As we’re talking about reinvention this month I kept this concept in mind while watching the shows at LC:M. In terms of fashion week trends I think reinvention might be more apt when it comes to womenswear.
Men’s trends move much slower than women’s and the scope is much more limited. When Hedi Slimane took over at Saint Laurent Paris he polarised critics. One half said he was rehashing the same old ideas he had at Dior Homme, the other half realised that he was actually much more shrewd than that and simply knew that menswear boils down to a handful of classic items that are constantly reinvented, albeit in subtle ways. Matthew Miller‘s AW15 collection isn’t quite as ‘simple‘ as what we see at Saint Laurent Paris but the classic items are certainly there, blazers, jeans, biker jackets et al.
Men’s trends move much slower than women’s and the scope is much more limited. When Hedi Slimane took over at Saint Laurent Paris he polarised critics. One half said he was rehashing the same old ideas he had at Dior Homme, the other half realised that he was actually much more shrewd than that and simply knew that menswear boils down to a handful of classic items that are constantly reinvented, albeit in subtle ways. Matthew Miller‘s AW15 collection isn’t quite as ‘simple‘ as what we see at Saint Laurent Paris but the classic items are certainly there, blazers, jeans, biker jackets et al.
Miller has skilfully created a unique aesthetic all his own and, while this collection has elements that we’ve seen before, there are differences in tones and silhouettes that reflect a new direction. The opening look was a luscious burgundy biker jacket with his now signature long toggle zip motif all over. A reinvention of the biker jacket if you will. Other looks saw classic items reimagined. T-shirts became tunics. Tunics mimicked blazers or were extra long and fringed. It was all somehow familiar despite being entirely new, which in many ways is at the heart of the concept of reinvention. It was far and away my favourite show this season, and that biker jacket will be mine.
Images courtesy of Matthew Miller
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