Famed for their innate understanding and reflection of youth culture, it’s no surprise that Dr. Martens have teamed up with cult streetwear brand Stüssy to release a new capsule collection. Not only are both brands emblematic of rebellion and the underground scene, but they both also emphasise quality and clothes made to last.
Available in stores now, the collaboration sees classic Dr. Martens silhouettes remixed with signature Stussy vibes: think cheetah print panels, pebble grain textured leather uppers and a mega combination of independent spirit. Get ’em while you can.
The shift in seasons is truly upon us, well, in a sartorial sense at least. Today sees the long-awaited launch of Topshop Unique‘s stellar AW16 collection, as it arrives in stores and online. So distract yourself from flimsy cotton dresses and kick your way out of those well-worn three-stripe slides, there’s some new kit to play with.
As ever, the girl being designed for by Topshop is part rebellious, part slick – just like London itself. Alongside late-night worthy velvet suiting and slips, there are sequins and corseted minis. Meanwhile, daytime gets a heritage feel, with houndstooth appearing in a variety of blown-out proportions, cropped knits, collared lace and exquisite printed silks inspired by the Bard – The Winter’s Tale landscape.
There is a military element, too, with the introduction of voluminous fur-collar bombers, plenty of khaki and mustard, and hip-skimming mannish army trousers. The final flourish is undoubtedly the swathed duster coats, resplendent with Arctic white shearling. They are the perfect accompaniment to second-skin long johns, a leather mini, those aforementioned sequins or a barely-there negligée. Or, perhaps even nothing at all.
Supermodel-in-the-making Taylor Hill has today been revealed as Topshop’s new campaign star for AW16. The New York-native, who has fronted the cover of Vogue, was chosen for her versatility, as well as her looks – so says Creative Director, Kate Phelan: “Taylor walked in the February 2016 UNIQUE show – she is a social supermodel and a young woman with style and personality; she is every Topshop girl rolled into one. Whether she is a tomboy in jeans, glamorous in cocktail, or pretty in polka dots, Taylor is Topshop’s ultimate girl crush.”
To mark the appointment of Taylor as the global face of the brand this season, Topshop has released a short film of Taylor, accompanied by her dog (an adorable Labradoodle called Tate), cavorting around her home city of New York in a selection of key pieces from the AW16 collection.
The campaign, which sees Taylor in oversized leather, ’90s LBDs and sheer polka-dots, was shot by acclaimed photographer, Giampaolo Sgura. Speaking to Topshop, Taylor said: “It feels really cool to be Topshop’s campaign girl, I never thought I’d do campaigns, especially not for Topshop. I’d always see the big models doing it and never thought I would, but here I am!”
Paris Fashion Week is not a low key affair. It always has – and remains to be – where a large handful of historically iconic design houses show their respective wares amidst a flurry of theatrics and architectural grandeur. And one of the most memorable of AW16 was Christian Dior.
The fact that the world still awaits the name of a successor to the now departed Raf Simons was momentarily shelved, as the skill of the exemplary design foundations of the house took centre stage. This is a brand with creative and flair at its core, and although an effective ‘lead singer’ of the big fashion band is still yearned for, Serge Ruffieux and Lucie Meier – who worked in Raf’s former team – have more than proved that it’s not necessary for them to have one in place to be able to produce greatness.
This season followed on from the success of January’s couture collection, and was yet another show with a strong focus on the key ‘looks’ of the late Mr Dior, with “black silhouettes as crisp as the sheets of white paper on which they spring to life: dense, textured, embroidered and quilted.”
It also featured “hand-painted dévoré velvets, re-coloured jacquards inspired by one of Monsieur Dior’s iconic sketches” as well as, “fragments of colour, embroidered motifs atop prints, a touch of leopard.” It was a collection in which “everything lies in the mix and the compilation,” according to Dior themselves.
Image by Adrien Dirand for Dior
And the sets? Magnificent. Once again Bureau Batek made made illusion a reality, and used vast mirrors to disorientate in the entrance to the normally so familiar Musee de Louvre. Once you found your way in, it was a journey through spiraling tunnels clad in dulled metallic finishes and burgundy velvet. It’s was both reminiscent – many said it conjured the historic grandeur of a cathedral – and incredibly modern – we suppose, just like the clothes themselves.
For as long as one can remember, men’s fashion has been inextricably linked – and obviously inspired by – music. So it was particularly significant that the autumn winter 2016 menswear shows that recently took over the fashion capitals of the world fell in the shadow of David Bowie’s tragic death.
David Bowie was not just a music icon, he was a cultural revolution. And it is hard, nay almost impossible, to find a single designer who has not paid reference to his work at some point in their career. From the likes of Burberry to Alessandro Michele at Gucci – this season’s AW16 shows were full of acknowledgements for the late star. The former had little time to do anything other than react to the news, and so models were sent down the runway with glitter shadowing their eyes, and even ‘Bowie’ scrawled across exposed palms. While a few days later at Gucci, a simple cardigan was emblazoned with the singer’s name, which is no surprise as it was the Italian fashion house who sponsored the V&A’s 2012 retrospective of his life and style.
But David Bowie, at heart of all the glitter, hair, disguise and self-expression, was a lad from Brixton. A south London boy who knew how to wear a skinny-cut suit. And as such, it was Paul Smith who really knew how to show his creative thanks with his AW16 offering.
Featuring a melee of those aforementioned skinny suits, ankle boots which snuggly snaked their way up trouser cuffs, paisley motifs and bold stripes which adorned both outwear and cashmere knits – it was a riot of British street style from the late ’60s and early ’70s. See how it all played out – but more importantly listen to the soundtrack which so perfectly accompanied it – below.
In spite of labels such as Moschino, Belstaff and Dunhill showing at London Collections: Men, the most talked about designers were the new kids on the block. This year saw a formidable collection of talent at the MAN catwalk. Charles Jeffrey, who runs the notorious night Loverboy in London, walked a collection reminiscent of Vivienne Westwood and John Galliano at their prime. Billowy silhouettes, Rauschenberg-esque handbags and vibrant colours which clashed against earthy browns created an overall aesthetic of dishevelled, debauched beautiful young things of the night.
Meanwhile Grace Wales Bonner set the city ablaze with her collection ‘Spirituals’. Her AW16 collection was sensitive yet full of precise cuts and intricate details, from coloured embroidery on denim knees to golden stitching. Her ’70s silhouettes ranged from red tracksuits to soft collared white shirts, and these were complimented by Swarovski adorned chokers. In all, an ethereal, truly soulful and stand out collection.
Designer Alex Mullins made meta play out of clothes, with faces of friends stamped across jackets and tee-shirts. Tailoring was obscure and architectural, with off-kilter cuts and frayed denim edges aligning to create a staunchly energetic collection, with the rhythms of the city at its core.
Outside of the MAN presentation, designer Josh Reim (pictured main) showed his first ever collection at LCM. His was a pagan inspired presentation with personal ancestry at the locus of the designs. Models were placed within a rural tableaux which highlighted the intricacy of the stitching and complimented the muted palette on show. All eyes on this new crop of talent, promising to carry the torch where McQueen & co blazed before them.
Suave, salient and immeasurably slick London Collections: Men certainly epitomized the it in British Fashion this season. Over four days, the AW16 collections unfolded to reveal a line up of bold, clever and thoughtful designs that will have sartorial hounds and innocent laymen baying for blood in the months to come. Overall there was a sense of confidence and attitude: a thoroughly British, slightly grungy and often playful aesthetic which could afford to be irreverent because it was so smart. The collections were many and the quality was high though stand-out designers included Matthew Miller, CMMN SWDN, Alex Mullins, Craig Green and J W Anderson, who’s designs managed to make gold-toothed A$AP Rocky’s attendance at the show feel underwhelming in comparison.
The Aesthetic
One noticeable trend was focus on the elements and the natural world. Craig Green delivered an acclaimed collection once again. This time he wove his signature sculptural forms closer onto the body with the theme of protection as the inspiration. Buttons and ties were used to beautiful effect, embodying a sense of vulnerability against the elements. This, combined with the natural tones of mossy greens and terracotta hues, rendered Green’s AW16 collection both romantic and ethereal. Emblazoned with a similar mandate, Christopher Raeburn turned to the wild, with a Mongolian inspired collection. Models walked with oversized bum bags, patterned sweatshirts and extreme parka coats, worn open with stand-out rucksacks. Also of note were the highly covetable and timeless bombers mixed against some gigantic shredded ponchos. At Cottweiler, the duo looked to the natural world as well. Inspired by a youtube fetish that involves wading through mud whilst fully clothed, the collection featured high waisted waterproof trousers alongside neutral bomber jackets.
