After two great designer collaborations with Joanne Stoker and Kat Maconie for their Ladies range, it’s now the fellas’ turn and who better for Dune to turn to, then the rising star of British Contemporary Menswear, Christopher Shannon.
After showing a blinding collection for Autumn 2014 in January Christopher is firmly establishing himself as a name you really should look out for and in their infinite wisdom, Dune Shoes haven’t wasted any time and have had the foresight to work with Mr Shannon now.
Christopher’s AW14 collection explored his take on old school tracksuits with giant floral motifs on anoraks with sleek leather track trousers. Sleeves were sewn onto the back of short shorts or to the side of a track jacket, signalling a nod to the early years of Thatcherism and the post-punk era.
His collection for Dune is inspired by footwear shapes he would personally wear. With colours ranging from optic and sporty to more formal classic tones. Shannon has chosen a complementary mix of materials, with the shine of textured patent next to the richness of suede particularly standing out. Light- weight handcrafted sport inspired EVA soles feature heavily alongside hand stamped leathers for a high quality finish on the boots. Classic cup soles feature on the pumps and slip-on’s to give the collection a futuristic urban edge. Christopher has chosen to name each style after a town in his birthplace, Liverpool.
So after yesterday’s plethora of delights that enthralled us, what do we have for you today. Well, we can quite safely say COLOUR is the major trend for Autumn, but you could retort with, so what’s new ? What’s new is that we have seen pretty much every colour of the Rainbow from the darker more somber tones as een in TOPMAN Design and the monochromes of Agi & Sam to the racier hues of Richard Nicoll, Jonathan Saunders and of course Christopher Kane, who offered a box of delights to keep any man happy no matter his taste from sober to total intoxication. Kane has expanded his collection to include a more formal element right the way through to his signature patterns and knits in amazing and engaging tones.
Hackett
Next stop was the Freemasons Hall in Holborn for the Hackett Show, some what of a British institution holding it’s show within another British institution. The Freemason’s was a spectacular venue for the staging of this grand hotel themed setting. It was like a game of Guess Who, with leading men under the guise of the Explorer, The Graduate, the CEO and travel photographer, to name a few. In short everything was right about this show, in trying to select a picture to illustrate this show, it was so difficult as I liked one shot, then another and another.
E.Tautz
As always I like to gauge the opinion of learned colleagues, up first this season, is The StyleKing himself, Gary Kingsnorth, who described Patrick Grant’s E.Tautz as, “The highlight of LC:M was E.Tautz for me, a collection that was strong and contemporary.Inspired by the artwork of William Hogarth that was brought bang up date was a compelling collection to watch on the catwalk .”
Kent & Curwen
Another house of tradition with its roots firmly entrenched in formalwear, but somewhat commencing a transformation, since the appointment of new Creative Director, by golly there all at it, Simon Spurr is Kent & Curwen. He bought us a range inspired by Naval dress uniform, where he has reinterpretation and juxtaposition of iconic pieces.
Burberry Prorsum
So from one brand ringing in the changes to the ultimate brand who have completely turned themselves around, Burberry. Christopher Bailey for Burberry Prorsum, used London again as inspiration, in the second season of showing at LC:M he embraced the London Autumnal weather and used Leaf prints on Scarf, shirts and coats. Plus, if anyone can make that other very British of garment, the string vest cool again surely it has to be Bailey ?
Christopher Shannon
The second of our contributing opinion formers comes from one of the pioneers in men’s style blogging, Marcus Jaye, otherwise known as TheChicGeek, who felt, “Think my favourite show was Christopher Shannon. Really took it to the next level with ideas and the finish. Kept his sportswear look that he is known for, but gave others, who aren’t necessarily into that look , something like the fag packet knits or the bomber jackets.”
A.Sauvage
And finally, we come all too quickly to the end of another LC:M and what better way to finish this review of the best of the best then with Mr Adrien Sauvage. Who presented his envious and effortlessly cool take on style from rocking formalwear to rock inspired casual wear.
