LFW Men’s 6th Jan 2018 – Day 1

TONSURE

TONSURE’s AW18 collection, although inspired by 1980s New York, debuted against a modern digital backdrop of Manhattan, in which videos of moving traffic and city lights gave guests an immersive experience. This season, TONSURE’s focus was on creating a showcase of fabric and texture in a minimalistic, classic way. Much of the collection took its form in dark tones, with grey wools and jerseys and black patent leather dominating fabric choices; the standout moments, however, occurred when colour was used. The addition of bright orange into predominantly navy looks, for example, was an unexpected but welcome splash of colour. Likewise, the finale look, engineered in a green and grey quasi-check, was an interesting update on a traditional wool coat. Style lines this season were simple, with boxy outerwear paired with loose-fitting trousers, but it seems that layering is key- one particular look involved a model wearing a shirt, a hoodie, a suit jacket, and a shearling bomber jacket one on top of the other in an intriguing mélange of smart and casual wear. One final thought: it seems that waist belts are back in for menswear! So go forth and cinch, lads! – SL

 

BARBOUR x ENGINEERED GARMENTS

This season Barbour collaborated with Engineered Garments (a NY based brand founded by Daiki Suzuki) to create a collection of 5 waxed cotton jackets in black, olive and navy: the Cowen, Dumbo, Parka, Graham and the Cape – all said to be made in England. Main inspirations are cited as from the military, country wear and the police – it’s no wonder Barbour are known for being British. With a focus on pattern-cutting and simplicity, silhouettes were kept loose with blouson shapes. Suzuki commented on the collaboration: ‘One of the main elements to Engineered Garments is its classic military stylings and it was something I wanted to go with. It was a challenge to think about how to go about working with such an iconic brand and one that I hold dearly.’ Barbour showed the collection on rough cotton mannequins, complete with flashing bicycle helmets (next season’s headwear obsession perhaps?). – IH

 

OLIVER SPENCER

With his AW18 collection entitled ‘Love is the Drug’, Oliver Spencer explores his love affair with the city of London. Varying shades of grey and blue make an appearance as an ode to urban buildings and the River Thames, but richer tones of burgundy, chocolate, and mustard are also utilised to complete the colour palette. Corduroy and velvet are two fabrics that feature heavily this season, both of which can be seen in a variety of suits and separates for both men and women. If we stray away from the clothing, however, it is worth noting that the Oliver Spencer show really championed model diversity, with gender, race, and age all being represented in an unbiased way. Hopefully this will help pave the way in the industry for more inclusive casting! – SL

 

 

LIAM HODGES

The Liam Hodges AW18 show was undoubtedly the brightest and funniest event on today’s roster. This season’s collection was about returning to youthful pleasures and redefining the 90s, with influences coming from kids TV shows, Comic Con, and punk/New Wave music. Each look was referential without any hint of imitation, and carefully brought childhood innocence and freedom to life. Checks and stripes appeared in a variety of colours and sizes, with a pair of burnt orange tartan trousers being a particular highlight. Denim is also used throughout the collection and although the main application is in jeans and jean jackets with large bleached stripes, the most eye-catching look was perhaps loose-fitting light-wash jeans paired with an oversized denim overcoat, both of which were hand-painted with Mr. Blobby’s face. Speaking of Mr. Blobby, a widely recognised and much beloved 90s icon, there were both overt nods to him as well as subtler allusions. His face was emblazoned across shirts and tees and this season’s knitwear was polka dotted, with one jumper being in his signature pink and yellow colour palette. Although the styling was rather trippy (say hello to green gunged hair!), it undeniably helped to portray this collection rooted in the past as a modern, explosive reimagining of childhood nostalgia. – SL

 

QASIMI

Qasimi did anything but disappoint this season. Self-defined as the ‘modern day nomad’, the collections colour palette of copper brown, khaki, pine, slate and, burgundy was reinvigorated with sporadic neon coral and honeyed yellow. The time to dress like a caramel-camel on an acidic trip is officially now! Oversized trousers poured over the currently unavoidable block-colour trainer; well-cut sweatshirts were stamped with ‘AMEN’ and ‘BLESSED’ – referencing the designer’s own personal beliefs. Ceiling-to-floor mirrors framed the catwalk and added the illusion of length to the set of the South Kensington warehouse, while a pulsing beat carried the striding models forward. Model diversity was thankfully (and frankly should be) very broad in terms of ethnicity and race. A particular ‘yes please’ item were the button-up plain shirts with back panels featuring custom Zoe Keller still-life drawings of Middle Eastern fruits (glossy pomegranate) and fauna. My only (and affirmed) criticism: make it longer! – IH

 

NIGEL CABOURN

While a limited selection of Nigel Cabourn’s SS18 and AW18/19 was on show – think bold checks (and we’ve been seeing a lot of those this season) in functional shapes made from tough, natural fibres, made to last – the main thrust for Nigel’s LFW Men’s event this season was his 50^th anniversary! How impressive is that – 50 years in the business! Of course, Nigel donning his prerequisite dungarees and beanie along with a cheeky sense of humour somehow manages appear much younger than a 50^th anniversary would suggest. To commemorate this milestone Nigel held a drinks party in his Covent Garden store and grandly unveiled his very own portrait by Northern Irish artist, Colin Davidson, an established grand scale portrait artist. Previous sitters for Davidson have included the likes of Brad Pitt, Ed Sheeran, Liam Neeson, Sir Kenneth Branagh and HM Queen Elizabeth II, so Nigel is in very good company! – JI

Reports by Sophie Lau, India Hunnikin and JoJo Iles