A military thread also ran throughout LCM, embodying the duality of male identity. The duo at Casely-Hayford shook up standard outwear thanks to a re-imagining of military uniforms. Under the title Irregimental Youth, the collection spanned eras, from the ’60s through to skinheads and ’90s rave culture. Long, khaki jackets were adorned with patch-work denim whilst others were split at the back, creating a lizard-like tail that, though perhaps impractical for the commute, was genuinely imaginative and forward-thinking. Notable mention should also go to the vibrant colour scheme inspired by psychedelic images of the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper album. Turquoise jackets and acid bright suits ensured that Casely-Hayford kids will always bring the party. Over at McQueen, Sarah Burton created a signaturely baroque collection, showing expertly tailored red jackets embroidered with black beads. On Monday, Xander Zhou lent a glam spin to the same theme with a wide-shouldered, cropped jacket.
Christopher Shannon AW16
The Influences
At Christopher Shannon, the designer took inspiration from suburban ’80s Liverpool, updating the aesthetic and creating a new set of local heroes for 2016. The collection was awash with bright colours. Highlights were the oversized vinyl jackets in plastic pink, crisp, pastel boxer shorts and high neck anoracks with zip detail. The design duo at CMMN SWDN, Emma Hedlund and Saif Baker, drew on feelings from the late ’70s and early ’80s to create a collection around the title Domus. Looking to the warm, comforting feelings associated with ones own home, the pair contrasted the retro influences with modern fits. Key pieces included a pony skin jacket, an orange suede jacket with a signature ‘c’ tag in tortoiseshell on the pocket, and a mid-length leather piece that had audiences weak at the knees. As ever with CMMN, the cuts were dexterous, with silhouettes spliced together in unexpected ways. The high waist, high neck combinations made a particular impression.
Matthew Miller’s much talked about collection elucidated ideas of Nouveau Riche, stripping the term of it’s old meaning and associating it with the ”cultural capital” of his generation. Cropped box jackets were layered over longer out—wear with pieces pulled together by thin straps at the waist. It was a challenging collection, one that drew on the old to traipse over it with new. The stand out design was the Caravaggio ’David and Goliath’ print jackets and shirts which not only embodied his theme but added a heightened sense of unease to the overall aesthetic. As at Agi & Sam, Miller walked both male and female models, compounding the idea that gender-less fashion is the future.
If some designers spent this season searching through history, J W Anderson bucked trends and embraced the pace and power of change. His AW16 show was a melding pot of ideas, influences and aesthetics, underpinned by a re-invention of casual-wear. Highlights included polka dot faux furs, cropped white knit trousers with button detail and silk printed suits. The recurring motif was that of a snail, a cartoonish and ironic nod to the fast-paced fashion world. A cartoon cat from the 1920s also made a recurring appearance. It was an energetic collection, both dark and playful, which will define how men dress for seasons to come.
Although still in its relative infancy when compared with some of the other international fashion weeks, London Collections: Men – or LC:M for speed and ease – is rapidly gaining momentum. And a highlight of this season was Twin favourite Paul Smith, who lived up to his iconic British status and served up a playful slice of eccentric nostalgia.
Casting his magpie eye back to 1970, when he opened his first shop, the designer presented his autumn winter 2016 wares in an exact replica of his original three metres by three metres store. In among a riot of charming bric-a-brac lay joyous prints influenced by a pile of cycling jerseys, a bold new bag inspired by the Argentine tango, as well as an array of his seasonally expected – and universally appreciated – tailoring. He even smacked the detailing from the facade of his Mayfair outpost on a selection of leather goods.
This season’s offering was staged at none other than the Pace London gallery, which has continuously served as inspiration for Paul throughout the years. Currently home to work from the like of British triumvirate John Hoyland, Anthony Caro and Kenneth Noland – it was yet another source for the acclaimed British designer to draw inspiration from.
Fashion is a business that can very often take itself a tad too seriously, so thank the stars for people like Paul Smith, who know that a sense of humour – and the ability to find inspiration in absolutely anything – are the ultimate palette cleanser.
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