Firstly, I have an apology
to make I really did intend to post this, particularly interesting
story, last week in time for the first event in its Tour, but all I
can say is due to circumstances beyond my control I couldn’t
unfortunately and apologises to readers in Scotland, foremost
Edinburgh and anyone who was in Edinburgh and would liked to have
attended this event, sorry ! OK, swiftly moving on, if you find
yourself in either of our Northern Bastion cities of style this
week, I am of course, as if I need to explain further, talking
about Leeds and Manchester, please pay particular attention to your
state of dress. Another UK style icon, known the world over as an
Embassy of sheer sartorial taste, Harvey
Nichols, has gathered together the cream of the UK
crop in design talent and has whisked them off on a magical mystery
tour to some of their stores. Edinburgh was last week, sorry again
and now its the turn of the Leeds store on 7th August and
Manchester* on 8th.
Harvey Nichols will showcase their
buyers’ edit of the most important new British menswear brands from
London Collections: Men Spring/Summer 14. The evening will showcase
the exceptional design, impeccable tailoring and exciting new
visions for the future of men’s fashion, with the opportunity to
meet the designers behind these rising stars of mens’s fashion.
Designers involved include Bernstock
Speirs, Casely-Hayford, Christopher Shannon, James
Long, Katie Eary, Lou Dalton and last by
no means least Mr Hare. The
evening will offer customers the opportunity to shop the latest
collections, while sipping on complimentary drinks, always a bonus,
whoop, plus the chance to be styled by the designers themselves
!!!! Harvey Nichols has embarked on the tour to emphasise the
changing nature of our Menswear business and demonstrating their
ability to spot and nurture the very best of young British fashion
talent, with an emphasis on both the creative and commercial
aspects of the collections. Remember that RSVP is essential. Stay
updated and join the conversation on Twitter with the hashtag #HNLCMTour*Please note
that the Manchester date will not be taking place instore, but
instead will be located at 2022NQ, Basement, 20 Dale Street,
Manchester, M1 1EZ
One could say how do you follow yesterday’s post
regarding the first half of SS14’s London Collection:Men
(sorry still don’t like the name), well the answer is simple with
the likes of Alexander McQueen, Oliver Spencer, Burberry and
Paul Smith. And so lets not waste any more of either of our time
and get underway with one of the aforementioned style giants,
in the form of the house of McQueen. Like yesterday, as I said,
rather then me churner on giving my twopence on every John,
Dick & Agi, I’ll let the leaders of the Style pack give it
to you. This time round Lee Holden, leading Menswear
Stylist gives us his take on the Alexander McQueen Menswear show…. “It was great all black and white. Lots of surface
texture. Overlaid lace on suits. Brocade in black and white.
Edwardian silhouette. Long line jackets. Loads of parallel silk
shorts with cinchers on the sides of the knees”.
So from the royalty of McQueen we head to the equally regal Oliver Spencer, with the PR’s on the
door whispering of a surprise and with Jesse Metcalfe, Dermot
O’Leary and David Gandy (of course) sat FROW the show can begin.
But who’s that walking to the Decks strategically placed in the
centre of the catwalk ???? None other then blicking, Luther
himself, Idris Elba !!!!! The show gets underway with as always a
character filled show, including Wretch 32 modelling. The
inspiration for this season’s collection was the early graffiti
work of the 1980’s Neo-expressionist painter Jean-Michel Basquiat,
with a colour palette of Faded Red, Amber and Sky Blue, anchored by
Navy.
Then its the schlep over to the banks of the River Thams and
Old Billingsgate Market, for the Hackett show. All things 1960’s proved
to inspire Jeremy Hackett for this Collection, particularly the
work of iconic photographer Terry ‘ONeill, who has shot the Autumn
13 campaign for the brand. Plus the French illustrator René Gruau’s
work, but the standout point for the show has to be the full 38
piece Orchestra of the London Philharmonic supplying the score for
the show ! The Clothes, like Gieves offered us a holiday wardrobe
this more Rivera style, with lightweight summer tweeds, dog tooth
checks, turtlenecks and playful patterns and colours.
