YStyle trend report: Men’s S/S 2017

MANILA, Philippines - YStyle checks in on the menswear collections for 10 of the most notable shows for our spring/summer 2017 round-up.

Mountain Range

Prada

The men of Miuccia Prada’s spring 2017 vision were up for an uphill struggle — as they ascended an elevated ramp wearing Prada at its most active, silk and nylon parkas swathed or swaddled in a backpack for every model; drawstring trousers worn with socks and sandals, slick overcoats worn with leggings and sock boots. Prada took her inspiration from last season’s nautical traveler to something a little more grounded this season; still a traveler, but less fantasea and more tech and utilitarian.

One Of A Kind

Gucci

As first seen intimately through the iPhone lens of photographer Ryan McGinley, manning the Gucci Snapchat account during the day of the runway show, the eclecticism of Alessandro Michele’s Gucci was in full force for his spring 2017 menswear collection. His inspiration was travel (as per the show notes) but the mood of his clothes continues to revolve around the individual. The unique, the personalized, the customizable — from East Asian influences in the form of embellished dragons and florals, nautical motifs by way of sailor collars and military-esque epaulets, slick overcoats and spangled suits — the men of Gucci continue the house mien of look-at-me look-at-me fashion.  

Life Is A Beach

Thom Browne

The undisputed king of runway as theater, fashion as spectacle, Thom Browne, closed out Paris Fashion Week  with an ode to beach-side, summer Americana with his spring 2017 collection. It was zip after zip, models in uniform oversized tromp l’oeil overcoats, shedding layer after layer — first, into a pastel-hued fantasia of waistcoats and wet suits. A three-piece ensemble of white devoré separates felt at home with fur blazers, spangled short suits made way for shark bitten trousers and rainbow-feathered looks. The show ended with a final unzipping into vintage bathing suits (with matching surfboards) in sorbet shades and the most delicious of prints.

Tick Tock

Sacai

This is designer Chitose Abe’s first-ever menswear show for Sacai. The Commes des Garcon alum took inspiration from Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange — from lead character Alex, all the way to Halloween’s most overused costume, The Droogs, for spring/summer ’17. The bowler hats, skinny white trousers and boots for styling became a canvas for Abe’s talent at creating simple clothes with complicated construction for the collection’s most memorable looks.

Steel Dream

JW Anderson 

Dubbed London’s Prince of Fashion, Jonathan “JW” Anderson took inspiration from one of his childhood influences — Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince — for spring/summer ’17. He describes his show as “not about being nostalgic, but about being childlike.” The models walked down the runway in broken beaded crowns and goggles that almost resemble the iconic book’s protagonist. The clothes were either oversized or undersized, both playful and attention grabbing, just the way Anderson likes it.

Out Of Africa

Louis Vuitton

For spring/summer ’17, Kim Jones referenced Africa and Great Britain for his latest and very personal collection (the designer spent his childhood in Botswana and got educated in London’s Central Saint Martins). Illustrations of Africa’s “Big Five” animals can be seen in the printed silk shirts that were paired with muted checkered pants — think safari meets punk. Other notable pieces from the collection were the dog collars, mohair sweaters, and bondage buckle pants worthy of Johnny Rotten.

Youth In Revolt

Lanvin

Creative director Lucas Ossendrijver celebrates a decade at the storied house of Lanvin, surviving the tenure of his long-time creative partner Alber Elbaz. For the men of spring 2017, the designer re-explores the house leitmotif of glamorous louche — coats layered upon coats, unfinished edges and frayed hems. Jaunty suits make way for rainbow-hued stripes, ’60s-style silhouettes — it’s the exacting kind of un-refinement (perfected by Elbaz, echoed here) tempered for the masculine youths of Ossendrijver’s vision.

Cut Copy 

Balenciaga

Holding tightly at the reins of Balenciaga’s first menswear catwalk show (the house usually prefers look book presentations) is none other than agenda-setting creative director Demna Gvasalia. The figurehead of fashion’s latest obsession with le quotidien — clothes at their most mundane yet most visceral — embraced his vision of severe proportions for spring 2017 (be it oversized coats paired with slim trousers, linebacker shoulders in contrast to the extremely nipped waists, pinched sleeves). The striking figure cut by a shrunken suit is a testament to Gvasalia’s commitment to the storied house of Balenciaga, an obsession with line and silhouette done peerlessly.

Royals

Wales Bonner

25-year-old designer Grace Wales Bonner presented her spring/summer ’17 collection a week before she was awarded the prestigious LVMH Prize for 2016. She previously received the emerging talent award from the British Fashion council — a feat for someone of such a young age. And she just graduated two years ago. What makes Bonner’s work commendable is her unique point of view when presenting her collections. Her clothes are inspired from black male sexuality, culture and identity — surprisingly, a seldom-explored territory in fashion. Her latest collection pays homage to African royalty mashed up with European influences as seen in her exquisite tailoring. Her poignant, poetic and unique voice paves the way for her bright future in the industry.

Hard Candy

Raf Simons

Raf Simons’ latest collection was an homage to artist Robert Mapplethorpe. Known for his black and white self-portraits, male and female nudes, and still life photos of flowers, the controversial artist rose to acclaim for his homoerotic and underground BDSM works. Simons, who is not new to artist collaborations (he previously worked with artist Ruby Sterling for one of his much-lauded collections for the house of Dior), was approached by the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation to work on the artist’s archives, which resulted in his spring/summer ’17 collection. Each look from the collection featured a photographic print of Mapplethorpe’s works that served as a soft yet sexual contrast to the billowing shirts, leather apron tops, and distressed knit sweaters.