Celine Homme SS21 – The Dancing Kid

02.08.2020 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Celine Homme SS21 , entitled “The Dancing Kid,” was centred around the idea of teen spirit as creative director Hedi Slimane drew inspiration from the work he did with Tik Tok star Non Eubanks as one of the faces of his SS20 campaign. This year’s collection, prepared in parallel with the winter collection centred around ideas of youth culture as a sartorial documentary about the e-boys, skate culture and an attempt in capturing the essence of an entire generation that turned boredom and confinement into creativity and innovation.

For the collection, Slimane worked with six artists including Tyson Reeder, Jesse Harris, Gregory Edwards, Ryan Ford, Amy Sillman & Turpentine who all contributed in different ways to shape the final result. Each piece told a different story, which ranged from luminous embroidered leather jackets, to lacerated jeans alla Slimane, as well as new Celine Z trainers that will be available for purchase later this year. View the full “The Dancing Kid” show below.

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Dior SS21 Menswear – Portrait of An Artist

20.07.2020 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

For Men’s SS21 , Dior’s menswear artistic director Kim Jones shared his mic with Ghanian-Born Vienna trained artist Amoako Boafo for a collaboration which presented the fruit of a cultural conversation between the two artisans. The conversation initially began in 2019, when they met at the Robell Museum in Miami and ever since, the two have been in discussion about their love and admiration for each other’s work.

Kim Jones personally has a special love for African work as he considers the continent as home having spent years of childhood travelling across Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya & Ghana which allowed him to feel a genuine connection to Boafo’s work that speaks to a contemporary African lifestyle . The artist is known for work like his Black Diaspora portraits which are an exploration of his identity and perceptions of Blackness and Black Masculinity. Aspects of these paintings are transposed onto garments with haute couture techniques. The collection used the artist’s work as base, which essentially was not only evident in the techniques used to reproduce his paintings but also through the colour palette used in the collection.  Shades of fluorescent yellow, blue, coral and green create  a delicate colour scheme while other pieces acted as a canvas for embroideries , knitwear and intarsia. The collection , as described by the house as “a reinvention of its passion for excellence through captivating dialogues between fashion and creation in all its forms, from painting to film .”

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Alexander McQueen Pre-AW20 – Sharp Lines & A Strong Heritage

16.07.2020 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Pre-Autumn Winter 20 Menswear was the season Sarah Burton opted to hone the heritage of the house of McQueen with the use of sharp lines and signature shoulders. The collection includes 5 looks that explore the signature features of the house’s standard menswear and womenswear , through the use of several techniques for each look . One presents the use of a different method including cut and splice tailoring , while another sees the a perfect suit with slashed seams and another sees the reinvention of signature blown up floral embroideries and delicate white work that were derived from an inspirational trip to Scotland. Discover more of the collection via AlexanderMcQueen.com 

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MFW Men’s: Prada’s FW20 Contradictions and Dichotomies

14.01.2020 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

This menswear season, creative director Miuccia Prada was conflicted, stuck between contradictions and dichotomies as the theme for her FW20 menswear collection.

Guests were invited into the classic PRADA space in Milan, which was transformed by AMO into two identical voids. Situating the audience above looking down on the depths of a colourful arena like runway with a white statue of a man on a horse centrestage.  The collection itself was a bridge between opposites: new & old, past & present. Madam Prada played on the notion of creating classic menswear with subtle touches of modernity. Some models donned full three piece linen suits white others sported versions of the house’s classic nylon fits.

There were stylised gumboots, leather & shearling vests and a flash of pajama patterns in liking to the work of artists during the Vienna Secessions which signalled towards the finale (these are bound to be a hit by Prada fanatics ). This season the designer took the time to deliver a collection which she described as optimistic and valuable. 

“ I thought to give an indication that only thing that makes me calm and optimistic is to give value to work… to give value to things that matter any our life and your work, and so the creativity is mixed with technicalities, which is a little bit similar to the Secessionist period when ideas, creativity, and actual work had to be all together,” she explained. 

