menswear

R.I.P Virgil, passer of the flame



Virgil Abloh Louis Vuitton

“I don’t come from where I’m supposed to come from. So I have to prove that this is design, that this is art, that this is valid.”
Virgil Abloh

Sad times in fashion. The news of Virgil Abloh’s untimely passing (from a private 2-year rare cancer illness) rocked the fashion world this week. But also created shock waves beyond. A pop culture icon whose influence stretched way past the boundaries of the catwalk, Virgil epitomised the modern-day Renaissance man who created product, music, happenings, communities and perhaps most importantly, the myth of the man himself.

Despite all the post-mortem plaudits, as a designer, he was polarising. (more…)



Shop the post: Grace Wales Bonner on a multiplicity vision



Wales Bonner The Innovators Programme at MATCHESFASHION

Fashion month has kicked off and it feels like it’s properly back. Quite rightly there’s a concurrent spotlight on newer talent and younger businesses, who will need extra help in reorienting themselves after the ravages of the pandemic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many mentoring projects!

The 8th LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers just took place, with the main prize won by Nensi Dojaka and three designers sharing the Karl Lagerfeld Prize of €150K each (congrats to my fave, Lukhanyo Mdingi). While prize money is great, it’s not everything. (Remember Thomas Tait’s experience?) So alongside the cash, the LVMH Prize offers access to LVMH’s top tier of luxury business experts, helping designers to bolster their businesses and develop their brands.

Matchesfashion* is also committed to nurturing on-the-rise talent. (more…)



Ideas to steal from Dior men’s Resort 2022



1 Dior Men's Resort 2022

The Dior men’s Resort 2022 collection was revealed with zero fanfare earlier this week. No show, no party, no influencers, just a look book on Vogue.com. It’s the Resort collection, so it’s the commercial collection built on crowd-pleasing pieces rather than conceptual showmanship. But that doesn’t mean it was short of appeal. Here are my top takeaways… (more…)



Bode menswear AW21



Bode AW21

Fashion week is officially all year long now. We’ve just seen another spurt of shows – from Celine, Gucci and Bottega Veneta (they had an event in a club in Berlin, while the rest of the city’s in a strict lockdown, and allegedly hired Soho House for the afterparty, kicking out existing residents – not cool!) – while other brands are doing smaller scale ‘activations’ and releasing their look books.

I’m very much into Bode at the moment and its unique way of telling stories through textiles. These Bode AW21 looks have the nostalgic charm of early Alessandro Michele for Gucci mixed with a Wes Anderson naivety without going full-on costume. It feels more real to me. (more…)