Mens fashion calendar was kicked off by London Collections: Men, which was the first ever independent menswear week in London. Being separated from usual London Fashion Week, the 3 days showcase from June 15th to 17th celebrated modern British fashion with the latest S/S 2013 collections.
London has been always about the clash of tradition and rebellion, and this time was no exception, as bright young talents vigorously showed their latest views of contemporary men with streetwear aesthetics as well as traditional tailoring brands.
MAN, the joint show of 3 most anticipated young designers, was quite powerful this time as usual. Astrid Andersen presented luxury urban sports wear featuring neon colours, Agi & Sam did playful prints on masculine garments, and Shaun Samson went for new grunge decorated by piercings and studs.
This season saw interesting approaches for prints and graphics such as Katie Eary's glittering baroque skaters and Christopher Shannon's one-sided tribal prints, while Matthew Miller effectively inserted impressive prints into minimal looks.
Furthermore, J.W. Anderson created housewife-esque boys bringing more essence of womenswear to mens this time, and Martine Rose uniquely played with proportions and fabrics such as bleached denim and neoprene prints.
Masculine elegance was also there. James Long put embellished tops and voluminous shorts together throughout the collection titled Kung-fu cowboy, and Richard Nicoll brilliantly debuted menswear with clean and sporty looks.
As for installations, Meadham Kirchhoff finally came back to menswear and presented a dreamy sportswear collection adorned with the rebellious mood of adolescence. Alex Mattsson's sci-fi world based on his minimalism and nostalgic futurism was also amazing.
Take a close look at the new wave of mens streetwear from London!
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First photos: Katie Eary | Shaun Samson
First photos: Katie Eary | Shaun Samson