Into the straights now for the final furlong of LC:M and onto the great man
himself Sir Paul Smith and all I can
say is what an honour to have him personally take me through the
collection himself. He explained to me his Best of
British range and the unique suits that only Paul Smith
could do, in simply the most amazing fabrics that he worked on very
closely with the Yorkshire mill Joseph Clissold & Son.
While we were talking he was telling me about how they had re-make
some vintage pieces from the Paul Smith Archive for Matt Smith’s
Doctor Who costume, but he wouldn’t be drawn on who he would like
to see filling those shoes, maybe its him !
So feeling slightly dizzy with going back and fourth around London, we head back to
LC:M HQ in Covent Garden to view the wares of Marks
& Spencer’s Made in Britain collection. SS14
will be the second season for this range and its hard to see how
they can build on the preview which they gave us of the Autumn
collection, to hit stores in September. Well they blooming well
did, my favourite pieces were the umbrellas which took all my will
power now to try and snaffle one for this inclement “summer”. The
bags not only looked but felt well beyond their retail price and
the Scottish Cashmere in the Modtro tailoring inspired by their
Leeds Archive was inspired.
The designer of the next show was the
subject of last season’s profile, Mr Christopher
Raeburn, still gains inspiration from nature and the
great outdoors, though this season he explores the notion of
protection, focusing on the men of the Long Range Desert Group. A
reconnaissance and raiding unit from World War II who experienced
the extreme conditions of the desert environment. Raeburn brings an
element of modernity to tailoring for his latest range, as
sportswear is blended with the former.
Another Christopher up next
but this time its Shannon rather then Raeburn and it’s the turn of
the inimitable Mr Richard Gray, Associate Fashion
Director of the Sunday Times Style to give his
unique take on Christopher Shannon’s
collection…
“This is the next level, la!
I’ve got middle-aged man-tits and grey riah and wanted it ALL. Will
have it all. That doesn’t mean it’s for old lads, it just means
it’s opened up to more people.
1. The colour – did a lil sex-wee over
it.
2. Collars in
colour – recalcitrant teen in court, circa 1974. Want to be
him.
3. The Junior
Gaultier-y branding and stars. SOLD!”
OK then, that brings us so nicely to not only the penultimate show of the review but what has to be
the most exciting and awaited, as Christopher Bailey brings Burberry Prorsum home to the UK to
show its SS14 Menswear collection and lets just say it didn’t
disappoint. I have to admit, I am a Johnny come later fan of the
work of Bailey and I’d sit through numerous Burberry shows in Milan
and listen to Journalists and Stylists tell me about how great the
show was and I’d think I don’t get it. Then akin to St Paul on the
Road to Damascus, I had an epiphany moment and haven’t looked back.
This collection was a cracker, of course inspired by David Hockney
and like Hockney the use of colour, whether is be with the watches,
sunglasses or any garment was genius. Keep up the good work Bailey
and heres to seeing you back in London again in January.
And so it is the end of the third London Collections:Men, getting bigger and
better each time, a bit like my blisters and who may we see on the
schedule for next season ???? Vivienne Westwood maybe, Neil
Barrett, possibly maybe ever a count of our international cousins,
who would be very welcome in the cold that will be January 14 ! But
hold you horses, we have one more show and for us at Clothes Make the Man, a blinder of a
designer and the subject of this season’s profile. Mr Patrick Grant for
E.Tautz. Patrick takes us on a journey in and
around the many ethic cultures that call London home and make it
such a cosmopolitan hotbed. From the Bangladeshi community of East
London to A Japanese man who reads his book wearing a traditional
robe as Grant cycles past in King Edwards Park. All groups
retaining parts of their over clothing identity but encompassing
parts of their new home, normally height duty coats to combat the
environment of the UK. Grant managed to bring in all of these
factors and make them work as part of one solid collection.
