oversized pieces (a pair of slouchy trousers as part of a suit at Dries van Noten) at other brands this show was proof Simons doesn’t play by any fashion rule, setting his own trends and portraying a certain attitude rather than a style.

2. Not so tough
At Louis Vuitton past and future assembled into a military inspired selection of looks, worn young boys. Sporting luxury coats, perfect little hats, skinny scarfs and belts they looked sleek, yet never tough. Modern military seems to has a touch of genderblending in it, if you ask Kim Jones.

3. More is even more
After being the star of 2015 Balmain is not just yet ready to step away from the limelight. Instead, Olivier Rousteing delivered one of the most powerful Paris fashion week collection. Keeping his success formula of boxy, military, yet sexy silhouettes as his starting point he went for a ‘more is even more’ approach for 2016/2017. Broad shoulders, belted waists and embroidered bodycon dresses (yes he showed a few pre-fall womenswear looks too) became bolder than ever. No such thing as too excessive in Balmanation. Beads, tassles and Swarovski crystals all over, of course presented to you by a supermodel cast.

4. Opulence
Dries van Noten once again seemed to have stolen everyone’s hearts with his dreamy collection full of opulence and royal touches. Nightwear inspired creations in silk and velvet. Given an extra luxurious touch by it’s faux fur detailing and the Wes Wilson designed artwork. Contemporary meets classic and some snake embroideries in the mix.

Formal vs. Casual
5. At Givenchy a cast of true model characters showed a collection that was all about formal vs. casual. With freedom being the show’s main theme shiny red bomber jackets made their way onto the runway next to brown colored pinstripe suits and studded jeans shirts. A few red eyed female models appeared extremely tall in the long and lean womenswear designs that were added to the fall/winter mix.

6. Youngsters
Fresh faced boys on the Dior Homme runway illustrated the brand is aiming at a (much) younger audience for next season. They looked cool in their (slightly overstyled) red, white, black and grey outfits. Silk pyjama suits, gold embroidered jackets, studded leathers, necklaces, brooches, belts, shiny shoes, fingerless gloves, it-bags and beanies; it was all their in Kris Van Assche’s slender suiting vs. streetwear collection.

7. Playtime
Bold prints and bright colors at Kenzo; inspired by Blur Gig they attended back in 1995 in Toyko designers Carol Lim and Humberto Leon scored with their colourful, playful and fun collection. Classic with a modern twist done the Kenzo way.

8. Bold colors & Bowie
Leave it up to Paul Smith to surprise us with the best color palettes of the season, conveying the Paul Smith messages just by one overview glance at the collection. Add the designers signature stripes and you’ve got the main ingredients of a hit collection figured out. For fall the British designer opted for an eclectic mix of colour, dinosaur prints, every material from cashmere to lurex, stripes, checks and a few paisley prints here and there. Success guaranteed for the designer who summes is collection by “Oh, You Pretty Little Things”, a subtle ode to Bowie in honour of whom Paul Smith hosted a party in the Marais to showcase his extraordinary personal collection of Bowie memorabilia.

9. Colorful & outspoken
If Paris learned us one thing it’s that menswear will be more colorful and outspoken than we’ve seen in a while. Walter van Beirendonck beat all other fashion houses at that point, showing one of the most explosive collections. Leopard suit meets checked dress? Sure. XL ethnic prints and shiny disco pants? Absolutely! No holding back.

10. The no-show
With barely one week’s notice Hedi Slimane decided to cancel the Saint Laurent presentation in Paris and reschedule it in Los Angeles. It felt strange without the best-selling brand, but oh well, Lala land might just be a nice change of scenery.

Streetfashion Paris Menswear FW2016, day 4

What are they wearing during the international fashion weeks? A Raf Simons jacket, that vintage YSL or their latest Comme des Garcons suit? During the fashion weeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Paris Menswear Fashion Week.

Streetfashion Paris Menswear FW 2016, Day 2

What are they wearing during the international fashion weeks? A Raf Simons jacket, that vintage YSL or their latest Comme des Garcons suit? During the fashion weeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Paris Menswear Fashion Week.

Streetfashion Paris Menswear FW2016, Day 1

What are they wearing during the international fashion weeks? A Raf Simons jacket, that vintage YSL or their latest Comme des Garcons suit? During the fashion weeks we refresh our streetwear posts regularly. We don’t judge, we’re not the fashion-police, we just enjoy fashion and your own personal style. Next stop: Paris Menswear Fashion Week.

Recap Milan Fashion Week Menswear FW2016/2017

While our own fashion capital was blooming last week, Milan too was the center of attention for all international fashion lovers as we were presented with the latest menswear collections for upcoming winter. And that didn’t go by unnoticed. Expect the usual dose of mind blowing collections, outspoken pieces and attending international superstars. In case Amsterdam fashion week kept you too busy or you’re simply looking for a 5 minute recap, here are the highlights of Milan Fashion Week, menswear fall/winter 2016.