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MFW Men’s: Alexander McQueen’s FW20 Sartorial Romance

14.01.2020 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

For the first time, British fashion house Alexander McQueen presented it’s menswear collection during Milan Fashion Week earlier this week. 

For FW20, creative director Sarah Jane Burton, created poetry, and no, this is not in referral to the violinists who welcomed guests into the space with their ever so elegant strums, but rather in regards to the symphonious binding of fabrics and tailoring carried out throughout the collection. 

Many may argue that classic menswear in its purest form is a straight line, a linear scale of techniques and patterns that must be followed and abided by at all costs. Yet with this collection, it is as if Burton breaks up the parts of a puzzle, and pieces them back together in an entirely different way no one knew was possible. 

With inspiration from Northern landscapes , the designer crafted a collection of razor tailored razor sharps suits , and doubled breasted overcoats  inspired by minerals rocks and stones. Coats and jackets were rendered in grey sharkskin mohair and black wool are spliced and slashed, echoing the lines of military harnessing. Panels from classic military coats cut into signature tailoring and camel overcoats. 

Each look was made and styled with an intricate level of artistry. An added touch were are the silk suits and coats that were printed with an engineered artwork of Henry Moore, Three-Quarter Figure 1928, reproduced courtesy of the Henry Moore Foundation. 

A few pieces were created in reference to the house’s SS20 womenswear collection like some of the shoes and a few accessories. Nonetheless, the designer’s approach to menswear is a breath of fresh air for the industry. Serving as the perfect example that there is no one way of creating elegance, no one way of creating menswear, the options are not limited to classic or street but is open to a vast variety of undiscovered proposals. 

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MFW Men’s : Marni’s FW20 Dance

14.01.2020 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Let’s dance.

Let’s dance ’til the end of love.

Let’s dance our best days away.

Let’s dance to keep the abyss at bay.

Let’s dance until everything changes.

Until fashion flows, in a blow.

Let’s dance.

Like a body of work,

To the rhythm

of a hymn.

Was an excerpt from, “ A call from Prince Prospero,” a part of Marni’s FW20 men’s press release. This season creative director Francesco Riso escorted  his audience into a psychedelic trance of poetic movement. With the help of choreographer Michele Rizzo , the designer curated a performance which seamlessly crafted garments as a creative collective. Clothing was given new life by matching pieces which were crafted from once useless scraps. Trousers were composed of multi coloured fabrics, trench coats bisected and reassembled from a variety of textures. Left sides were asymmetric to right, hems scaled like waves and pants bore holes just small enough to appear eaten.

Every look was deliberately curated to fit too wide, or too long or too big. With a unconventional approach to tailoring, each piece fit so wrong yet so right. A side from the magnificent performance, the clothing spoke in a way that was paradoxically trendy, with a voice that only some could hear, appealing to a customer that understands what it means to be entranced by  fashion with a capital F. 

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Prada SS20 Menswear Campaign – An Optimist Rhythm

09.01.2020 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

For Spring Summer 2020 , Prada platforms a trinity of contemporary creatives for the faces of their latest menswear campaign. On theme with the SS20 show which took place in Shanghai last year under the themes of duality, reinvention & boyish optimism, the Italian house tapped musician Frank Ocean, actor Austin Butler and director/screenwriter/producer Nicolas Winding as creatives in control of their own invention under the light of Prada SS20.

  Shot by photographer David Sims, the campaign features profiles of each talent embodying & portraying their individual definitions of the Prada man. The Prada SS20 collection will soon be available online & in stores, visit Prada to discover the full campaign.  

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Fendi Botanical Wonder ft. Timmy Xu

07.01.2020 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

In Fendi’s latest episode for their Peekaboo series, the Italian fashion house taps Chinese singer/actor & FENDI spokesperson Timmy Xu.  In a bucolic dialogue between man and nature, Xu immerses himself on a journey through nature as he travels from the FENDI catwalk into luscious greenery, peekaboo bag in hand. He clutches the model from the SS20 collection made from perforated lather panel combined with mink intarsia, a display of the perfect balance of sophistication of functionality. The Fendi peekaboo bag is currently available online.    

