London – The 9th (and albeit last) edition of London Collections: Men
has come to an end, as the British Fashion Council aims to rechristen the
men’s fashion week London Fashion Week Men’s from next season onwards.
Although some industry insiders have begun to wonder what the future for
men’s fashion weeks may hold, with the rise of unified catwalk shows, LC:M
(or LFWM) will remain a vital platform for both upcoming and established
talent. In honour of London Collections: Men, FashionUnited has compiled a
list of some of the most memorable presentations and shows which took place
over the four day event.
The British Fashion Council was drafted to help curate a series of events
during London Collections: Men in honour of the 40th anniversary of the
Punk movement. To celebrate 40 years of punk heritage in London, designer
hosted an exhibition in his
Albemarle Street store which featured the work of acclaimed British
photographer Derek Ridgers. The two also teamed up to create a limited
edition run of t-shirts featuring Ridgers’ seminal photographers. The
exhibition officially opened on Thursday night, marking the start of LC:M.
Astrid Andersen was among the growing number of designers to feature both
female and male models in her spring-summer 2017 collection catwalk show.
The event also marked Andersen move into women’s wear, a step which is
likely to reflect well on the designers growing clientele list. Her SS17
collection, which was a-washed in beiges, sands and neutral hues, featured
knit polo dresses, long tunics, pants and shirts which beard resemblance to
martial arts uniforms featuring named and logos, giving it an urban feel.
Henry Holland decided to take things one step further with the new ‘see
now, buy now’ business model taken on by an increasing number of designers
by launching an during his
spring-summer 2017 men’s wear showcase at LC:M this season. Unlike other
augmented reality apps on the market, the app launched by House of Holland
does not need a QR code in outdoor to function, but rather scans the entire
item in question before letting the user purchase it online for next day
delivery. The future of shopping? Perhaps, although the app was limited to
a group of VIP guests during House of Holland’s show.
The design duo Agi & Sam managed to turn a number of heads with their
spring-summer 2017 collection, which aimed to study what it means to be
masculine in 2016 and how the traditional gender roles have changed. The
resulting collection, presented on both male and female models, included
accents such as marigold washing up gloves, flowers and pink socks, with
statement pieces such as brown and white cow hide jacket and a loose,
straight cut checked blazer.
Jermyn Street, located in the heart of London’s West End was transformed
into an open air catwalk as St James hosted a series of catwalk shoes open
to the public. Over 30 brands with stores located on Jermyn Street and
Piccadilly came together to show their collections during LC:M, including
Tiger of Sweden, John Smedley, Turnbell & Asser and Sunspel. “LCM is one of
the most influential moments on the global menswear calendar and it’s
fabulous we are able to share this with the public on Jermyn Street once
again,” said Dylan Jones, editor of GQ and chair of London Collections Men
on the event. “St James’s is the ideal setting with its combination of
heritage brands and contemporary fashion labels.”
Matthew Miller’s SS17 collection brought together the best of loose
tailoring with punk accents, as one of the designer’s main influences for
the collection was the first wave of skinhead culture to land in the UK.
Key looks included a slouchy tailored suit, with the shirt covered in
butterfly safety pins and a denim jean and jacket combination featuring a
soft colour print all over.
Rather than presenting his designs using more conventional methods (or
models), designer Aitor Throup decided to take things one step further by
showcasing his “trans-seasonal prototypes’ on giant, life-size puppets
during London Collections: Men. The resulting collection is said to be part
of the designer’s New Object Research project, which builds on a year and
half of Throup’s work. The designer worked together with puppet designer
and engineer James Perowne to created a one of a kind fashion performance
named ‘The Rite of Spring/SummerAutumn/Winter.’ The one-off garments and
puppets are slated to be sold as art works on Tuesday at Dover Street
Market.
Ximon Lee’s SS17 collection is said to continue on from last season’s main
theme of childhood, but with an added edge and hardness which is designed
to reflect on the hardships of growing up. The designer presented oversized
denim jackets, with acid washes and open seams during his debut show in
London, transforming a child’s pinafore into oversized apron.
Coach presented a very Americana-vibe for SS17 as the label celebrated
classic USA items, such as the leather biker jacket and hawaiian shirts,
with an updated twist from LA-based artist Gary Baseman. Stand out pieces
included cherry-re leather jackets, a la James Dean, Hawaiian print
trousers and varsity and bomber jackets, bedecked in colourful characters
from the world of Baseman.
Photo Credit: London Collections: Men, The British Fashion Council
FashionUnited will focus on the menswear catwalk season during the month of June, by featuring exclusive and in-depth coverage on Men’s Fashion Weeks, including (), Milan (Milano Moda Uomo), Paris (Mode Masculine Paris) and New York (New York Men’s Fashion Week) and more. For more articles on menswear, click .