YSTYLE TREND REPORT: MEN’S S/S 2018

DADDY DAY CARE: Balenciaga

MANILA, Philippines - Demna Gvasalia reconsiders Casual Fridays for Balenciaga spring/summer 2018. A continuation from fall/winter’s done-up executive suits, this season sees the house reimagine a different kind of le quotidien but with a familial twist (some models walked the runway with their biological kids in tow). Demna’s clothes are always seemingly at their most mundane yet always turn-out reworked in his signatures; the line-up had louche linens to Hawaiian print shirts (faux tourist-y being a big trend this season), from washed-out jeans to severely tailored jackets.

VICTOR VICTORIA: Thom Browne

In a polished lineup of skirts — from ankle-length, to knife-pleated, to midi, to mini — Thom Browne forwards the “menswear” conversation for spring/summer 2018. In an ode to a more innocent time of gender-neutral clothing for infants, the designer illustrated the divergent choices we make (from all-gender baby booties and then either brogues or high-heels) by presenting a runway full of reworked “menswear” in classic masculine fabrics; from seersucker and poplin skirts, to wool-pleated maxi skirts to, oh yes, a classic tuxedo literally backed by a traditional haute couture bridal gown for his finale. Talk about seeing double.

ALOHA STATE: Louis Vuitton

Hawaiian shirts are having an “it” moment on the runways, and none more so deftly executed than Louis Vuitton’s Kim Jones for his spring/summer 2018 collection. The print motif was made to look contemporary in iterations of soft leathers (manipulated to look like plastic) paired with surf-ready leggings; worn with trenches and topcoats. Leave it to Louis Vuitton to make a good case for something decidedly so un-cool. 

INSIDE OUT: Comme des Garçons Homme Plus

“It’s what’s inside that counts” says designer Rei Kawakubo, commenting on her spring/summer 2018 collection for Comme des Garçons Homme Plus. A “literal” abstraction on what she sent down the runway: a lineup of jackets and outerwear turned inside-out on almost every model. The message was youth and lightheartedness — some would say a departure from Kawakubo’s usual métier — communicated through the spackled and furred inner-linings of each garment. 

WORK FROM HOME: Fendi

A risqué reimagining of executive menswear realness feels pervasively at home for spring/summer 2018. None more so than Fendi’s lineup of casual kooky yet covetable runway pieces. It’s slingbacks with corporate suspenders (in the zaniest of Fendi “Double F” prints), traditional checks balanced by the softest of pinks, nylon sportswear jackets and short shorts worn with a tie — the aesthetic is emasculated corporate wear but in the most luxurious possible way. A play on the subversion of masculine uniforms but still decidedly wearable — after all, it isn’t Fendi if you aren’t in on the joke.

YOUTH QUAKE: Valentino

Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli considers his oeuvre and his house codes for a younger demographic. Meaning? His signature motifs and folkloric embellishment get an update via shapes and silhouettes closer to the street than his usual métier of haute couture. We saw optic-hued tracksuits with beadwork and tasseled belt detail; louche leather bikers; anoraks patched and patterned with knit appliqué.

FROM FAIRER ISLES: Alexander McQueen

For spring/summer 2018, designer Sarah Burton continues the fair isle thread from her last women’s fall/winter collection straight into menswear. Upholding the dense imagery of McQueen’s legacy in the form of shredded knits, broderie anglaise and dyed shearling — married with the precision of tailoring the house is known for — the lineup  featured frayed top coats (for spring, no less), patched jumpers and belted leathers. Fabulous and couture-like textiles confected into severe tailoring — what’s that if not signature Alexander McQueen?

NEW NORMAL: J.W. Anderson

On how he runs things at his eponymous label and Loewe, Jonathan Anderson has this to say: “The minute your brand can be predicted, you’ve got a problem.” In a surprisingly surprising turn of events, J.W. Anderson took a complete 180 from his usual oeuvre of outré and fashion-driven garments; from the oversized yet simultaneously under-fitted; to his usual route of naïf and gender-neutral fashion. For spring/summer 2018, he presented a runway of summer generics; lightweight jeans, denim shorts, sweatshirts and basic tees, all accessorized with his upcoming sneaker collaboration with Converse. Is this just another version of the new normal for J.W. Anderson or a turn towards more commercially viable clothing? We’re excited to see it play out in the seasons to come.