A gamut of retro inspiration made a comeback for spring 2015 at the men’s shows in London with high end luxe mixed with the appearance of thrift shop finds from the 1920s to 1990s. All worn with retro styled sunglasses. Designers Lou Dalton and Moschino presented a striking display of male peacocking through reconstructed formal dress in playful colors and silhouettes. While Matthew Miller contrasted pinstripes with beautifully constructed corsages, and James Long heralded a champion boxer-turned-skater. Color blocking was among one of the strongest themes for spring at JW Anderson and Jonathan Saunders, alongside chevron patterns, tonal florals and bold stripes which were brilliantly executed at Paul Smith.
James Long’ increasingly bold use of electrifying color gets high marks. He juxtaposed boxing and psychedelia, resulting in sporty, athletic tops with “James” written abstractly across the midsection. His reiteration of stonewash jeans with colorful patches, accompanied a training jacket reminiscent of Pink Floyd’s ‘Prism’ album cover. Many of the looks combine this season’s color blocked socks with sandals.
JW Anderson is a master at subverting the classic lines of menswear with sleeveless knit sweaters and chunky-soled loafers. His collarless, color-blocked shirts were left halway unbuttoned all the way down to the naval in neutral colors, paired with pleated slacks.
Paul Smith knows how to mix-and-match lively chevrons, bold stripes, tartans and floral prints and keep it all looking irreverent and super cool. His print-on-print patterns are meant to be worn simultaneously with wayfarer style sunglasses for a look that was quite evocative of the 1970s.
Matthew Miller gives a nod to post WWII soldiers who were forced into an generic lifestyle as civilians. Miller expounds on this theme by proliferating pinstripes and anti-war slogans sewn onto garments. This fascination is also visible in raw denim-on-denim jeans with large cuffs, showing their selvedge.
You can’t mention “retro” without an ode to 50s era peacocking. Lou Dalton deconstructs the “Teddy Boy” look to a mere fragment of it’s former self, incorporating soft shoulder lines and zippers into the garments. What remains are spirited hues such as the matching peach separates.
Moschino’s take on formal suiting is playfully reworked into a canary yellow tuxedo jacket with tails and black lapels. The hemmed trousers follow suit with a black cummerbund and black patent leather slippers donning a smiley face.
Jonathan Saunders concise execution of neutral tones and color blocking transitions easily from day-into-night with sweaters and single-breasted trench coats. A special collaboration between Saunders and Cutler & Gross resulted in angular aviator sunglasses to complete the look.
