Highlights: July New York Fashion Week Men's
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That’s a wrap for the three-day, New York Fashion Week: Men’s which presented 20 runway shows at this year’s two locations; Industria Studios and Cadillac House. The designer’s spring/summer 2019 collections presented the full spectrum of menswear today from historical inspiration and streetwear to men’s skirts and technology.
The most notable trend, not only in New York but arguably all Fashion Weeks organized this summer, is gender-blending. If a designer desires to feature lace, ruffles, Tiered white tulle gowns, and opera gloves 2018 is the year to do it.
Alessandro Trincone: gender-blending
This season was the designer’s debut at NYFW: Men’s. He presented a collection far from the typical menswear that spectators see on the runway, however. Titled “Avvolgimi”, Trincone’s aim was to inspire men to embody their power from within. “I work from a place of bad experiences, because I like to start working from within myself,” Trincone said to FashionUnited. “It’s a challenge to get inspired by bad things and then transfer them into beautiful things through my collection.”
Photo: courtesy of Purple PRDyne: fashion, technology and performance
Designer Christopher Bevans, drew inspiration for the collection from the label’s hometown of Portland, Oregon. While the city is on the rise as one of the most popular destination for young professionals, it is far from a fashion mecca. The statement Bevans wanted to make with audience members is that lives outside of SoHo and the Upper East Side. “We are telling this story of future nomads. It’s kind of this utopian world through sports and craftsmanship.”
Photo: Christopher Callaway for DyneWilly Chavarria: immigration in fashion
Chavarria went political with his next season collection. A firm believer on fashion without borders, he was inspired by the current immigration catastrophe affecting so many in the United States. “My inspiration was people of color and immigrants on both the East and West Coast,” Chavarria said to FashionUnited.
The collection also features the recognizable 1999 and 2000s styles including baggy jeans, Timberland Boots, and baggy T-shirts. While Chavarria stuck with mostly neutral colors and denim, the show’s collaborator, Hummel, brought exploration into colors like yellow, orange and red.
Feng Chen: human connectivity
Feng Chen Wang explored themes of human connectivity and the idea of things in our lives that make us whole. Wang was also inspired by diagrams mapping the increase and decrease in temperature throughout the human body as we experience different emotions. She explored the phenomenon of loving warming us, depression cooling us, and anger igniting our upper body through PVC pieces that related to these different emotions.
Photos: Gerardo SomozaNick Graham: 1969
Graham’s signature time-capsule of collections left the crowd curious as to where he would take them next. The answer: 1969, as he aptly titled his spring/summer 2019 collection. The collection featured astronaut inspired jackets and commander pants closely resembling a Apollo 11 crew member. Even the tailored suits in the collection were playfully named “Space Suits”.
Inline with his past-tense show with futuristic hopes theme, the designer closed the show with a company of children walking down the runway in “Future Martians” T-shirts. After all, the children are the future.
Linder: Down with traditional masculinity
This seasons collection was meant to be a sequel to the last season which deals with self-acceptance in sexual orientation and masculinity. What define masculinity? Many gay men struggle to come out and express themselves throughout their lives. However, fashion and the clothes that they wear can be a way to express themselves without words, far before coming out.
On themes of companionship, a sweater was featured with a Bernese Mountain Dog printed on it. A white T-shirt had the word “Boyfriend” etched across it. Ideas of home, love and relationships showed how we can also use dress to attract other people. It is through fashion that many people are able to connect.
Photo: courtesy of Purple PRKenneth Nicholson: The Bath, Reminiscence, and The Funeral
Inspired by 18th century dresses, the collection featured clothing like dresses and ruffles that used to be considered unisex. Presented in three chapters: The Bath, Reminiscence, and The Funeral, Nicholson pushed the boundaries of menswear forward by looking into the past. Why should menswear be limited to pants?
The Bath chapter showed all white pieces, almost void of any color. The Reminiscence channeled the 1970s with vertical striped and denim shirts. The concluding looks were all black, respectfully so with The Funeral theme. A nearly ankle length black coat had an almost grim reaper like feel to it. Lace still played a big part in the details here, adorning cuffs, collars, and necklines.
photos: Rudy K/SIPA Press ParisMain photo: Getty Images for Nick Graham