FALL '08 MENSWEAR RUNDOWN

The fiery FALL [menswear] shows sadly wrapped this past Friday. Tomorrow though, the shows land down with a whopping “cheers!” in London. The fashion frenzy in NYC excited the masses; even First Lady—Barbara Bush! And to add, off-site shows were doubly fun! With so many shows digested, I’ll only recap my favorite (as promised from a previous post) top four shows: Y-3, DKNY, Patrik Ervell (longtime MS R favorite) and Sean John (energized show).

Y-3

A pinch of sky-blue and Y-3 uppers will make any FALL day design hookup fresh!

Adidas + eccentric Yohji Yamamoto fashion brainchild, Y-3, featured ‘07 sameness with jazzed up new fabrications (bold plaids and refined wools). Accouterments (recycled and exact styling from fall ‘07) included rock size beads sported through pants loops and unbuckled belts exposing a bold Y-3 logo. Their recyclable looks weren’t heavy laden on the runway entirely. Fall inspirations slid down the polar ice-esque backdrop runway smoothly: Patent lightweight luxe bombers (think, Moncler); forest green jacket/pants suits, sharply cut blazers with fleece piping. Active wear pieces included cashmere cargo's atop signature Y-3 uppers and Lycra mix sporty knits under sweeping coats. Despite the collection rerun, Y-3 is the only design force who I think can incorporate ‘sporty’ and ‘design’ functionality.

Y-3 Favorite:

DKNY

Donna Karan: Delightful D. Some might rant she’s just a creative director and not designer. Mr. MS R strongly begs to differ. Donna designs for the customer; she intuitively understands their wardrobe. I was highly impressed with the menswear numbers at her show earlier in the week. She didn’t forget us gents for fall (personal feelings from previous seasons) and the shown menswear palette was my reinforcement. A wide blend of men getups came forth with unified appearances: Classic American. Fall hues (browns, grays...) and punches of bright oranges infused the already-loud burnt-orange runway. The stronger looks identified included single breast blazers pairings with chunky knits and slim dark ties. I would have preferred to see more pants colors or style options. The monochromatic denims just weren’t cutting it—for Mr. MS R.

Overall, I’m team Donna for FALL and look forward to seeing spring in September.

DKNY Favorites (I couldn’t choose only one):

Patrik Ervell

I met Patrik Ervell briefly at Opening Ceremony (coolest boutique in NY) last summer. And I understood then, why he and his über-cool merchandise were reverberating all over fashion-sphere. His collection in short was GOLDEN! “Simply,Golden” as Jill Scott, sings. The collection offered contemporariness and youthful edge. Most of Patrik’s runway designs (all superb craftsmanship and detailing) were catchy and would hearten any fashion viewer to nab his designs on-the-spot. A lot of the wearable pieces previewed in normal fall colorways: Beiges, Browns, and Heather Grays. And just added: a luster GOLD.

Patrik Ervell Favorite:

Sean John

Sean Combs returned and [unfortunately] didn’t bring the HEAT as I would have wanted. Don’t get me wrong gents, there were some amazing looks (like purple number shown below)—just not many strong ones. Let’s talk about the pre-show madness (Diddy acting a total clown for his “hopeful reality show” cameras) that occurred backstage at Sean John. Tyson chatted up everyone (a true host; not just for TV) while newly weds Chris Ivery and cutie-pie (smiles) Ellen Pompeo previewed the line before the glitzy spectacle. Also chopping it up at the CIROC (Diddy’s new business partnership) bar was a well-groomed up K-Fed and Wilmer Valderrama. And cool-funny man Harvey Weinstein (co-revamped Halston brand—stay tune for future MS R post) along with Roberto Cavalli paraded before the show.

I felt Sean John's FALL line was a bit urban-Thom Browne. Something new, and extreme! I was expecting more from the casual sportswear brand—upping 03’s collection. But its fashion; I guess the high extremities were just that: High extreme. I wasn’t a fan of the asymmetrical cropped and certain floor-length looks—also the extra ruffle and big scarf embellishments. I was a gleaming fan though, of the dapper purple numbers and hyper-slim stately suits!

Another personal high note: Sean Combs honored ‘Black History Month’ by showcasing all African American models.

Sean John Favorite: