Menswear Fashion Week S/S '13 - Pt. 3

Louis Vuitton

Kim Jones continues to create a fusion of formal and casual wear with a clear theme of the deep sea for S/S '13 - perhaps due to Vuitton sponsoring a yacht competition every year, aptly named the Louis Vuitton Cup. As always the collection was dominated with accessories, the brands biggest cash cow: bags, scarves, even down to broaches they were the perfect finishing touches to each look. The aquarium projection on the runway was fused with indigo blues, muted rocky greys and sand blasted browns. Tailored suits were in between a mix of casual wear which featured lightweight knits and short-sleeve shirts - a personal favourite was the white version with the signature LV print. Bursts of yellow (another trending colour seen in several other shows for S/S '13) were presented in fishermans jackets as well as neon accents on bags and underwater scuba-diving suits...which I hate - neon is a difficult colour to work with and in this instance it fails to excite me and instead looks cheap with the nasty typographic choice not helping.

I am personally a fan of Louis Vuitton accessories but when it comes to their latest efforts in clothing I can't help feel a little underwhelmed with this forgettable collection. Check out the full collection here.

Givenchy

Riccardo Tisci's hard edged collections for for S/S '13 was all about religion - applied through graphic illustrations and soft flowing fabric choices. The collection provided masculinity through the hard, angular cuts contrasting wonderfully with the soft-muted colour scheme: black, purple and a very light pink being the main tones. Tunics and tops were large and oversized in cut, with an almost hip-hop looking fit, whilst an array of artwork featuring bold face designs adorned several of the garments, bearing resemblance to classical, religious iconic images. 

Overall, Givenchy’s menswear collection was an artistic and controversially scandalous, if not a little repetitive, but never the less brought the excitement we expect from the brand. Check out the full collection here.

Lanvin

  

Lanvin projected an evocative monochromatic collection for S/S '13. The overall sense was a feeling of hardness - a dominant characterisation of recent seasons. The stand out feature was the exaggerated proportions to the deep, slouchy trousers which spoke volumes - cinched in and high-rised on the waist. Translucent trenches with volumous arms as well as schoolboyish short suits were executed in powdery blues and shimmering greys.  Lanvin continue on with their signature silhouette which still is intriguing to look at - a fusion of nostalgic, yet formal, yet vulnerable. My personal favourite look (featured above) was a lightweight fabric contrasted grey shirt with tilted zippers and added pockets, accessorised with a quirky snake-skin tie tucked into slim fitted midnight blue trousers that were cut off at the ankle and worn with glossed finished chunky teal shoes - Perhaps the most 'wearable' to the everyday male yet still having enough elements to make it an innovative look. Overall the collection provided lots of drama and tension, whilst presenting a sense of renewed sophistication and strength to the Lanvin aesthetic. Check out the full collection here.

Pierre Cardin

Pierre Cardin’s really made their 90^th birthday a comeback celebration to remember with a superfluous 138 looks, using every material and a design team running with a multitude of tangents for S/S '13. Having read reviews from other fashion sites most was negative - 'a mix of bad reference' 'lacking direction' 'a confusing array of looks'...perhaps you have to be there to really 'feel it' but my initial reaction was 'OMG how cool are those silouettes'. The rounded space-age contours of the outerwear designs were totally memorable - featured in blue, tangerine and fuscia, aqua, canary yellow and plum - all a perfect projection of summer fun. My particular favourites featured the military buttoned elements. Visor shades injected an extra punch of fluidity throughout the collection and brought a smile to my face. The futuristic and space age aesthetic Cardin has championed on and off from the 1960s was revived this season and can only be defined as the 'Back to the Future' collection of this season...with an added pinch of 'fetishism'. Check out the full collection here.

 

Diesel Black Gold

Diesel's runway collection, Black Gold, once again focused on texture for S/S '13. There was however more of a play towards voluminous proportions on trousers and shorts (another trend of this season). Colour choices were perhaps too autumnal: deep blues, evergreen, feary orange and sumptuous browns were brightened by pops of mustard with the odd injections of light in all-white looks - featured in another trend setting 'shorts-suit' look. The sartorial looks featured subtle twists this season; pinstriped trousers and shorts with perfect contrasting colour choices, as well as a notable geometric floral embossed throughout the collection, which especially popped out on the midnight blue glossy leather suit jacket - applied fully on the sleeves and accented onto the shoulder. Overall Diesel brought just enough hints of modernity for this season to make it memorable but didn't roam too far from their annual rulebook. Check out the full collection here.