“Can’t do that,” Sam Linder said when asked to describe his collection in
three words. Linder is one of the cofounders of the avant-garde
contemporary label Linder along with Kirk Millar. Taking a closer look at
their runway show yesterday, July 11, during New York Fashion Week: Men’s,
it would have been an injustice to try and condense something so complex to
just three words.
For their spring/summer 2017 collection the duo focused on asymmetry,
exaggerating details, trying to use things that are normally functional as
decorations, and trying to make things more vague.
The designers went for the deconstructed look with several garments, such
as a cream and blue combo melting knit cardigan. Clothes appeared as if
they were literally melting onto the models bodies, while other pieces took
drama to a whole new level with items like exaggerated piping track jackets
and wide leg rivet jeans that were embellished with so many rivets they
truly played to the idea of both the functional and the exaggerated.
“It’s almost as if the collection is in a fun house mirror,” Millar said.
In a world of men’s wear which tends to be dominated by either very
tailored, structured offerings or very casual offerings, Linder fills a
space in the market for those that want the avant grade.
They also aren’t designing for your average man. They dare to go against
gender norms and want to give full emphasis to the male form with offerings
like crop tops and floor length denim skirts. It is your bohemian man’s
wardrobe, but they certainly aren’t your average designers or your average
brand.
photos courtesy of Purple PR