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PFW: Thom Browne SS20 – My Secret Garden

01.07.2019 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Within the past few seasons designer Thom Browne has managed to establish himself as one of the more creative menswear voices in fashion. Each season he manages to reflect the scenery that is the objet d’art of his complex mind. Creating fusions of menswear with forms of femininity and couture tailoring. For spring summer 2020, he created a story around a secret garden where he unleashed his fantasies of typically masculine sports reinterpreted and blown up with masculine qualities while still caressing the idea of vulnerability. This was shown through XVII century clothing that were reinvented and reinterpreted. From hips that blew up inches wider than usual to oversized shoulders all shown in the classic Thom Brown seersucker fabrics. Football balls pads and codpieces paid tributes to the sports in red, green, yellow among other colours.

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F IS FOR…FENDI Ft. Nigel Sylvester

22.05.2019 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Fendi has recently partnered up with American professional BMX athlete on their latest installation of the F IS FOR.. FENDI campaign.  The feature sees the athlete sporting an outfit from the house’s SS19 collection, doing 360s and rear wheel jumps with his one of a kind FENDI bike at the Fendi Headquarters in Rome. 

The F IS FOR.. FENDI initiative began as a platform for Millennials made to share stories and experiences relevant to the generation that are in line with the Maison’s DNA.  This is brought out through fashion editorials and interviews with musicians, artists, athletes and all types of creatives. 

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Prada’s Old Hollywood Spring-Summer 2019 Campaign

23.01.2019 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

For their Spring Summer 2019 campaign, Italian fashion house Prada tackles the concept of duality in a video series shot and directed by Will Vanderperre featuring looks from both their women’s and men’s SS19 runway. The series was inspired by classic Hollywood movies and is approached as such.

It features the likes of top models Freja Beha Erichsen, Gigi Hadid, Maine Inga, Liu Wen and Anok Yai re-named after Prada’s supporting cast of accessories: respectively Sybille, Sidone, Margit, Odette and Belle inspired by iconic female cinematic icons. These women are also accompanied by three male characters played by models Daan Duez, Jonas Gloer and Tae Min. The campaign’s direction is a play on an iconic genre of cinematography: everything is familiar, but not too much, all holds a double meaning. Movie star?or model? Menswear? or womenswear? This series is created to guarantee you a few double-takes upon viewing. And like any other movie, it’s accompanied by posters directed by Benoit Debie which hints at the imagery and narrative of the films leaving one curious enough to explore the reflections and refractions of the collection.  The campaign boasts seven short films, which will be released throughout January and February on Prada.

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Milan FW: Fendi Men’s FW19, Contemporary Tailoring

15.01.2019 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Last weekend guests were invited to the  Milanese headquarters of Italian fashion house Fendi for the presentation of their Fall Winter 2019 menswear collection.

For Spring Summer we were presented with a  collection where Venturini drew inspiration from one of the main men in her life, her son-in-law Nico Vascellari, a performance and visual artist who according to her “transforms himself on the stage,” revealing several facets fo himself including a dark side. From this came a collection of light and dark which featured shorts, fanny packs, buckets hats and other streetwear like pieces. However for this season, the creative director chose to muse upon one of the more, or if you dare say, the most tailored male figure in her life. Karl Lagerfeld was the guest artist in this season’s collection to which he contributed to physically and creatively. 

“I have never seen him wearing sportswear; he is always wearing tailoring in a contemporary way, ” stated Venturini Fendi, which was exactly what represented the theme carried throughout the collection, — “tailoring done in a contemporary way.”

