London Collections: Men - Oliver Spencer SS 2013

Russian Modernism and painter Ben Nicholson were the main inspirations behind Oliver Spencer’s Spring Summer collection for 2013. Spencer has been known for his skilful use of colour and this season was no exception. Vivid shades of blue, orange and red punctuated the grey backdrop of the Old Sorting Office. Spencer breathed new life into signature pieces like The Portland Jacket and the Fisher Jacket with new colour ways and fabric finishes. Aztec prints were expertly applied to jackets and shirts with co-ordinating shorts. Rolled up trouser legs lent a more relaxed silhouette to suiting. The board short was another fine addition to the Oliver Spencer line. Plush suede monk strap and derby  shoes provided the finishing touches to each look.


One of the best things about Oliver Spencer’s show yesterday was the casting, the models that walked the runway varied from fresh faced guys to silver foxes (including an appearance by TOPMAN DESIGN’s head designer Gordon Richardson). As a whole the collection depicted Oliver Spencer as a designer who caters for every man who favours quality and a rigorous attention to detail. It’s refreshing to see a designer who really knows his clientele and is brave enough to put forward a show that would appeal to that audience.


Special thanks to Oliver Spencer and Surgery PR for giving me the opportunity to experience such an exciting show.

Reggie Yates, Dermot O’Leary and David Gandy on the front row at Oliver Spencer

London Collections: Men - SIBLING SS 2013

Since their debut collection in 2008, SIBLING has succeeded in constantly pushing the boundaries of men’s knitwear with innovation and a healthy dose of English humour. Today’s presentation was inspired the youth culture of Brick Lane and the revolutions in Paris and the Arab world. Light-weight knits and cropped jogging shorts in white, pink and shimmering gold dominated the collection. Shrugs and cardigans were festooned with thousands of acrylic paillettes and layered over crisp white shirts or embroidered jumpers.  An urban variation on a Toile de Jouy in a rich blue hue. The extravagant 'pom-pom’ masks were the highlights of a truly spectacular show. It’s no wonder why SIBLING has become one of the most sought-after designer collections on the menswear calendar.

Images via: HommeModel

London Collections: Men - Lou Dalton SS 2013

The beauty of Lou Dalton’s Summer/Spring 2013 collection was it’s simplicity. That being said, every cut and stitch was precise and considered creating a look that was both wearable and functional. The muted colour palette of icy blues, crisp whites, beiges and navy only emphasised Dalton’s high level of craftsmanship. Accents of neon green and maroon complimented the refined silhouette of the Dalton man. The underlying ethos of tailored pieces juxtaposed with the sports-luxe aesthetic was cleverly employed throughout the collection. This is most evident in the mesh panelled jackets and the trainers paired with the well constructed trousers and slim fitted shorts. Dalton’s collection started the first London Collections: Men with a dignified bang, once again showing her passion and obsession for sophisticated menswear.

London Collections: Men - Hackett London SS 2013

Hackett London’s Spring/Summer 2013 collection was truly a celebration of the English Gentleman. Against the backdrop of the Royal Opera House, the collection opened with three-piece suits in subtle pastel shades, inspired by the 1920s and The Great Gatsby.  The collection progressed to more casual, resort-inspired looks in bright, vibrant hues. One of my favourite looks was the white double-breasted jacket layered over a paisley print scarf and trousers. Brightly coloured or patterned espadrilles were paired with the casual looks. The show finale featured a troupe of twelve dashing models in impeccably tailored suits and bowler hats striding majestically along the catwalk. From pinstripes to tweeds and linens the collection boasted a rich variety of fabrics and cuts, once again proving that British luxury tailoring will always be a force to be reckoned with.

Image via: www.bainser.com 

Images via: HommeModel

London Collections: Men - TOPMAN DESIGN SS 2013

Possibly one of the most obvious trends seen in the TOPMAN DESIGN SS 13 collection was the short suit. Graphic floral prints inspired by graffiti artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat were paired with suits made from classic Prince of Wales check fabric. Neoprene cycling shorts were worn under tailored shorts for a contemporary look and accessorised with fluoro beanies. As is custom with TOPMAN DESIGN collections, the attention to detail was brilliant, especially the perforated suede biker jackets and the cut-away boots worn with socks. Cropped football jerseys in block colours reflected the youthful, relaxed feel of the collection, probably not the easiest trend to pull off though. It will be interesting to see how the neon-saturated colour palette filters into the mass market next spring.

