Suits worn over fishnet tops, tiny tailored
shorts, loafers and sunburnt noses — Topman Design went to the British
seaside for its latest collection Friday, kicking off four days of men’s
fashion in London.
J.W. Anderson, Christopher Kane, Coach, Barbour and some of Saville Row’s
top tailors are among those showing at this season’s London Collections:
Men,
the twice yearly celebration of masculine style in the British capital.
Topman Design, part of the Topshop high-street fashion stable, opened the
event with a show featuring cropped sweaters in soft pinks or blues, washed
denim jackets, boxy puffa jackets and jewelled white tracksuits.
Described as a “celebration of Britain and its glorious seaside towns”,
the
clothes were adorned with emblems of anchors and skulls, while the models
were
made-up to look like they had spent a little too long in the sun.
Influences included casual fashion from the 1980s as well as Teddy Boys
and
the Mods, youth tribes from the 1950s and 1960s.
There was nostalgia for another lost tribe at the launch on Thursday
evening of a book of punk photographs by Derek Ridgers, marked by an
exhibition hosted by British designer Paul Smith at his Mayfair shop.
Smith said the black and white photos of fans and bands, taken in London
in
1977, were a reminder of the importance of self-expression.
“Punk was a great example of just people doing things because they wanted
to be different. But not with lots and lots of money — just through doing
it,” he told AFP.
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 .
“I think the world is desperate for self-expression again. It’s become so
homogenised,” he said.
“So many young people are living life more like a business plan. It’s
very
considered, there’s not so much self-expression.”
Smith is known for his idiosyncratic take on traditional styling,
particularly suits.
US bank JP Morgan made the headlines this week with the announcement that
staff no longer had to wear suits, unless they were meeting clients.
Smith has no concerns about his core business.
“We still sell a lot of suits. It depends how you wear it — I’m wearing
a
suit tonight but with trainers and red socks,” he said.
Suits or sportswear, men’s fashion is increasingly big business,
accounting
for 25 percent of Britain’s total clothing market, according to Mintel
research cited by the British Fashion Council.
The market grew by 4.1 percent in 2015 to reach 14.1 billion pounds, up
from 13.5 billion pounds in 2014 — compared to growth of 3.7 percent in
womenswear in
the same period. (AFP)
Photos: LCM and Topman, Facebook