MFW Milan: Smoking Jackets with a Twist

Men’s fashion week has recently begun and as I trawled through the photos from various shows so far I noticed that outerwear for men was making a huge statement- from big bold prints to oversized bomber jackets.

One big trend came from Etro; with the whole collection boasting lots of Japanese influences that included Obi belts wrapped around suit jackets and waistcoats. Not only this but the Italian fashion house also gave us a belted robe, almost similar to the traditional smoking jacket, but with a Navajo style print in luxuriously thick material. If this newer combination isn’t quite your style then those of us with a more classic style can refer to D&G, who also failed to disappoint, offering a silky, embroidered version that gave us matching suit style trousers!

London Menswear: Favourite Collections

Coach

By combining dark greens and deep berry tones with more neutral creams and rich browns, the colour pallete at Coach made this collection an instant winner for me.

       

Hardy Amies

Offering a mixed bag of gorgeously tailored suits, cosy cashmere coats and warm accessories in an array of colours, from dark greys and navy blues to pops of bright yellows and cobalt blue, this collection (as usual) did not disappoint.

      

Tom Ford

This campaign is simply stunning and is mainly why I’m so sold on this as one of my favourites, not forgetting the actual collection, of course.

     

Pringle of Scotland

A chunky knit layered on top of more chunky knit is a definite winner for me, especially when combined with more structured outerwear.

      

London Menswear: Favourite Looks

Belstaff

Dunhill

Ede and Ravenscroft

Hackett

Joshua Kane

Tom Ford

Menswear SS15: A Historical Influence on Sportswear

It seems that SS15 will bring a new dimension to sportswear for Men, with both Ancient Greek and Roman inspiration being a key influence, particularly at Versace and KTZ.

          

KTZ bought about a tougher edge to sportswear through black mesh, leather gloves and chunky gold jewellery, with the entire collection embodying the power of the wearer through prints of medals, mythological creatures and battle scenes. Despite the odd piece of body armour, KTZ have created an extremely wearable collection, where ancient influences of Greek Vases, sculptures and battle armour have successfully met a modern twist of basketball shorts, leather caps and statement jewellery.

Versace, unsurprisingly, took a more regal approach to the trend by using the Greek ‘key’ design in golden hues to edge loose fitting, white lounge pants. The use of all white looks were prominent during this collection, even down to the detail of models carrying pristine white and gold printed towels. The show did take an edgier turn though, where we saw models with leather bombers, shoes and bags in brightly coloured hues, which were all heavily influenced by Ancient figures that would have adorned Ancient Greek and Roman Pottery. 

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Menswear SS15: The Little Mermaid at MAN

After we saw it once at Gail Sorronda, The Little Mermaid continues to inspire the fashion world, and this time we have seen it for Menswear SS15 by Bobby Abley at MAN. This time around we see the likes of Ursula, Sebastian and Ariel printed on Tees and Sweatshirts, and even a cheeky appearance from Ursula’s pet eels- Flotsam and Jetsam!

                               

Menswear SS15: Women inspiring Men

We always see some designers going for more masculine tailoring or incorporating a tomboy charm into their collections for Women, but in the more recent shows for Menswear SS15 I’ve spotted several, typically female trends, taking over the catwalks. From prints and colours to clothing and accessories there is no escaping the idea that Menswear has been influenced by many of our own, more feminine trends, and not just by one or two designers either, but a whole host of collections have hinted towards more feminine trends in some shape or form. 

So, firstly you may remember that AW13/14 was the season that welcomed all of those yummy pastel shades, from lilac cashmere coats at Carven to sugary pink hues at Topshop Unique.. well that trend is about to hit menswear in a huge way for SS15. Pastel shades and candy hues are not typically associated with Menswear, a hint of it here and there perhaps, but for SS15 be prepared for head to toe pastels.

[Topman Design, Versace,Kenzo]

Or how about open toed boots? They’ve been around a while for women, but can this Balmain pair, inspired by 70’s sporting icons, make them just as popular with men, too?

Oh, and speaking of footwear for men, do you remember me blogging a while back about Jelly Shoes making a come back for women? Well, I’ve officially spotted them in a range of colours for men at the huntergather menswear show for SS15..

We’ve seen so many styles of bags for men on the catwalks, but how about clutch bags for men? 
                                  

[D&G, MAN]

Why we love: Unisex Sweaters

Gone are the days when it was only acceptable for a girl to throw on her boyfriend’s sweater for lazy days around the house, because now a girl can buy an oversized sweater all for herself, wearing it whenever she likes. Okay, so it doesn’t have to be ‘unisex’, you can buy oversized sweaters for women too, but streetwear brands like Kenzo, Patta and Boy London have all echoed that it’s okay for us women to throw on a sweatshirt and look cool; we can now achieve effortless street style by throwing on a sweatshirt (high street or designer) with a pair of rolled up boyfriend jeans and its acceptable. Women are buying sweaters from streetwear brands from the men’s department in order to pull off that casual streetwear vibe, but that obviously doesn’t mean you can’t add a feminine touch or two! Think clashing prints, statement necklaces, a pop of collar underneath or coordinate colours with one of this season’s must have skirt styles!

The Top Five Shows from LC:M

Louis Leeman Paris gave a gorgeous shoe only exhibition. I especially loved the velvet smoking shoe, golden embroidery and jewel tones that transformed the idea of the traditional men’s shoe!

                    

With creams, browns, dark greys and blue denim, the colours displayed at the Lou Dalton show gave a warming effect for AW14, and just the thick woolen snood alone was enough to put this in my top five!

Reinventing the humble trench through vibrant colour was one thing at the Hardy Amies show, but the classic tailoring and the smart attire really won me over- there wasn’t one item I couldn’t help but admire!

I particularly liked YMC for their casual take on menswear, as most of the shows were focused on smart tailoring, but they managed to create very smart casual looks. I especially liked the use of darker denim, chunky knits and a collar as well as the lightweight parkas (as opposed to oversized wool and trench coats).

And last but not least is, of course, Burberry Prorsum with their statement scarves, autumnal prints and dark colours guaranteeing themselves a place in my chosen five best shows. I can already envisage a whole host of celebs wearing their scarves, tapestry bags and patterned coats next AW, just like this AW with that heart print blouse..

**All images are taken from http://www.londoncollections.co.uk **