Images via: HommeModel

London Collections: Men

I’ve been following fashion weeks for a while now, especially London Fashion Week. One thing I noticed about LFW is the way the week is split with Womenswear taking up the first 5 days and Menswear on the last day. To be honest I was quite amazed at how they manage to fit all the menswear shows into one day. The interest and enthusiasm in quality British men’s fashion has grown impressively in the last few years, meaning that that one day at London Fashion week just isn’t enough to showcase the amazing talents we have in the UK. London Collections: Men is the result, rather than one crowded day, all the shows and events will be spread over 3 days, starting on the 15th June and ending on the 17th. With all the buzz around London what with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympics, it’s a great time  for British menswear to be showcased on such a grand scale. I’m beyond excited and I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. 



For more info check out the website: London Collections: Men

The Faces of Menswear Fall/Winter 2012/13

Am I the only one feeling slightly nostalgic now that the fashion week buzz is slowly dying down? Anyway the lovely guys at Luisaviaroma have put together a great round-up of behind the scenes footage featuring the people that made the various fashion weeks so amazing — the models! So whether you were there or like me, were part of the digital fashion audience, I hope you enjoy taking a look at The Faces of Menswear 2012/13.

London Fashion Week AW 2012 - Agi&Sam

Agi & Sam’s show yesterday in London was by far one of the most creative and vibrant collections presented during Menswear day. As usual, prints featured prominently in their show in outrageous shades of colour. My favourite looks had to be the white suit with printed birds all over it as well as the blue printed jacket over a blue two-button blazer and a turtle neck sweater. The way they mixed the prints with block colours was really quite inspiring. The off-white overcoat with drawstring detail was brilliant too. I loved the way they experimented with slightly longer shirts under jackets.

I think what they do so well is present crazy prints in a way that makes them ultra wearable and eye-catching at the same time. I’m going to have to put the whole collection on my wishlist!

London Fashion Week AW 2012 - Oliver Spencer

I really enjoyed Oliver Spencer’s AW 2012 collection. Inspired by Art House and the 50s Beatnik movement, he presented a collection that was as broad and diverse as the models who walked in his show. I thought that his collection was fit for a man of any age or social class. This was reflected in the cut and the fit. One of my favourite pieces was the red varsity jacket which reminded me of something similar I saw in Junya Watanabe’s AW 2011 collection. I also loved the brown jacket with red panels, I would have liked to see that in some other colour variations.

London Fashion Week - Ones To Watch

With London Fashion Week fast approaching, I thought I’d do a short run-down of the designers I’m looking forward to seeing next week. I loved their summer collections last year and I’m looking forward to seeing what tricks they will pull out of the bag this time. So without further ado, here are my Ones To Watch with their Fall 2012 inspirations.

Check out the full schedule for London Fashion Week at: londonfashionweek.co.uk

Agi and Sam

Agape Mdumulla and Sam Cotton are the brains behind one of the Britain’s newest menswear labels, Agi & Sam. I came across them a couple weeks ago while browsing some fashion magazines and I was immediately drawn into their mesmerising 3D prints and experimental play with colour. They met while interning at Alexander McQueen in 2008. They’ve also worked with industry heavyweights like Karl Lagerfeld, J.W. Anderson and Carolyn Massey to name a few. They take their inspiration from all over the place previous collections have seen influences from Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Will Smith and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

What I really love about them is that they are one of the menswear labels moving towards a more brave and confident man who isn’t afraid to be a little more daring with his wardrobe. Too often I’m frustrated with the labels that project men’s fashion as overly reserved or refined, personally, I love clothes that are fun and it’s great to see a pair of designers that don’t take themselves too seriously. After a generally positive response to their previous collection and lots of exposure in the media I can’t wait to see what they have to offer at the Fashion East Men’s show in London next week.

Agi & Sam SS12

Agi & Sam SS12

Agi & Sam SS12

Images via Agi&Sam