The AW17 Forecast for Men Power brokers collide with skater kids on the menswear runways
Words by Harriet Quick / Photography by Melodie Jeng
For Autumn Winter 2017, the signatures of ‘80s power – broad shoulders, ankle length leather coats, boxy blazers, clean white shirts and ties are back on the agenda. But with a twist as that Gordon Gekko flavour is getting mixed with skatewear to deliver a new chapter in smart/casual.
Dries Van Noten
Dries Van Noten wooed with his bold shoulder camel coats, outsize Lama patterned knits and plush joggers and hefty boots. He celebrated the specialist fabric makers and Scottish tweed mills in the collection. After all, the cloth and the cut make the man.
Balenciaga
At Balenciaga, Demna Gvasalia cast his acute eye on the assortment of characters you might stumble across in the early hours. Enter the travelling salesman in an anti-fit DB suit; a bouncer in a long black leather trench and the off-duty waiter wearing double hoodies over black trousers and a uniform shirt and tie. The cherry pick here has to include the cropped sheepskin car coats and ‘wide boy’ leather blazers.
That same broad, loose suit cut was delivered by Neil Barrett, this time mixed with biker leathers with flame motifs while at OAMC, the designers proved their metal with khaki drill and patchwork silk army coats, and great rib sweaters that you could live in everyday.
Rick Owens
Rick Owens prepared himself for the year ahead with a collection that played with pillowy puffer pieces that resembled insulation or airbags - to protect from what? Time will tell.
The peacock also made an outing. Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen romanced the figure of Oscar Wilde with peacock feather embroidered lounge robes, be-feathered capes and love worn carpet coats.
In Milan, Dolce & Gabbana’s ‘New Princes,’ in jacquard fabric crop trouser tuxedos, lion print silk pyjamas and tapestry coats were also enjoying the aesthete’s life. From the pavement, to the penthouse – there’s a lot to look forward to this Autumn.