The Topman / Fashion East joint initiative ‘MAN’ showcased its AW13 collection at London Collections: MEN this week. The three chosen designers this season were Agi & Sam, Astrid Andersen and Craig Green with each showing a distinctly individual collection.
Astrid Andersen looked to the halcyon days of hip hop in the Nineties and it’s obsession with American sportswear. Her gold lipped models channelled Ma$e, Puff Daddy and LL Cool J et al in baggy selvedge denim and sporty basketball inspired clothing, think jumpsuits and tracksuits, hooded tops and bomber jackets. In keeping with the Nineties spirit, Andersen’s clothes were logo-a-gogo in bright pastels and metallics with the models sporting chunky Fila hi-top sneakers (remember those?).
Craig Green, the much hyped deconstructionalist who follows the beat of his own drum showed a much darker collection inspired by industrialism and the workman. Green’s vision for AW13 was of prisoners stripes, welders boiler suits and coal miners uniforms, with many models sporting his signature avant garde headpieces. Asian influences were evident in the designers flowing silhouette achieved through layering.
Agi & Sam were the strongest of the three with a witty and elegant take on the male peacockery of days gone by. Playful tailoring with the duos now iconic prints and patterning mixed with traditional checks; we were reminded of the costumes of Brideshead Revisited. A fun, technical take on the tweedy town and country look of classic British menswear styles, Agi & Sam artfully updated the look with quirky prints, mismatching checks and clever layering. Design details that stand out include over exaggerated lapels on jackets, cowled hoods on coats, quilted gilets and a blazer with bright canary yellow sleeves.
Photography : Conor Clinch for © CHASSEUR MAGAZINE