London Collections: Men Autumn/Winter 2014

Jonathan Saunders Autumn/Winter 2014

British menswear is unlike any other men's fashion scene in the world. British men have a style that is eclectic and vibrant yet they have nothing to prove - they dress this way because they love to, not because they have to. London Collections: Men gives an opportunity for British menswear designers to showcase what they have conjured for the coming Autumn/Winter 2014 season, and I have created a series of photo-mosaics of the key pieces from the designers' collections of the best from the three day event:

E. Tautz

The orderliness of E. Tautz upcoming collection is balanced with a hint of boldness, due to the eye-catching geometric prints that appear on the garments all throughout, whether pieced together or discreetly in the form of an accessory. The varied colour palette of dark blues, grey, camel and vivid red only emphasize this balance of high sartorial and noncommittal approach to minimalism and artwear, and is perfect for men who are not as confident in showing a bit of flare in their fashion sense.  

James Long

Mixing minimal and the outrageous seems to be quite a knack that some designers are displaying as of late, with one such designer being James Long. Throughout the collection, pieces such as well-fit track pants, monotone sneakers and sunglasses are uniform, whilst outerwear takes on a more resolute role. Oddly quilted coats and spray jackets  and sweaters featuring prints reminiscent of the cyberspace of Tron couple with the uniform, reflecting the trend of lone statement pieces within men's outfits, but in futuristic style.

Matthew Miller

The tiniest details are what have always stood out in Matthew Miller's collections, alongside the eye-blinding colour choices, but in his Autumn/Winter 2014 collection, a darker turn has arisen. The darker colour palette consisting of greens, blues and blacks is rarely chosen by this designer, but he has done so successfully by ensuring the garments still have elements of the adventurous. The outstanding detail throughout the collection is the stitching together of the same coloured materials in the trousers, subtly altering the boxy silhouette of men. 

Oliver Spencer

Oliver Spencer's signature style is once again shown flawlessly in his Autumn/Winter 2014 collection. A mix of casual and formal, yet keeping to vivid colours such as bright orange, heathered grey and differing shades of blue, is typical of this British designer. The odd print here and there is present, to complement the tailored looks with movement and interest.

Topman

Fast fashion isn't always a stampede of trends coming at you, as Topman proves with their designer collection every season. Topman's collection is focused on the quality of the garments, with a specially curated few dictating over the usual turnover of trends within its stores. This season's collection relies heavily on the slightly risky turtleneck, textural trousers and altering men's highly sartorial silhouette. 

Burberry Prorsum

Following Burberry's leopard and hearts prints from the Spring/Summer collection, a more calm yet subtly patriotic collection was shown. An emphasis on silk scarves, wrapped around the collar of the men, questionable totes and dynamic outerwear, was easy to spot. The presence of the mesh wife beater did not hinder on the spirited pieces throughout the collection, including scarves with London maps, but rather complemented them, and even diversifies the collection into a trans-seasonal one. 

For a preview of all the British designers' collections, head to www.londoncollections.co.uk

Images courtesy of Fashionising

Mosaics by Christoffer Aguilar

The Crows and The Peacocks

The impeccable style of men over the last 2 weeks have been outstanding. The comeback of the fashionable man is well and truly here, and as famed fashion critic Suzy Menkes says about the street style phenomenon, "There are the Crows and the Peacocks". Well, it looks like women have a formidable force of fashion to reckon with - the man. Here are some of the best street style from London Collections: Men, Milan Men's Fashion Week and Paris Men's Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2014...

Images courtesy of Street FSN and Tommy Ton for GQ

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Burberry's Homecoming

The return of Burberry Prorsum to its homeland has been much anticipated since its announcement. It's the first menswear show Burberry Prorsum has hosted in London, and the homely environment of Britain truly exuded the warmness of returning to its origins.

This season, the collection is much calmer than their eye-blinding metallic from the last. There are still residual pops of colour, as a continuation of the visual story of Spring/Summer 2013. Wide-necked knits, cosy trench jackets and casual boat shoes in sombre colours were aplenty, with polka dotted accessories and colourful sunglasses reminding everyone of Christopher Bailey's ability to go beyond the aesthetic mould of Burberry.

