John Varvatos
John Varvatos - Fall / Winter 2010 Milan
>> See John Varvatos fashion show photos
At first look he's a rock-n-roller that's moody, skinny, dark and seductive, that's the blueprint behind the ethos of the John Varvatos man, yet when you break down any Varvatos collection, such as Fall/Winter 2010, you get a range of fundamental classics from suiting that's got just the right amount of cool tweaking for that extra kick to basics that serve as a palette to let you do the styling.
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Roberto Cavalli
Roberto Cavalli - Fall / Winter 2010 Milan
>> see Roberto Cavalli fashion show photos
It's nice to see that the 80's infatuation many of the Italian houses have been pushing for so many season's now has taken a backseat, such as at Roberto Cavalli's punkish yet luxuriously reserved Fall/Winter 2010 show. Long known to be the go-to guy for the Euro playboy's and leather-clad rock-n-rollers out there, Cavalli's recent outing was based on punk-era London with surprisingly rugged elements thanks to the use of rich buffalo plaids and a heavy-handed use of sumptous fur collars on everything from printed parkas to military inspired topcoats. A wise study of contrasts(print on print, texture on texture) and a precise run-through of some London's pinnicale moments in men's fashion history, this collection offered an impressive range of luxe essentials that offered something for every man, weather he's a dandy, a mod or a punk, and in Cavalli's capable hands, the outcome was brilliantly polished and resolutely modern.
Woolrich
Woolrich presentation - Fall 2010 Milan
>> See Woolrich fashion show photos
Unlike the fast resurgence other old-school American mill houses like Pendelton have recently awoken to, Woolrich Woolen Mill's recently appointed creative director Daiki Suzuki has taken a cautious and quietly calcualted route with the iconic label. Influenced by both the stark colors from late 1970’s and early 80’s designer labels like Comme des Garcons— an aesthetic he grew up with and learned much from—as well as his passion for Americana and Woolrich hunting plaids," Daiki Suzuki presented a small Fall/Winter 2010 collection that offered a myriad of riffs on classic plaid dressing from graphic understated shrunken blazers to oversized plaid toppers, all somehow acheiving that fine line between classic and contemporary. And unlike those other labels, Suzuki's acheivements for the house are quietly more substantial as the overall appeal of these clothes is their un-timely feel.
Opening Ceremony
Opening Ceremony - Fall 2010 Menswear, Paris
>> See Opening Ceremony fall 2010 menswear photos
It makes sense that one of the world's coolest mega-boutiques, Opening Ceremony (with outposts in Nyc, L.A & Tokyo) would create a best-selling, very well edited and thoughtfully executed line like their eponymous sportswear lines for men & women, after all, when your own shop's buys are so good, you must have some inclinations on what people out there need for a fully balanced wardrobe. And fill in the blanks they did with their Fall/Winter 2010 menswear collection that was presented in Paris for the first time. Known for witty takes on classic preppy Americana and collegiate garb, the team also sited "the style and culture of modern France, Breton sailor stripes, traditional French naval uniforms, European gypsies, 1968 student revolutionaries, and New Wave coolness." Here, it was a puzzle of familiar elements that played out more inventive than banal thanks to padded & horizontally quilted suiting options, abbreviated donegal tweed suits, the ubiquitous trench tricked out with zippered motorcycle jacket lapels and Mod fits all with the requisite dose of cool grunge inspired styling. -- Naveed Hussain, VagabondNYc
Published on January 25, 2010
