The best of fall 2022 menswear
MANILA, Philippines — The fall 2022 menswear shows take place along with some big news, especially in streetwear’s high fashion takeover or is it the other way around? Swiss fashion house Bally appointed Rhuigi Villaseñor, the Filipino-American founder of streetwear staple Rhude, as creative director, and will present his first Bally collection for the spring/summer 2023. LVMH’s venture capital arm is taking a minority stake in Aimé Leon Dore, the New York streetwear brand founded by Teddy Santis. I’m sure there’s more to come. Here are some of the noteworthy moments and trends from the collections so far.
Celebrity power
The center of power has shifted from influencers and back to celebrities in the past year. Thanks to an explosion of searches for Willem Dafoe’s Prada fall 2012 menswear moment (thanks to his recent Spider-Man comeback), co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons made models out of actors whose bodies of work speak for themselves like Twin Peaks star and unforgettable Sex and the City ex Kyle MacLachlan and Jurassic Park star Jeff Goldblum in workwear-influenced pieces for one of the most star-studded runways to date.
***
Prada is in Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center, Makati.
Back to the metaverse
Who says you can’t flaunt your metaverse wealth IRL? Fendi has partnered with global digital asset management leader Ledger to create its user-friendly secure hardware wallet, in the mini Baguette and O'Lock styles in silver, for cryptocurrencies and digital assets.
In contrast, the schoolgirl Mary Janes with Fendi timepieces attached to the strap feel like a throwback, making the watch a decorative piece that can be worn on either shoe as mobile phones have replaced its time-telling purpose.
***
Fendi is in Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati.
The new suit
The pandemic has accelerated the change in the way men wear suits. Zegna, the go-to for traditionally tailored suits, makes a statement by erasing these codes in cashmere and coordinated pieces that blur formalwear and leisurewear. This comes along with a shift in the company landscape, dropping Ermenegildo from its title and combining all sub-brands under one mainline menswear marque.
***
Zegna is in Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center, Makati.
Referencing oneself
Founder and creative director Jonathan Anderson is one of the designers who referenced his archives for this season. His latest collection features rave-worthy singlets and more of his spliced menswear/womenswear codes while his accessories, such as the pigeon clutch and a knitted elephant bag, are reminiscent of his sculptural calfskin elephant bags for Loewe.
Informal formalwear
Erdem and Missoni are two of the brands that have taken to adding streetwear pieces like baseball caps and letter jackets to their repertoire. At Brioni, womenswear executions make their way into suits for a more languid, flamboyant drape.
