A focused niche of Warriors, Nomads, Rebels and Travelers swarmed the runways for the Menswear Fall 09 collections. The coat was huge, and by that we mean the focal point of most ensembles. Armor type details like razor sharp cuts and “Kevlar” woven accents intertwined with lots of texture details in each collection. Grey’s, blacks and ominous slate or dusty blues monopolized the color palette except for the pop of bright orange seen more as a “warning” effect vs. a bright sunny welcoming of the autumn sun. Heavy cable knit mufflers and dramatic scarves accessorized almost every collection, and even those designers that did lighten up the severity did so with tiered layers instead of breezy pieces. Nolcha has scoured the runways for the best collections and hottest trends of Fall 2009.
(Images Left Column: Alexander McQueen, Ducky Brown, Rag and Bone, Robert Geller; Right Column: Ann Demeulemeester, Prada, Rick Owens, Z Zegna)
Alexander McQueen: Skinny pants and exaggerated coats. Fingerless gloves and broad shoulders, McQueen’s man was ready for fighting. Many editors saw reference to Gangs of New York days still aside from the spectacle that is always McQueen, crisp wearable garments crafted beautifully to fit a powerful man was the essence of the collection, Wall Street and Bond Street take note… if you want to look like you are taking back control this winter, buy a McQueen coat. It will put you back on your high horse.
Ann Demeulemeester: Nomads, welcome, with knee high boots, cavalry jackets and ropey scarves. A bit poetic, a bit costumey at times but only because of the top hats, yet the structure was still there and with men’s tailoring that is a must. To add beauty to the severe black and white palette Demeulemeester wove rosettes into the velvet and added shimmering pailettes to basics giving it more of a “new day romance.” Hope is not all lost.
Ducky Brown: Ready for battle or “Outbreak” one is not quite sure, Duckie Brown designers Steven Cox and Daniel Silver showcased hand-embroidered quilting, heavy mufflers, bright orange waxed jackets and ninja-esque black with accompanying masks; hitting each fall trend out of the park. From far away the collection’s beginning could be taken as “basic” but the details in each piece (waxed cotton, knee pad detail, gold beading and the afore mentioned hand quilting) made this collection a top-notch hit for the top spending market.
Prada: Miuccia Prada (and side bar, isn’t it nice to see a designer taking on both men’s and women’s with such reckless abandonment?) explained that her inspiration for her Fall Menswear Collection was “Survival” and it was clearly seen throughout the set and each piece sent down the runway. The power suit, lots of grays, everything cut razor sharp, no room for slack. Giving a basic tailored theme to even the printed shirts and spot on suits Prada evoked well tailored corporate armor for the common man.
Rag and Bone: Back to the ninja’s with baggy tied pants and shades of black and grey and the protective armor “Kevlar” type weaving was present again as well. It was the layering effect of the pieces that brought a fresh look to the collection allowing each piece to be seen not so much in the movement of the models that is often so much the case but in the tiering of multiple lengths of key pieces. David Neville and Marcus Wainwright can be proud of their efforts.
Rick Owens: For his first men’s collection Rick Owens did not disappoint. He held strong to his routes dressing the anti-hero as a whole, but each piece held their own within his sci-fi homage to New York performance artist Klaus Nomi. The glazed military jacket is a must for any style savvy man no matter what their country of origin is, but the skins and furs catapulted the collection to Owens-esque magnitude. And the boots… what last years fold over buckle boot did for Owen’s women’s collection these knee high cavalry types will do for hipsters from Brooklyn to Berlin.
Robert Geller: After winning GQ’s Menswear Designer in America, Robert Geller might have felt that he had to put on a show, so he brought out the theatrics right away, but despite that the collection of skinny pants, military coats, cut-away jackets and lots of leather was really interesting. The textures were spot on. The addition of heavy cabled knits balanced the smooth buttery pants. All in all something to look at.
Z Zegna: Broad shoulders, mammoth over-coats, exaggerated proportions and laminated leathers, Alessandro Sartori designer for Z Zegna displayed Italian drama at its finest. Any sort of bowler paired with severe clothing always conjures up “Clockwork Orange” in my mind, but so taken was I by every pant in this collection that I forgot all about Malcolm McDowell and concentrated on a new way to describe “fresh and classic at the same time.” Evolved was really the only way to describe it.
-Lynn Furge
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