Although some industry insiders have raised concerns for the future of
men’s fashion week, thanks to the change of tide which sees more and more
fashion houses showing men’s and women’s together, it has done little to
stem a growing group of women’s wear designers from testing the waters.
British designer previously announced her debut
men’s wear line at Italian trade fair Pitti Uomo and now following in her
footsteps comes fellow designer Anya Hindmarch, who is set to launch a “For
Him” collection, reports the New York Times.
Set to launch next month, Anya Hindmarch debut men’s collection will
feature three distinct leather bag styles, including a backpack, a tote and
briefcase, small leather goods and sneakers. The items will bear the
designer’s signature playful motifs and characters, such as the pixelated
Space Invaders-style icons from her women’s AW16 collection.
“Men were coming in and buying pieces that were part of our women’s
collection,” said Hindmarch to the Times, “as well as ordering pieces from
our bespoke shop, where customers are pretty much split 50-50 between the
sexes, so we thought we might as well do it in a more organized way.” The
design process for the men’s collection came more naturally than one may
think, as men were already purchasing items from her women’s collections
and showing interest in Hindmarch designs.
“We didn’t need masses of differentiation,” she added. “Men’s hands are
bigger, so we had to change the size of some handles and proportions, and
women tend to wear more cross-body bags, but that’s about it.” However,
rather than show the two collections apart during men’s fashion week and
women’s fashion week, Hindmarch had opted to show the two together and will
show her men’s collection during London Fashion Week in September.
In spite of the recent wave of uncertainty currently in the UK, in part due
to the Brexit and changes to the traditional fashion calendar, Hindmarch
has chosen an optimum time to expand her collection. According to recent
data from Mintel, the men’s wear market is growing at a faster rate than
its female counters, and with the UK accessories market said to be worth
some 2.7 billion pounds it looks like Hindmarch men’s collection is likely
to be a double win.
Photos: Anya Hindmarch Pre-Fall 2016 and A/W 2016, Facebook