Global men’s fashion weeks have come to an end, and those following the
sartorial trajectory of London, Florence, Milan and Paris will have an
overwhelming sense of relief.
It was an impactful season filled with anticipation, new debuts, and a
hunger for meaning of what fashion means in an industry often dislodged
from its surroundings.
From Balenciaga to Brexit, the highs and lows of the men’s shows were at
best like a boat manoeuvring stormy seas with winds blowing in every
direction. This was a season where plain sailing was neither an option nor
the end goal. Designers preferred to shock, to question, to over-analyse
and over-design, rather than provide half of the world’s population with
wardrobe options that could seamlessly translate into their every day lives.
Catwalk fashion, as much in menswear now as it is in womenswear, is about
presenting a utopia. It is to inspire, to entertain and to challenge those
who consume fashion. It is a chance for a designer or brand to make
statements, raise the bar and transport our imaginations to where it has
not been before. Alexander McQueen had this ability, as did Yves Saint
Laurent. It must also inspire us enough to purchase its clothing, or buy
into the brand via accessories or perfume.
There is a place for conceptual fashion and aspirational idealism but this
season it appears to have been swept away by the quixotic and a revering of
far-fetched visionaries. The catwalk fashion we just witnessed bears
resemblance to an alternate reality where mere mortals are meant to express
themselves via only the boldest of fashion statements, like Balenciaga’s
Uncle Fester inspired silhouettes or Gucci’s effeminate propositions, that
will have the average man running far away to wherever the tectonic plates
of fashion are not shifting quite so seismically.
And this is no bad thing, because the spring summer 2017 men’s catwalk
collections will hopefully only be a tiny drop of what will be available in
showrooms to buyers and ultimately be even further diluted when it hits the
shop floor, the commercial end of the fashion spectrum.
The currency of designers that are challenging fashion are always revered
the most. Even if their propositions are some of the most provocative and
difficult silhouettes to buy into. Certainly there was no lack of shock
value or showmanship, nor of craftsmanship or vision. But the end result,
the actual garments, are tricky at best.
Editors and publications have nigh on unanimously lauded both Gucci and
Balenciaga collections, but it pays to remember that Kering, the parent
company of its brands, holds a powerful influence over the industry. And it
is so that there is but a rare word written that may allude to any of its
collections being tricky or uncommercial.
Gucci hired creative director Alessandro Michele to give the brand a modern
identity, which can’t be denied by even the staunchest of critics, and
Balenciaga is aiming to chart a similar growth path under new creative
leadership from Demna Gvasalia. Will these designers still be heading these
houses when their contracts expire in three years? Only time will tell.
It will only be when consumers stop buying into a brand that its board
members will start taking notice. Of course any company will have a
strategy that extends far beyond the catwalk, with fashion making but a
tiny profit in comparison to a house’s other product categories. But even
so, the fashion this season will have most men running in the opposite
direction.
Images: Gucci website, Balenciaga Facebook page