Soul

It’s no secret that the growth of menswear has been on everyone’s radar recently. With celebrity figures such as Harry Styles, A$AP Rocky and Lukas Sabbat radiating a fearlessness in their fashion choices, it’s almost inevitable that designers and the rest of the men’s fashion community follow in their footsteps.

After a long month of shows in London, Florence, Milan, Paris and New York, designers presented collections that collectively emit the most forward men’s fashion month yet. From the rise of Haute Couture styles with Maison Margiela, to Jacquemus’ trip to the Mediterranean, here is a trend report for the upcoming season:

Leather

Designers have ignored the warm temperatures found during the spring months and have incorporated an abundance of leather within their collections. Although one may assume that leather would be only sprinkled in the spring shows, the usually heavy fabric made constant outstanding appearances. The warmer temperatures had no effect with designers such as  Hermes and Alexander Mcqueen as both designers featured complete leather looks: Blazers, jackets, trousers and boots. To add to the plethora of leather: In the midst of Balmain’s Spring collection, an all black moto poncho-esque jacket stole the show as it was a complete contrast from Rousteing's denim obsessed show. 

A New Take On tailoring

Although one can never go wrong with a properly tailored suit, tailoring is no longer limited to slim fits anymore. Labels such as Maison Margiela and Dior that tackled the Haute Couture route of slim tailoring were met with designers that decided to head in the opposite direction. Paul Smith, exceptionally known for suiting, presented an array of suit ensembles that were more relaxed and flowy than what is usually seen and, previously, accepted. During Thom Browne's whimsical runway show, models walked down the runway in oversized, floor-length blazers that had emphasis on large shoulders, chest and sleeves. The new take on tailoring goes well with the transformation of men's fashion as more men are becoming more willing to take risk in their fashion choices. What's more rebellious than playing around with the most classic form of men's fashion that is tailoring?

Relaxed Shirts

With motifs to the a romantic countryside, many collections had button-down shirts that were ultimately extremely loose and breathable for the warmer months. This can be especially seen in Jacquemus’ love letter to the mediterranean, as linen and loose shirts were common denominators throughout his debut menswear collection. The same themes can be found in Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s collection as the collection emphasized skin and strayed away from anything constricting. Unlike the leather trend that was mentioned earlier, relaxed oversized button down shirts call for a weather appropriate trend. 

Neon Colors

It's no surprise that colors are relevant during the spring season. However, designers called upon something a bit more bold than plain hues. Designers decided to grasp more attention by incorporating highlighter colors within their collections. Comme Des Garcons featured a nylon poncho in color-blocked with highlighter yellow and pink while Hermes sent models down in highlighter yellow trousers. In relation to the colorful rainbow runway, Virgil Abloh’s debut at Louis Vuitton included specs of highlighter yellow, reds and blue. Perhaps Bella Hadid detected the trend before anyone else, as she attended Kim Jones' debut show at Dior in a full highlighter yellow power suit. 

Prints, Prints, Prints

Men’s prints are no longer limited to the traditional floral Hawaiian shirt. Instead, designers took a more bold approach by incorporating a larger array of prints and patterns to their collection. Alyx shot for the stars and featured snakeskin trousers, overcoat and cropped vest within the collection. With a larger variety, Amiri’s collection included tie-dye, a half cannabis half leopard patterned print and spray on design motifs. Designers have evolved the tacky Hawaiian shirt obsession with more artistic and chic options. 

By: Isiah S Magsino 

isiah@setmysoulonline.com