Upon entry, guests were treated to the scenery of a black and gold replica of Karl Lagerfeld’s personal Parisian library.  Then came the models who were clad in classic tailored pieces which made them seem like wealthy fashionable modern day librarians. Tuxedos and shirts were made in organza and accessorised with gold chains, there were puffer parkers and jumpers made in two different colours, high collared shirts and asymmetrical double-breasted suits all made with a palette of black, beige, brown, accents of red, blue and a calligraphic version of the FF logo. 

Most looks were accompanied by several forms of baggage which included Fendi logo-ed briefcases, trunks and newly introduced male versions of the brand’s iconic Peekaboo bag and Baguette. The man  created throughout this collection was a tailored contrast to the street-like Fendi man previously seen, but he was in fact a character who wore timeless well-made pieces flexible enough to pull out the closet during any season of the year.  Visit Fendi for more. 

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Milan FW: MSGM FW19 Men’s , TURBO!

14.01.2019 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Last men’s season Italian designer Massimo Giorgetti welcomed his audience to volleyball courtside for the viewing of a collection inspired by the beachy sport. However for FW19 , Giorgetti had a rather more dangerous impulse for the inspiration behind the latest collection. The art of motor racing culture and the adrenaline from the velocity behind it was his sole focus this season. “MSGM is evolving. Speed has always been at our heart, the fast passion of life. What do we do as we grow? We go faster,” to quote the man himself.

The collection was aptly titled TURBO and featured graphic pieces inspired by the thrilling qualities of the world of motor racing. It included knitted jumpers and t-shirt with the slogans “more speed” and “run away”, bright coloured parkas and trucker jackets, wide cut denim cargo pants inspired by pit crew uniforms, motorsport newspaper stories printed on coats and of course the customary reference to Milan with an embroidered blouse of the Duomo’s skyline. The collection was a rather tailored offering to the table of streetwear as was included a selection of double breasted blazers and wool coats complimented by both sneakers and formal footwear. See more at MSGM.

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Milan FW: Sunnei FW 19, Maximal Minimalism

14.01.2019 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Last season designers Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo launched the womenswear branch to their minimalistic Italian label Sunnei in commitment to their vision of building a worldwide community amongst the brand’s fan base. For FW19 , the brand invited guests to an airy liberty-styled white room in Milan called Palazzo del Ghiaccio (translates to ice palace) which was previously used for ice skating. 

The location itself accurately represented the brand’s aesthetic, it was large and simple but procured an admirable level of architecture. The seating arrangement dispersed the fashion hierarchy by not featuring second or third rows but a simple maze of seats which placed each guest at a reasonable distance from the passageways. This was quite unlike what any other brand would do which was exactly the brand’s major message of the season. They presented a collection which made you note that they were not designers who follow guidelines or go off trends but rather create their own. With inspiration from personal experiences throughout high school and college, the duo crafted a collection of women’s and menswear featuring flared trousers, bumpster pants, knit sweaters and blouses, and pastel colored pieces. It included standout pieces such as a sweater with a pixelated meadow and cloud landscape from the Windows 98 OS background along with interesting versions of their classic boots and sneakers. The 41-look collection was very ‘Sunnei.’ Each look contained the brand’s special ingredient of maximal minimalism with small grains of nostalgia carefully sprinkled. Visit Sunnei for more. 

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Milan FW: Prada Men’s FW 19-20, Monster Muses

13.01.2019 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

This weekend Italian house Prada invited guests for the official presentation of their Fall/Winter 2019 Men’s collection at their signature show space in Milan. Within the area, a spacious arena seating arrangement filled with eager Prada enthusiasts and a black sponge-like floor lit up by 120 oversized light bulbs.  In the background played an elegant tune of harps and violins which might have lead one into expecting a collection of tailored traditional pieces. However, what occurred next was quite the contrary. It first began with the change of music, a mix of hard rock beats aptly reset the mood for the collection which emerged. 

