Basso & Brooke, Fashion Fringe’s inaugural winners renowned for their signature colourful prints, have been conspicuously absent from the London fashion circuit for the past several seasons, punctuated only by DJ appearances at some of the city’s hottest parties and murmurings amongst fashion denizens as to just what the duo were actually up to. Fans of the designers can rejoice however, male fans at any rate, as the boys from Basso & Brooke are back with an explosive bang launching Basso & Brooke Studio; this time around though, they are trying their hands at menswear.
In Basso’s own words to Vogue: “Menswear is a natural progression for our label and since the very beginning is something that has been requested over and over. This label is more of a design label rather than just being restricted to fashion… It’s our laboratory for experimenting – everything that has a surface can be printed.” and what the duo have debuted for SS14 is a kaleidoscopic riot of print and colour that is perfectly suited to the current demand from a large section of the menswear market. Younger men especially, want statement pieces with an individual aesthetic that help them stand out from the crowd and express their sense of individuality at a price point that is ‘affordable luxury’. Basso & Brooke Studio, will be offered at a more accessible price point than their previous womenswear line, as befits the younger market at which it is aimed.
Basso & Brooke Studio delivers exactly that and the collection features street and casual wear staples with that upstart, streets of East meets West London cool vibe: blazer/short combinations, short-sleeve shirts, knitwear, sweaters, quilted leather bomber, biker jackets and hoodies, all classic menswear pieces and shapes, but playfully and irreverently (even gleefully) subverted with a defiantly androgynous flavour through bold print and colour.
Alongside this are accessories such as the majorly covetable ‘Summer Heights’ leather tote, and a slew of collaborations on lifestyle items to boot (skateboards anyone?), all popping with brilliantly intricate digital prints that literally merge fashion with post modern art. Diverse cultural and stylistic influences from California surf culture to the ancient traditions of Japan appear, as Basso & Brooke, who have been called ‘the Pixar of clothes’ defy the minimalist aesthetic championed by many in fashion to offer an electric and refreshing alternative to the monochrome mafia. Visually arresting and thought provoking, so much that viewing the collection is almost like entering a gallery and seeing the works of all your favorite pop and modern artists at once. It could be confusing, but the designers’ deft touches pull it all together and make it work it a flurry of techno glory, this is the uniform of the new rave generation. If Diesel hadn’t already coined and taken ownership of the phrase ‘Only The Brave’, it would belong to Basso & Brooke (Studio).