Reviews of the following Spring 2017 Men’s collections, shown at New York Men’s Day (NYMD) presented by Cadillac, part of NYFWM: Wood House, Max ‘N’ Chester, Plac, David Naman, David Hart, as well as the Cadillac Cafe lunch.
Woodhouse
Julian Woodhouse, is a manager in the U.S. Army who creates a fashion-forward men’s collection in his spare time. The influence for his spring lineup was Twenties flappers and the volume and movement that defined the clothing of that era. Though interesting in concept, this 21st century interpretation doesn’t quite achieve the goal. Consider a dramatic cut of a suit jacket, with a chiseled base and a pair of buttons holding it together at a curious angle. A truly clever and sculptural approach brought to its knees by unfortunately scaled, geometric orange color blocks dotting the garment. Next is an aggressively cropped pant, strong in its own right, was paired with a Jar-Jar Binks-esque headpiece with zippers which… lost us. Follow that with a needlessly funky Steampunk-at-the-disco riveted trench coat with no shirt and high-waisted pants in a microscopic purple stripe. Again, more Star Wars than Great Gatsby. Though conceptually clever, we loved the visual trickery as a humor piece rather than wearable design: giant pants in red paired with a truly humongous jacket, with a wide lapel and arms longer than the model’s. Other looks included tasteful minimalism A suit with a very Jetson’s dynamism, with the fabric cut at a geometric very left and pants cropped with a zipper running the length of them. So maybe that’s the real inspiration: the experimentation with the unexpected: scale, color, cut, and elements of design. By this qualifier alone, Wood House is well positioned to be one of the most innovative collections yet.
Max ‘N’ Chester
Designer Peter Trainor knocked this collection out, and has top marks from us at Men’s day. Convincingly conceived as “the vibe of feeling comfortable 24/7 with a worn-in look,” it was an elegant and communicative collection, dominated by a minimalist approach to European staples of the past like collarless shirts and long tunics paired with modern selections and shorts cropped just right. Suits in a tight baby blue stripe were tailored tight and cozy, with matching dress shirts under. Stripes were here, but so dominating it felt like a story, not just an inclusion for the sake of trend. Denim appeared very occasionally, and done in a sunbaked wash, maybe worn by the salty air of the sea. The infusion of subtle French workwear and the use of beige and just-off-white was appropriate and tasteful. We felt it had a french energy, but it was not oppressive and definitely far from being pretentious, a risk that is carried when dealing with European inspiration.
David Naman
They say the Italians do it better, but David Naman might keep you second-guessing. The brand has good representation worldwide, but is only breaking into the uber-competitive American
market now with a small and soft-spoken collection. Well-fitting trousers certainly caught our eye, in creamy beige and tan, and ’70s inspired print polos should be picked up by Michael Cera’s stylist immediately. That said, the light wash denim has had its moment and the day/evening suits were just a little too stiff and loose in the wrong places, granting the body little speaking time. The savior was a well executed bomber jacket in pink, solidly in trend territory, but in a material that caught our eye more than the others seen. David Naman has potential to stand out with choice materials, but for fit and construction, this Italian isn’t doing it… at all.
Maiden Noir
Flip the look, let it go. Maiden Noir’s spring summer 2017 collection was completely unapproachable by virtue of the attitude of the models, but the pieces were so wearable, we could imagine ourselves prancing around town in these looks, avoiding everyone, only speaking when spoken to… and even then using as few syllables as possible. It’s these 2D caricatures of humanity vis a vis clothing that drew us in. Of course, designers citing Georgia O’Keeffe’s landscape paintings as the color reference for the line- with the dusty hues, coral pinks and dark olives and blues- that helps, too. The stripes were present as decreed by the trend-gods, restricted to a Deauville blue. But we also had Versace-Spring/Summer-2015-meets-Hotline-Bling pink energy generously applied, occupying a “f*ck you, too” as much as “I was in a fraternity”. Only look which lost us was a silky dress shirt in a needless optical-illusion check print, weird brown/blue color blocking bomber, and downright boring black slacks. Delete it!
Plac
Jae Wan Park cites artist David Hockney as the inspiration. Plac, a brand based in South Korea, has gained momentum in the USA, with collections being found in Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdales. We get the appeal: sleek designs for the cool guy who thinks himself critically stylish. The whole collection played out like a trendy teen
‘s Tumblr page, with Hockney’s paintings and personal style dotting the page. Park refers to the collection as a “gentleman’s summer wardrobe”, influenced by ’60s shapes and materials. Unfortunately, nothing really stunning or innovative came up: we got the cotton shirt-jackets in muted tones, short-sleeve cotton shirts and relaxed trousers or shorts. Beyond this, the requisite stripes were there, plus some ill-advised graphic T-shirts, something we’ll pick up for our 13-year-old son once it hits clearance. Fortunately, not all bad, the outerwear, particular the cavernous parkas have good potential ahead. Plac isn’t all lost, and the wardrobe intends to cover any situation, which it does. The lack of consistency mirror’s a real guy’s selection of clothing, which Plac understands. Maybe not cohesive visually, but for the average consumer, on the mark.
David Hart
David Hart lives in the past. His collection look less made-today, and more as if he and his team spread across the country, digging through every thrift, vintage, and antique shop, after that
perfect piece. It’s true: every Hart piece feels special and rare, as if you’ll never find it again. The variety was key, featuring color-blocked tank tops; pleated shorts; Hawaiian vacation shirts, and printed board shorts. For the collection, the influence was the ’70s for the muddy but bright color palette and SoCal surf culture from the late ’60s. Specifics included photographs by LeRoy Grannis and music from jazz artist Dick Gail. Hart also features some solid tailored pieces, particularly a blazer that we loved, with a palm print. The scale of prints were satisfying too, nothing too small or oppressive in detail. Trend catch: Hart did not include too much stripe energy, to our relief. We can imagine David Hart moving forward with this aesthetic, almost mirroring the trump card Alessandro Michele brought to Gucci. Only David Hart is better at the authentic moment, achieving a timelessness Michele and others only dream of.
NYFWM: Cadillac Brunch
We had the pleasure to dine at Cadillac Cafe, which was set up at Barbuto on Washington Street, an easy, airy semi-outdoor restaurant positioned right next to the Men’s Day location: Industria Super Studios. The lunch was a private affair with a 3-course prix-fixe menu and Rosé on endless pour. We had the opportunity to chat with industry insiders while snacking on steak salad, quinoa, italian sweets, grilled chicken, various meats and salamis, and more. It was the perfect break amid the busy and inspiring Men’s Day Collections, partnered with Cadillac.