It was a slight change of tone in creative director Miuccia Prada’s feminist voice. Behind it, was the inspiration from the birth of famous gothic tale Frankenstein, which was created by author Mary Godwin in the 17th century during a competition with her husband in attempt to see who could create the scariest story. Needless to say, Godwin claimed her victory, but released her novel anonymously due to the fact that female novelists were not highly encouraged at the time. This was what drove the designer’s influence this season, her fascination with the grunge-like ‘otherness’ and vulnerability of society’s’ outcasts, wether minorities or monsters. The collection featured symbols from the tale such as shirts and sweaters with lightning bolts circling towards the heart (an upgrade to the Prada hit shirt from last season), menswear suiting with triple belting,  studded dresses, backpacks, floral printed dresses, and winter hats filled with wool lining — which was also included as shoulder pads on sweaters. It told an enticing story of twisted romance, femininity and vulnerability while also including military references. Miuccia’s Prada’s agility to switch diversify the tone behind her inspiration is exactly the quality which is destined to keep the brand alive and relevant. See more at Prada.

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Milan FW: M.1992 FW19-20

13.01.2019 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

This season, M.1992 designer Dorian Tarantini referenced the allure of the past as major inspiration behind the FW19 menswear collection presented yesterday in central Milan. The designer invited guests to a 60’s inspired vintage ballroom in a corporate Milanese hotel as he revealed a collection which although gave nods to the swinging sixties, was aimed at the upcoming generation, Gen Z. It began with big hair, flared sleeves and pants,  and continued with full patterned looks leading into Baracuta jackets and tailored blazers. Also included was an ode to Britain, as the designer paid tribute by including printed designs of the British flag and signature British style throughout a few pieces, which he states in his show notes, does not act as a form of appropriation, but rises from an authentic sense of belonging having been a frequent traveler between the two worlds as a child.  As his fourth official season on the scene, Tarantini is finally beginning to establish a design voice which speaks for itself, the collection was one which not only felt cohesive, but also held strong evident traits of brand personality.

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Pitti Uomo ’95 – Everything to expect

10.12.2018 | Blog | BY:

Italian corporation Pitti Uomo Immagine recently unveiled the creative direction behind the 95th international menswear trade show set for next January in Florence: The Pitti Box, the main theme of the fall/winter fairs which was inspired the common theme of surprise throughout all of the fair’s past events. They call this factor The Surprise Box — a palate of various extraordinary tin containers of ideas and innovations which are subject to change based on the season’s trends. Pitti promises to offer its guests a multi sensory journey in and out of “the box” in a set design curated by life-styler Sergio Colantuoni . “The Piitti Box aims for the surprise factor” says Agostino Poletto, General Manager of Pitti Imagine, “and for a new attitude of rigour and elegance, which we can feel in the air after some more pop-oriented editions. The path of Pitti Uomo will be marked by many ‘boxes’ , with which we want to involve our audience in a series of experiences curated by us. They will be designed as a place of comfort and entertainment, but above all an invitation to meet and share ideas and suggestions even in the social world. Breathing a fresh unique energy of the fair.” On tune with their theme of streetwear elegance, the fair will also welcome Parisian menswear label Y/Project as the Menswear guest designer, whose creative director Glenn Martens will present their Fall Winter 2019/20 collection with a special event.  “Florence’s exquisite heritage has been a never ending source of fascination to me. I’m extremely honoured to have been asked to show Y/Project at Pitti Uomo, in the core of this mythical city”, says Glenn Martens, Creative Director, Y/Project. Also on the line up is Italian urban culture company Slam Jam which will be celebrating thirty years in the business with a collaboration with some of it’s long standing partners. This will be featured as a multidisciplinary exhibition at the Museo Marino Marini along with an exclusive museum shop including exclusive items distributed by Slam Jam. The trade show will also be continuing their initiative dedicated to highlighting Korean creative culture in the second step of their Concept Korea project. This will take the form of a runway show by Korean menswear label Beyond Closet, which is spearheaded by designer Tae Yong. “I am very excited to once again be a part of Pitti’s designers line up representing Korea. We will be focusing to show the originality of Beyond Closet plus a new collaboration line that we are currently working on. Stay tuned!” Taye Yong, Beyond Closet. In total the trade show event will include a multitude of 1230 brands from across Europe, Asia, America and India distributed into over 13 sections of the 60,000 m² exhibition space. 

