LFW Men AW20

London Fashion Week Men’s for the Autumn-Winter 2020 season featured many a trend from Giant to mini checks, graphic prints, to denim on denim (in multiple tones), there was leather, pleather and super high shine patent. The loss of sportswear so the return of utility wear with a ton of combat styling everywhere. On top of this jewellery was a BIG thing from items on the face to wristbands and headgear. There were strap and wraps and tie as well of ‘drappy’ overcoats. The nicest, but maybe more underlining trend, was the ‘re-appropriation’ a true cultural celebration. Those with non-european heritage shared so much of their own background within their collections, with these designers really celebrating who they are and where they come from, this has been building up for quite a while but became very evident this seasons in the men’s collections; Very refreshing.

On a lighter note, walking became a feature at a few shows either super-fast with models literally whipping past or occasionally super slow.

Day one

Edward Crutchley

For the AW20 season, Edward Crutchley brought layers of tailoring and textures of fur, and of course bold graphic pattern coming together to create a beautifully skilled and ‘together’ collection. Tailoring dominated with both men’s and women on show. This collection also features a collaboration with American erotic artist Erik Jones, Crutchley is a fan of the artist and bought a large Jones painting as a reward to himself for winning the Woolmark prize twice. Jewellery stole a worthy glance within this collection, with his logo utilized as noserings. Ultimately this was a sleek tight to the point and, take note if you are going to put men in skirts this is how you do it. This was probably the best show all week.

It is also worth mentioning how good the hair was. A modern take on the 80’s power-rock mullet trend done with Evo Products including shape vixen, gangsta grip, and miss malleable flexible hairspray.

Pacifism

AW20 collection is a personal story with the collection exploring the concept of a ‘Higher Power’ and the connection this has on the designer. Using ethereal imagery as graphic prints, featuring checks, layers and velvet textures.

Studio 1×1

Studio 1×1 always has an undertone of 1970’s fashion. An intent to always with an aim to blur and encourage the firm belief that there aren’t many boundaries between menswear and womenswear. The set design was a knitted note, a cohesive addition to the graphic collection. This collection features a common trend for the AW20 season, knitwear paired with leather-look trousers.

Paria Farzneh

Paris Farzaneh invited us to an Iranian wedding. Using traditional woodblocks to create sustainable prints. ‘Handmade by a man in Isfahan. The dyes are all-natural, using turmeric and saffron, washed in the river and dried in the sun.” With a colour palette of greens and reds creating light to an overall winter collection.

Bethany Williams

This bright collection has a wholesome and handmade heart. Everything is recycled, organic, or handmade, said Williams. Using a factory in North London, working with ex-offenders. As well as using the show space and environment -Brick Lane, and Newham. Newham has the largest population of homeless in the UK. Working with the Magpie Project and help stop the suffering. Wide leg and statement trousers take to the catwalk alongside bold graphic prints filled the collection in a colour palette of bold primary hues. Fabric’s repurposed set off the bight tones that drew the audience in.

John Lawrence Sullivan

Models powered down the catwalk as though the room was on fire, a sense of urgency in their step. Heavy leather cowboy boots strongly pointed lead up to many leather trousers, or trousers that were uber wide, alongside oversized coats and suiting. Lots fo dark jewel colours and interesting elasticated waists accentuated the oversized elements of the collection which showed both men and women’s. Alternative expression is always at the heart of a John Lawrence Sullivan show, the AW20 took a more poetic approach, looking at works from Wim Wenders and Pina Bausch.

Robyn Lynch

The AW20 collection for Robyn Lynch was her first debut from Fashion East. Another designer was is proudly tapping into her heritage. Lynch’s Irish roots are at the heart of this navy and green collection. The collection features checks, denim scarves and with a heart of homesickness (Lynch is from Iris Oirr whose population is only 260), the models all played instruments, another beautiful nod to heritage.

