Men’s Spring 2013 wrap-up straight from the runways…
Just as its beginning to seem like there is a fashion show or presentation of some sort every working day of the year now comes a surprisingly enviable line-up of on-the-mark collections from some of our favorite, go-to labels.
From refreshing takes on color-blocking at Prada to on-trend cocoon shapes at Balenciaga, Valentino, Lanvin and more, to the sleeveless sportcoat, the jacket of the season -there was plenty to take note of for Spring 2013.
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Prada-
Like many of our favorite men’s collections of the season, Prada too worked a palette cleansing, minimal ethos into a range devoted to color-blocking in various 60’s inspired silhouettes.
What was exceptional here was that although decidedly basic, the collection served a complete selection of Prada-isms with a confident hand.
There were the vintage elements -an identifiable and beloved signature, the sporty appeal of uniform dressing, a steady hand at using off-colors against each other and a play on the surreal with contrasting paneled pants that distort the leg in movement.
And what makes it even better is that there is bound to be a piece that could work on just about anyone…
Balenciaga-
From Balenciaga came an outing full of smart options that were both somber and vivid while being thoroughly contemporary.
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We loved that while urbane in direction, everything had a relaxed ease, making it all the more reasonable to consider.
Valentino-
Couture inspired structured cocoon outerwear and tops paired with casual trousers and hybrid sneakers to suggest an urbane ease made for another winning proposition from the team behind Valentino.
That kind of dynamic synergy helped make the elegant silhouettes more viable when placed with something more approachable and less precious, for one thing. And within the mix were a range of paneled, contrasting color-blocked jackets in just about every sport-inspired shape you can imagine -with each one being undeniably cool and completely covetable.
Jil Sander-
First glance at Jil Sander’s much talked about return collection to her namesake label saw the designer honing in on her techno 90’s era hallmarks with the kind of precision one could only imagine was heightened during her tenure at Uniqlo.
Built upon a selection of radiant blue hues, the collection hit some of the season’s strongest trends on the dot with its assortment of full, fluid shorts, sleeveless sportcoats, cocoon silhouettes and cropped, skinny trousers.
All in all, it made for a welcome return and a home run to boot.
