New York Spring 2015: The Ones to Watch – Ovadia & Sons – New Wave of Menswear
Ariel and Shimon Ovadia, 31-year-old twins who hail from Flatbush in Brooklyn, were only four seasons into their men’s wear line, Ovadia & Sons, when GQ named them one of 2012’s Best New Menswear Designers in America.
The designing duo combine a New York sensibility with a distinctly modern aesthetic geared toward young, style-conscious men with an appreciation for old school custom tailoring. “We love clothing, and we make clothes we’d want to wear,” said Shimon before the show.
The sharp tailoring the brand is known for was kicked up a notch this season with a variety of innovative digital prints, such as houndstooth and floral patterns. Classic pieces like a double-breasted plaid suit or a cotton trench serve double duty in a mans wardrobe, while a pair of long pleated shorts was printed in the same graphics used on button down shirts and sweaters.
There were suits, single and double-breasted and beautifully rendered in linen and shantung silk with playful florals. However, the emphasis was on a more relaxed, sports-inspired direction, so it’s no surprise that the Ovadias recently launched an athletic collection called Ovadia+, which was mixed in with the collection for the show. Athletic and street inspiration ran throughout—minimal sneakers with nylon paneling, tricot jogger pants, loose and soft tees, mesh piqué shirting, bombers and trenches in an eclectic mix of fabrics including a digital houndstooth print, neoprene, and patent leather.
(L to R -RAINER ANDEREESEN, ARIEL AND SHIMON OVADIA VICTOR GARBER)
