Julius
Very few collections are great from beginning to end, however Tatsuro Horikawa managed to churn out a harmonic sequence of fluid, organic pieces. The color white served as the protagonist, with black as a supporting character (mustard-yellow also made an unexpected cameo). Soft, ubiquitous drapes reflected a feeling of tranquility, while the Julius staple leather added a tough edge. Hard and soft were collocated in a way that worked beautifully and made absolute sense. Sheer, light fabric were wrapped and draped covering up most of the body. Though some of the garments may have seemed like garbs for religious observance, the element of deconstruction was very much omnipresent. Hands down, a stellar collection.
images via: GQ.com
Raf Simons
T’is the season of belted and nipped waists for Raf Simons. Nearly every look was cinched with a belt, Simons even went so far as to design belts into many of his suit jackets. In a nutshell, it was a bombardment of belts. However, that can be excused due to the fact that Simons is bringing a few new things to the table. Not only did he incorporate color-blocking, but also included what one could call “fabric-blocking.” He achieved this by combining different pieces of fabric into one garment.
Adornment is something that Simons never really plays with. He usually has a “blank canvas” kind of approach to his designs. However, he must have had an epiphany one day because he went all out when he appliquéd his cardigans with multi-colored zippers running down the front. It was unexpected and totally unrealated to the Raf Simons aesthetic. Simons gets credit for trying new things, however the overall collection fell a bit short. Needless to say, the tailoring was sharp, but what else is new?
images via: men.style.com