1. Cameron Dallas causes a stir
Sure, we’re familiar with the photog frenzy outside certain shows. Especially when superstars like Kanye or One Direction make their appearance. Yet this season, at the Calvin Klein show, it was complete chaos. Screaming girls everywhere hoping to get a glimpse of Cameron Dallas. Who? Yep, make sure to remember his name. Cameron Dallas is a social influencer with, as it turned out, quite the following. So much for actors and rockstars at the frontrow…

2. David Bowie tributes
Luckily the rockstar spirit was still very much alive. Following David Bowies passing earlier last week some fashion houses even paid a little tribute to the rockstar (and fashion) icon. Giorgio Armani spoke about the singer’s Space Oddity in his Emporio Armani show with notes. At Gucci we spotted “Bowie” printed on the back of a jacket.

3. Gucci does it again
From velvet PJ’s to Snoopy references, from floral printed suits to embroidered beanies, from shearling-lined denim jackets to lurex tracksuits; Gucci once again made sure to be the talk of the town. Presenting a mix of diverse seemingly dated, yet refreshing rich designs, we could look at for hours. Also, actrice Hari Nef walked the show.

4. Gender Bleding
Which leads us tot he next highlight; so many shows included female models, turning the menswear shows into one big gender blending party. Antonio Marras, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Costume National, Giorgio Armani, Prada; are gender mixed shows the new standard?

5. The return of the menswear skirt
Lines are blurred more and more, that’s a fact. So, no we weren’t surprised to see the menswear skirt making it’s rentree on the runway at Dsquared. In fact, we’re excited. Floor sweeping and worn with a jacket. Let’s go!

6. Anonymity at Moncler Gamme Blue
Moncler Gamme Blue didn’t need to hire the prettiest faces. All of the male models in the show were anonymously hidden in the brand’s camouflage printed attire.

7. Into space
Giorgio Armani showed us the future. His show was opened by a bunch of snowboarders, followed by an extensive futuristic new collection. In outfits created with new technologies some of his models looked ready to board the nearest space shuttle.

8. Yellow fur Fendi backpack
If there will ever be a menswear it-bag next year it will definitely be the bright yellow fur backback by Fendi. Whether or not combined with the matching bomber; it’s a guaranteed head turner and wraps up what Fendi will be all about next year; soft, cosy and comfortable fashion.

9. Purple rain at Versace
And from one statement color to the next.. Donatella divided her sexy sportwear collection into several color schemes (silver, light blue, burgundy), ending with a surprising series of purple looks. Who knew men dressed up in lilac overcoats could look this admirable?

10. Italian tailoring at it’s best
Heavy (heavy!) leather, (boiled) woolen checks and a selection of velvet suits combined with the finest Italian tailoring had Tomas capture the perfect menswear mood. Long, lean, double breasted, skinny scarfs and sneaker-esque footwear. Bring it on!

11. Siberia proof
Long Johns paired with several labels of the thickest brown shaded fur had Domenico and Stefano creating the ultimate ‘walking your dog on a winter Sunday morning’- look. A nightwear inspired style that continued in the rest of their (Spaghetti) Western inspired collection, in the shape of silky pj’s worn with short leather jackets and woolen (gun embroidered) overcoats. Getting ready in the morning was never done this fast.

12. Bright & Wild
Statement colors and animal prints make up for the ultimate Etro f/w2016 look. Purple baggy trousers and oversized turtle necks paired with a cheetah trench certainly looked so very desirable. Meanwhile 17 year old model Luckly Blue Smith had hoards of screaming fans outside the Etro venue.

13. Sailor chic
Cropped trousers, XL capes and silly sailor hats determined Miuccia Prada’s collection for f/w 2016. One all about statement coats and fascinating prints by artist Christophe Chemin, that referenced historical drawings and paintings.

12 men in unconventional suits

While the average Joe might assume a little pinstripe or check print is already quite out of the ordinary, they ain’t seen nothing yet. Like always the streetstyle stars are taking the suit game up a notch. Which, during the most recent fashion month, translated to exotic printed, frayed, shiny, safari, seventies inspired and extra bright co-ords. Great proof of the fact that men as well can go bold and experiment way beyond the tradtional suit & tie idea. Here’s 12 streetstyle stars that rocked some impressive unconventional suits. Now, who gets your best dressed vote?

Menswear Trend Report SS15: stick you neck(lace) out

The first ever New York Men’s Fashion Week came to a close last week. But it proves there’s lots going on in the world of menswear fashion. And while NYC was all about the SS16 trends, the present moment still requires some good SS15 ensembles. And one of the most remarkable trends for men to wear this summer is the necklace. Most men will ask themselves which shirt or bermuda to wear when the temperature is rising, but what necklace? Not really. But after you picked your favourite shades to match your favourite shirt, perhaps it’s time to add a little something something to it. As a unexpected or fun detail. Jewellery offers an easy way to upgrade your warm-weather attire and won’t make you sweat in any way.