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Jacquemus man’s low key start

03.07.2018 | Fashion | BY:

Earlier this year,  after a few weeks of teasing at the claim of having a “new job,” French designer Simone Porte Jacquemus announced the forthcoming launch of a menswear line. Three months later, the artisan revealed the details of his first menswear collection via instagram with a campaign/editorial shot with a robust model — French union international rugby player Yoann Maestri. The title – “ Les Gadje”—  which translates to a name given by men who are not of their world —  and the location was set for a popular beach in Marsielle, France — a delightful variation to the buzz of Paris which his audience had gotten used to.

Simone Jacquemus is the designer who has been rumoured to be one of the brightest stars amongst the alliance of new French designers. He has been giving facelifts to the imagery of female fashion and sexuality with the flair and personality of his last few collections. Le Souk, La Bomba, L’Amour D’un Gitan – all previous shows which embodied the liberated, unconstrained spirits of wanderers that were manifested in the forms of a rejuvenated version of the modern day woman. The aura of the brand itself has been described by many as fashion’s breath of fresh air. So when Simone declared the launch of menswear, the assumption by many was that the Jacquemus man would be a parallel personification of the liberal bohemian-like spirit used to inspire its female counterpart.

Only a few days before the launch of his show the designer revealed that the inspiration for menswear  in an interview with American Vogue. It was based on the connection that he had built between himself and his now estranged/ex boyfriend Fashion Director Gordon Von Steiner.

“It was more a feeling.. I was obsessed with the way he was dressing. I think Gordon has a particular taste….really simple but particular.”

The day of the show, the designer set the tone. Preview shots of the location on his Instagram,  — the shores of the Calanque de Sormiou — a popular beach off the coast of  Marsielle,  lined with rows of beach towels as the seating arrangement. A few minutes later entered the beautiful bevy of “healthy men,” as he mentioned in his earlier interview with AV. They were not too skinny, not too muscular, just perfect. They were all of diverse complexions.

At first glance, the bright colours and well-casted handsome faces might have fooled one into believing it was a collection worth it’s ballyhoo, but after only a second glimpse, it was evident that these were pieces one could easily acquire at a thrift shop or even at a local Zara franchise. In fact in his interview with AV, he gives insight that the prices for this collection would be lowered, “We wont sell an 800 euros shirts, but one at 270 euros we will.”

For Jacquemus womens’ we were given oversized straw hats, asymmetrically draped skirts, plunging tops, uniquely proportioned low heels — pieces which defined and distinguished his brand in the brimful pool of french designers.

This first menswear collection lacked the dexterity and creativity we knew the designer possessed as a protégé of Rei Kawakubo.The “Jacquemus man” wore cargo shorts, knitted shirts and ties (from his collaboration with Woolmark), printed shirts and speedos. Just like any other man. Apart from the colour coded styling and the branded neck wallets, there was nothing special about this collection. It felt like a bit of a mockery of what he has proven to be naturally capable of.

This was only the designer’s first menswear collection. What’s clear is that the Jacquemus the designer has demonstrated his potential for development and growth, and he’ll surely turn this to his menswear line too.

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Bethany Williams: Menswear In Search of Social Change

11.01.2018 | Culture , Fashion | BY:

When one thinks of Bethany Williams’ brand, it is not necessarily within the confines of fashion. Encompassing sociological issues, political arenas and cultural quarters, to talk about Bethany merely within the limitations of fashion would be doing the brand an injustice.

