London men's collections fall 2016 .. an overview

Once upon a time London was referred to as fashion’s laboratory. It was a place rife with new designers fresh from Central St Martins and proffering their visions of fashion for all of us fashionphiles. In fact, London fashion weeks produced some memorable names that evolved into some of fashion's most respected designers. London was also the home of what many would call the dusty fusty fashion of the Brits as well as clothes fit for the THE queen… and that was no compliment.

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CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE.. if you dare

No so fast forward to the new millennium and the most recent collections. Here we are with clothes that actually look like design school projects and have been influenced by other fashion wannabe designers who get lots of hype and sell no clothes. Where are the avant gardists of the past? Where are the new designers who have an original vision?

 

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So in place of all that we get collections that offer puffers to pea coats, blazers to bombers, toggles to trenches, varsity jackets and still more warm clothes….. YAWN! Kanye AND Hood by Air don’t exactly speak to desirability for 95% of the male fashion victim population above 25 nor do cartoon clothes. Who amongst you wants to look like a walking cartoon caricature from Moschino or maybe someone masquerading as a baseball? Or maybe Sasquatch?

 

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CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO ENLARGE.. if you dare

Apparently, as I have said many times, anyone who can cobble together 25 outfits seems to be able to have a show these days and that is part of the problem. I am all for new designers but how about actually having something to say?how about actually taking into account that clothes are meant to sell?

Notable among what was first a clown car then a bus and now a train... are collections like Belstaff which is obviously a collection for men, Kilgour which while heavily referenced is chic as hell, McQueen where Sarah still has something to say about how her customer should look and a very commercial Coach and then the dusty fusty tailored collections which are certainly not bad just same old same old.

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Men's fall 2015 collections London

Barely 2 weeks into the New Year and the 2015 version of the fashion circus has begun. Within days we will be immersed in coverage of the men’s collections in London, the Haute Couture starting with the comeback collection of John Galliano tomorrow and the forever season of pre-fall that stretches from December till February.

Today’s the focus is London and its men’s collections which can only be described as everything from the sublime to the ridiculous and possibly even the theatre of the absurd. London has always or was always considered to be the laboratory of fashion especially demonstrated by young designers who were and are honing their design chops. Unfortunately so much of the men’s collections are designed by “mad scientists” rather than up and coming designers. One gets the distinct impression that many of these collections are designed for shock value, press attention and can you top this! The least important component of their MO is selling or commercial value apparently.

Even if we are barely into it at this stage, the astute or trained eye can see that if possible, there are a lot of treasures to found within the over the top theatrics and fashion games that are progressing at a break neck pace. It is literally a deluge of fashion... can’t really say what kind of fashion or who wants it but hell there are piles and piles of clothes that are offered with enough appeal to satisfy every fashionphile and fashion victim around the world.

For me, it is sensory overload to the point of visual obesity or gluttony. It is easier to isolate and speak of just a few collections rather than ALL. There is no way that ALL collections can be put in proper context nor explained with any skill. These eyes have already been witness to fashion that is indescribable as well as fashion that speaks to the season and customer. It is easier for me to select a few collections thus far that offer looks from the most commercial to the most over the top. Let’s talk Coach, Hardy Amies, Sibling, J.W. Anderson, and Agi & Sam; there is enough fashion, both good and ghastly, to fill a stadium full of fashion folk. The point is that no matter how insane some of these clothes might be, if you have the time and inclination, there are so amazing treasures to be found but can you or will you?