However, necklaces are obviously more dangerous territory (or female territory) than bracelets and cuffs. It can totally make or break your look and it’s totally a matter of balance. We saw many variations and combinations of neck decoration; rock ‘n roll like Saint Laurent, keep it cool like Cavalli, smiley faces that double up as functional watches at Moschino or religious christian necklaces at Dolce&Gabbana. The key here is to keep things as low-key as possible ór go bold and bright. It’s time, dear gentlemen, to stick your neck out.

House of Byfield Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

Designer Carmichael Byfield, who has Jamaican roots, had one goal this season: bringing us closer to each other and closer to nature. “I saw it on the catwalks in New York City last year, nature is a hot topic now in the world of fashion. Because it’s important to us as human beings, nature and life are intertwined forever. We should not escape or ignore it, but embrace it instead.” So he did, but in a rock ‘n roll way. We were sucked into a fifties western movie, played by modern day cowboys. All dressed in ‘daywear suits’ balancing on the edge of bold and sophisticated, like semi-transparant bomber jackets and shirts or high waisted trousers. All clothes dipped in bold colours such pink, blue, purple and green. “My collection is for men who’re not afraid of some color in their wardrobe.” He even allows the lads to show some bare skin, sleeveless jackets and unzipped jackets, without feeling like an presumptuous arrogant prick. But as we all know, a man’s world would be nothing without a woman or a girl. The ladies had 50’s retro hairstyles and red lips that would make Gwen Stefani or Paloma Faith jealous, and ladylike dresses that want to make you swing forever on tonight’s jukebox tunes. If this is a proper way to embrace our planet, we feel you Carmichael.

Jonathan Christopher Homme Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

You wouldn’t think Jonathan made his AFW-debut only a year ago. The Dutch designer from Rotterdam has made a huge leap forwards by winning the Global Denim Award and he has been nominated for the renowned Woolmark Prize, the global search for the world’s best emerging design talent, that will be handed out in Antwerp this monday. “This collection is peanuts when I compare it to monday’s happening. I’m so nervous!” And he has all the right to be so. If he wins this prize, he’s following in the footsteps of big names like Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent.

But this evening it was all about his summer collection. Though the sounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms and the backdrop (with dark shadows, fires and a desolated desert) made us a little frightful, Jonathan had a positive message to announce to us all. “Even the most dark and destructive moments have something positive in them. It means a new beginning. A fire, which is presented by the red tones in this collection, also represents new possibilities. New things can be born. I’ve known some new beginnings myself too, because winning the Global Denim Award got me more involved with this ancient fabric and I started experimenting with new techniques and styles, such as scratch ‘n jean(as if the denim got scratched off).” It’s the perfect example of the juxtapositions in life to which the designer is drawn: masculine and feminine, light and dark, soft and harsh. Fragility yet strength is referenced using delicate romantic draping and fabrics against a hard shell of tailoring.

But he not only experimented with lots of denim, he also showed some new silhouettes, such as the kimono (Asian influences) and flared trousers with slits on the side. And what about the trousers that had one skinny and one flared leg? Pretty unusual and progressive for a Dutch designer. Luckily there was also still plenty of room for his well-praised modern and clean silhouettes, which makes it yet another successful collection for him. And for others, as we firmly believe his new designs will be hanging in a lot of male wardrobes next summer.

MAYN Catwalk Fashion Show Amsterdam SS16

The wave of Dutch menswear is getting stronger every year. Tonight another name came to the surface: MAYN. This Amsterdam based menswear brand was founded in 2014 by the award-winning Croatian-born designer Maja Podrug. She launched her first unisex collection for Spring Summer 2013 and her first menswear collection for Autumn Winter 2014 at Cro-A-Porter in Zagreb. Before studying fashion design Maja graduated in Art History. Exploration of sculptural and architectural formative principles is often at the core of MAYN’s designs resulting in innovative cuts and adaptive features.

And that’s exactly what she showed this afternoon, with her collection called Flow. It was inspired by Yuanyang Rice Terraces -hybrid landscapes that represent resolution between working man. It was translated into continuous and organic curve, soft lines and otoshiana pattern-cutting technique and details. It’s minimalistic pallet of blacks, whites and dark navel color-blocking was based on the work of surrealist German-French artist, painter and poet Jean Arp. Garments also took references from villagers minimalistic work wear in terms of casual widths and longer lengths, a high number of slits and compartments, adaptive details and use of waterproof materials and rubber coating, giving it an urban outdoor feel.

The minimal but functional collection gives the wearer extra layer of confidence for sure and seems perfect for our Dutch modern day city dweller that has to deal with constant shifts between casual and business, but especially the hot temperatures and heavy rain showers that we have to deal with every summer.

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