I’ve been remiss in ignoring a large segment of my blog-reading population: men! Yes, believe it or not, the guys love Caradise too. So, without further adieu, here, gentlemen, are some fashion trends for you, hot off the press from Men’s Fashion Week in NYC…
And perhaps the biggest news from the Men’s Fall/Winter 2018 Collections that were shown earlier this month in New York City, wasn’t what went down the runway as much as when it did. And by when, I mean that many designers – including big names like Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss and eckhaus latta- sent their menswear down the runway right along side their women’s ready-to-wear counterparts. This is a shift from where fashion has typically been, when brands would showcase mens’ collections in an entirely separate runway show during a completely different week in February. It’s a shift that begs the question if Men’s Fashion Week as we know it is moving toward extinction in favor of one, unified, co-ed presentation.
However, not all designers opted to defy convention and yes, Men’s Fashion Week technically still occurred (although it was pushed back to Feb 5-7th, so it would immediately precede the women’s shows that began on the 8th) and here are some trends that prevailed:
Not-So-Mellow-Yellow:
The forecast was sunny at NYFW, with almost every designer using some shade of yellow in their collections. Calvin Klein showed a muted yellow mohair tunic (left) Michael Kors used the color to add some excitement to an otherwise basic top coat (center) and even Hugo Boss, whose runway was mostly shades of grey, added a yellow trench (right).
Mad for Plaid
While we expect to see plaid in the collections of traditional menswear designers such as Ralph Lauren and Joseph Abboud, plaid was also present in the smaller, more avant garde labels, like Todd Snyder and Bode. Ditching the staid grey and black plaid for brighter alternatives, Todd Snyder (far left, who gained fame for his collaborations with Timex, Champion and Moscot) sent “Schoolboy Chic” head-to-toe plaid down his runway, as did Ovadia & Sons (far right). Raf Simmons mixed up the traditional plaid suit with a boxy- cut blazer and patches adorning the knees.
Pump up the Volume
There was no shortage of outerwear on the runways and its’ defining characteristic was volume. Metallic or matte, short or long, dressy or casual, they were all puffy. Hugo Boss added down to a traditional grey top coat (left), Perry Ellis created interest with a tie-dye satin, a fabric that popped up in many pieces of his collection (center) and Tom Ford sent down a puffy white vest layered over an (equally puffy) metallic jacket, then dressed up the whole look with black brogues (right).
Statement Knits
Fall is sweater season, so no surprise to see heavy knits all over the runways. However, the sweaters that designers created for Fall 2018 were anything but basic. Loud prints, patchwork (like this one from eckhaus latta) and boxy turtlenecks were seen on every runway from Hugo Boss (below, left) to Raf Simmons (below, right). Calvin Klein added to his statement knits by sending models down with sweater-like cap’s adorning their heads (center).
70’s chic
There was an element of 70’s glam in the air, maybe thanks to Tom Ford, who used his runway at the Park Avenue Armory not only to show his Fall/Winter collection but also to debut his luxe underwear line (see more here). He sent down plenty of his signature glam outfits, slightly reminiscent of the looks that catapulted him to fame at Gucci. Exhibit A is below: that ivory shearling jean jacket, python-print trousers with matching rocker boots and oversize amber sunglasses (center). Velvet and animal skins made statements on slim cut trousers and suits alike. Even in the typically traditional Joseph Abboud, a burgundy velvet blazer paired wth a mock neck vest felt a little glam (right). And at always quirky Bode, where designer Emily Bode had models mill about potted plants and sit on wooden tables surrounded by framed pictures of greenery – models wore silk blouses and the striped green suit you see below (left).
All photos courtesy of http://www.nytimes.com unless otherwise noted.
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