I have to accept I'm not all screams and excitement when it comes to menswear runways. Don't know why, I've never appreciated men's clothing until now. Why this sudden change? Well, when your hubby asks you for style advice, as the fashion mogul you are, and you have no clue about menswear THEN you know you need to know. That, and the immaculate Givenchy suit he was wearing the other day with a Calvin Klein black cravat made me snap (I would show you a picture but he might kill me...).
So, I decided I was going to immerse myself in these season's menswear shows as much as I could. So far we've seen Pitti Uomo and the first two days from Milan Fashion Week with two more to go. If I had to tell you, instinctively, about the overall mood of the Fall 2012, I would name it "Menswear Evolution Throughout Time" or "History in Menswear Revisited". Somehow, it seems that every brand has inspired each of their garments in past decades, taking inspiration in communism, English dandys, Futurism and a glimpse of reinterpretation in modern luxury.
The Gentleman, or Mary Poppin's impersonators, as ShowStudio calls them, were the main motif in Christopher's Baileys take on fall's menswear. The 101 on layering and the very core of Brit style result in a collection among perfection. ¿My favorite piece? The double breasted wool coat in grey, though the velvet suits also made it to my top ten.
When I read in GQ that “Raf Simons must have swallowed the red pill based on the procession of Agent Smith clones at Jil Sander this season" I was laughing out loud. Truth is, it is one of my favorite menswear collections so far. The long leather coats along with the suits of the same nature were a fresh and futurist construal of menswear. And it was about time; women have been ravishing about leather for the last years with leather sweatshirts and tight dresses. Even if we might not get to see anyone pull off the head to toe leather ensemble, any of this pieces are going to be worth watching in the street style round ups of next season.
Images: GQ & Selectism