Saturday 30 October 2010

101






Marching down the blustery avenues of London, the ‘Mad Men’ of the era are declaring a delusional type of Don Draper. As a cultural confidence booms, so too does the timid tailoring we once knew, warping the notions of notches, liberating languid lapels and contorting calculated cuts are soon to become something of the norm. Its time to forget the façade and awake unto the new mavericks of mankind. With such a fervent progression, will suiting wallow into a shadowy existence?



Well it’s true to say Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch, the leaders of ‘Les Hommes’ are attention grabbers. Suiting and booting boys with a controversial charm, this duo certainly know how to tailor to men. Their dynamic designs latch onto the movement of the moment, with tailoring manifesting a new dimension to conservatism the minds of ‘Les Hommes’ pave the way. Combining directional tailoring with leather jacket lapels its clear to see the initial attraction at Antwerp was enough for this pair to prevail against the unruly industry. Metallic diamond patterns and ribbed suiting which accompanied zips, suede, cable knits and velvet to name a few, all of which successfully summon a transformation in tailoring.


Even the polished perfection of the darling Tom Ford has somewhat noted a more expressive sense. A recurrent crusader for the entirely suave, sophisticated man about town, Tom Ford is a man that the needs no further explanation. Exploring several perceptions of tailoring, his aesthetic has developed with the cosmopolitan man and in doing so, has continued subtle contortions of detail, pattern, cut and silhouette. With classic notch lapel jackets in handcut cotton velvet in subtle hues of charcoal, navy and emerald green and cashmere wool trousers enhance a new found glamour for tailoring. Delicate reflections to the extravagance of the dandy Beau Brummell reference the hidden necessity of men’s desire to dress. Details remain key to Ford; wool checked blazers are accompanied with leather buttons and suede elbow patches which infuse a contemporary subtlety to the wistful ocean of pin-stripe, cotton shirts and flat-fronted trousers. It’s clear this is a man whom we all agree, has limitless talent.



An icon of performance, character and constantly metamorphosing the way we witness menswear, Galliano’s tailoring is something of an ever transforming masterpiece. Taking cultural references to the extreme, especially in this season’s collection, oriental influences ignited a fusion between bespoke tailoring and glorious ornamentation. Galliano’s dapper gentlemen were festooned with feathered ties and strapped within rugged corsets, in turn blurring the once modern man with adoration to become the dramatic, gallant hero many would kill to encapsulate.






Even your footwear can’t escape from the riotous winds of this men’s revolution; Prada in particular is set to create craters in the mundane desert of the 9-5 working man. Weighty brogues cemented between collections of soles: wing-tips, espadrilles and trainers incorporated the varying roles of the cultured, urbane and sophisticated man of the future.


Classic tailoring continues to be reminiscent of the 30s and 70s which still entwine the streets. History meets the contemporary from top to toe, so undoubtedly the meeting between the formal and the sharp sartorial shock will always be a match made in heaven. The contrasts of the lounge suit from the Edwardians to the fanatical frock coats of the Victorians are still mentioned today to create a pioneering perspective that the current man will seek to apprehend. How far will you go?

No comments:

Post a Comment