As the models walked off, Chief Creative Officer Christopher Bailey joyfully walked out to thunderous applause, evidently showing the success of the homecoming of the world-renowned label.

Images courtesy of Burberry

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London Collections: Men, Day 3

The final day of London Collections: Men consisted of some of British menswear's best, including Paul Smith, Pringle of Scotland, Fashion East and the homecoming show of Burberry Prorsum. American bespoke menswear expert, Tom Ford, also showed his collection to British and worldwide press. Notable collections include:

Christopher Raeburn Spring/Summer 2014

Christopher Raeburn's Spring/Summer 2014 collection is the embodiment of his signature functional style. Compared to previous collections, the earthen colour palette of this collection is odd yet welcomed. The monochromatic-bright mixed palette he usually utilizes may well be behind him, as his ability to incorporate a predominantly dusty brown and bare skin amongst a structural collection is applaudable. Will prints resembling birds-eye photography of deserts be his downfall? Absolutely not.

Nicole Farhi Spring/Summer 2014

The bare skin and nude colour trend is flowing throughout the menswear collections, and Nicole Farhi has mastered it with ease. The high sartorial yet aesthetically relaxing collection of Nicole Farhi is perfect for the man who loves dressing up but aims for a casual approach to colouring rather than the strict professional and timeless colour palette of navy, grey, brown, black and white. A mix of prints and textures encompass the collection - architectural three-dimensional tessellation, thin rectangular grids, creased cotton and monochromatic cotton blend, marking the depth of tailored garments when typical patterns and fabric choices are tossed aside.

TO VIEW ALL VIDEOS AND IMAGES FROM THE SHOWS, CLICK HERE

Images courtesy of Fashionising

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The Digital World of Christopher Kane

There seems to be a trend emerging from the menswear designers of the British Isles - Digital. The famed designer and former Versus Creative Director, Christopher Kane, has joined on the bandwagon, but again has made that trend his own. Ignore the grid and kaleidoscopic prints which so many designers have opted to trickle into their collections and go for the digital portraiture of Christopher Kane!

The abundance of underlaying black on the garments make the perfect canvas for triangular and curvaceous lines to form into eerie faces that stare at passersby. Portraiture may be the outstanding characteristic of the prints, but one must be set aback by the other motif - mist. These pieces within the collection encompass space-dream prints that are a combination of the technological and organic, further enhancing the biological aspects of the print, and may be a comment on the rapid fusion of man and machine, especially in this age.

Images courtesy of Fashionising

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London Collections: Men, Day 2

Famous names filled the schedule for Day 2 of London Collections: Men, including J.W. Anderson, who recently collaborated with Donatella Versace to launch the revived Versus brand, the simply philosophical Margaret Howell, fashion rebels KTZ and Katie Eary and British suiting masters, Savile Row. Notable collections include Rag & Bone and legendary label, Alexander McQueen, by Sarah Burton.

Rag & Bone Spring/Summer 2014

Rag & Bone have brought to men a modest collection that sneaks in eye-catching pieces discreetly. The technological colour palette almost hides the fact that there are organic elemental prints scattered amongst the collection. Despite the clinical feel to the collection as a whole, these ensembles can be worn exuding a cool and casual personality, as Rag & Bone is famed for achieving throughout their designs. Rag & Bone may want to up their game, as many designers are achieving this look with little to no effort. What saves the collection from negative feedback is their reputation for high-quality fit and material.

Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2014

The vision of the late Alexander McQueen has been kept alive by the commendable Sarah Burton, and it continues with their latest menswear collection. The warped idea of the male silhouette and style, as envisioned by the original designer, is accentuated throughout the collection. Feminine details are apparent as they are subtle, including patent leather ballet flats, Church-inspired printed coats and skinny trousers and corseted blazers. Hints of macabre also appear, the most obvious being the moth-eaten knits and spider-web panelled sweaters. Diversifying typical menswear pieces with feminine details may not seem new, but Sarah has most likely started a more classical approach to androgyny.

TO VIEW THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN, CLICK HERE

Images courtesy of Fashionising

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