Having released her brand less than two years ago, Bethany Williams has been constructing menswear that is embedded within charities and communities, hoping to cause a real effect in the social space we engage with. Working with the charities San Patrignano and London College of Fashion, UAL’s Making for Change programme this season – two pioneering rehabilitative programmes which work closely with vulnerable women and supports their path to rehabilitation through equipping them with craftsmanship and manufacturing skills and qualifications – and the model agency TIH Models, a new modelling agency supporting youth in London affected by homelessness, Bethany’s points of reference and areas of focus lay a typically socially attuned and sustainably-led focus on her third collection to date.

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The menswear designer showcased at the DiscoveryLAB this London Fashion Week Men’s January 2018 through both a film created in collaboration with Crack Stevens entitled ‘Women of Change’ and the collection alongside, ‘Attenzione’.

The film is a poetic narrative that celebrates the strength of the communities of San Patrignano and Making for Change, and explores how fashion can incur social and environmental change. 

Throughout the film, the theme of ‘second chances’ was explored, drawing parallels between the second chance given to the discarded materials from which Bethany created the fabrics at San Patrignano, and the second chance given to the women involved in both of these innovative programmes.  

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Through these social responsibilities that carry through the ethos of the brand, Bethany showcased a range that was less collection and more collective: shaped by the communities and charities involved, culminating in a selection of looks that tied together as a diverse multimedia display.

The presentation held an atmosphere of steadfast serenity, the models standing straight and majestic under a strong and direct spotlight in their ensembles, allowing for the audience to inspect the techniques and the fabric. The music emanating from the film was disarmingly enveloping: you were welcomed into the space, relaxing your senses in order to explore the film presenting life in San Patrignano and the resulting work they have created with the Making For Change community, Chris Carney Collections (a recycling facility where Bethany’s raw materials are sourced) and cottage industry hand knitters on the Isle of Man.

Bethany’s clothes are more than clothes – they are supportive measures, they are projects in itself. The garment design is led by sociological injunction and followed up with design rationale: recycled fabrics and the focal charities leading the shape, texture and function.

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Speaking of her design process, Bethany notes: It always starts with the charity or community that I am working with, then it goes to the waste materials that I want to use, then it goes to the fabric and then from the fabric I work out the form: it is initially inspired by the charity I choose to work with from the start.

Bethany chooses to show one collection a year, due to the prolonged process involved in each collection, the level of external organisation and support expected, and the bespoke nature of the garments. Presenting around the London Fashion Week Men’s dates allows her to capitalise on audience, and frees up the year to focus on projects with various partners and institutions.

Sustainability is steadily growing as one of the key issues the fashion industry is choosing to address. Being a consultant and lecturer alongside her brand, Bethany has seen the approach others are taking: “I think sustainability has become such a big concern at the minute. I consult for bigger brands as well as doing my own projects, and companies are thinking about it, and thinking about the future. I work with Kering and they have their sustainability department and its massive. All kering brands also need to have a sustainability manager at your brand. They are looking at processes for luxury across the entire supply chain: people are really looking at it and thinking about the future.”

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There are things that can make the heart beat faster – we all have our own hit list – but for London Fashion Week Men’s what will be a focus moving forward is the celebration of brands that are looking at the picture that far exceeds the fashion frame: brands where integrity and social responsibility is one of their first salutations.

And what would Bethany like her brand to stand for? Through her delightfully positive, softly spoken lilt “creating a solution through innovation”.

A toast to that for the brand that’s in it.

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On Safari With Louis Vuitton

02.12.2016 | Blog , Fashion | BY:

Those looking for a December boost should head over to Selfridges to check out the latest Louis Vuitton Menswear Pop-up at the iconic London department store, Selfridges.

The new pop-up has been illustrated by The Chapman Brothers, who were commissioned by Men’s Style Director Kim Jones to create a space inspired by his time in Africa. Expect to see giraffes looming large over the collection, while rhinos and jaguars roam wild across the wallpaper.

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Launching in two waves, the visually impressive space plays host to a denim bar as well as an exciting array of exclusive products across ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes and leather goods. The Pre- SS17 collection is available in store now, and will be followed by the SS17 show preview from the 15th December.

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Discover the collection here 

 

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