E.Tautz

The AW20 collection is a celebration of texture and colour, with 50% of it being made from recycled materials. Block colours and fabrics with shine alongside denim in light hues. Soft combat trousers that look almost tailored, but are not suiting was sharp, but falls off the body beautifully. Colours were soft autumnal. Ties were included (as they were on much of the catwalk this season and there is always that sense of Savile Row history embedded. As ever there was that slouchy yet sharp edge to his work which is always a joy to see. An elegance that looks (but is not ) effortless, an effortless collection that looks super luxe but is 50% of the fabrics were repurposed showing that fashion can certainly be greener.

Partick Grant stated in his press release “Fashion, a world of consumption and destruction that heaps misery upon human being and reaps damage on the planet on a scale that almost no other industry comes close to marching”

Nicholas Daley

Jazz, culture and psychedelia were at the hub for the AW20 season with Rago Foot and the duo Kwake Bass and Wu-Lu who created a live free form jazz soundtrack emphasising the experimental psych of the show, which was steeped in Afro -Futurism.

Featuring contrasting elements as far and wide as combat khaki to Burgundy string vest via hippy styling and ska elements, yet the whole collection was cohesive and expressive. Many of the season’s trends were visible like checks, jewellery, oversized suiting coats and capes with this season obligatory jewellery dressing. His continued commitment can be seen in the collection is the support of local craftsmen. Working with an English mil to create unique and personalised jacquard, and looking into Scottish tartan marker Loch Carron’s heritage.

Band Of Outsiders

Band of outsiders collaborated with Iconic French shoe brand kickers and created a fully colourful sports-inspired collection including hats and bright shoes. The clothes are defiantly steeped in utility which is the next stage of sportswear

In Gold We Trust

A presentation of the interplay of traditional tailoring and functional streetwear elements. Staples in the collection (their first) including logo-emblazoned hoodies, sweaters, bomber jackets in vibrant colourways.

Day Two

Day two of London Fashion Week Mens see the continuation of cultural inspiration was seen on the catwalks from Münn, Bianca Saunders and Ahluwalia. While jewellery details continued on the catwalk of Astrid and Anderson. But day two revealed more trends for the AW20 season like the continuation of denim from Per Götesson and Vinti Andrew’s. While designers like Art School, Qasimi and Kaushik Velendra used fabrics and textures that created bold high shine results. While a darker colour palette approach was the hub for designers like Bianca Saunders and Martine Rose.

MÜNN

To kick off day two Hyun-min Han known by the label MÜNN is a designer from Seoul and was inspired for this collection by refugees from the Korean war. The collection featured beautiful deconstructed details in every exit from the fringe in hats and jackets, quilting and colour pop of purple and blue. This collection also features heavy sustainable elements, from utilising fabrics that were the end of lines, to leftover silk scraps into ties. Using this tie idea to weave together a strap filled collection. He said in his press release “We started by looking into the ﬁeld of sustainable and conscious fashion, as well as incorporating design ideas from Hanbok (Korean Traditional clothing). In relation to this particular collection, the neckties and scarf that have been produced have been made by using materials from leftover, unused scraps of silks. Bags have also been designed using materials from old tyres and coffee bean bags. Various other materials, such as recycled denim, rayon and nylon have been blended together with remaining second-handed vintage neckties in order to construct a new dress design.

Bianca Saunders

The Sunday morning was filled with culture, celebrating her Black Carabian roots in a collection titled ‘afterlight’. Looking at VHS tapes of dancehall parties gave a very personal facet to her collection. The presentation at 9:30am came alive with models who danced to afro-beats that were so infectious we found ourselves dancing to. The collection featured a predominantly dark colour palette against staple fabric like cotton and denim.

“This is a collection about my background, about my heritage, about being Black Caribbean. I used distortion, things that curved, and always a play with gender, and how we see masculine clothes,” says Bianca.

Per Gottesson

A trend for AW20 is denim, this has continued from previous menswear seasons. But reworking and experiment with denim have become a signature for the designer. A bedroom set design, and a catwalk strewn with flowers, china urinals including a papier-mache model of Belgiums famous statue ‘boy pissing ‘, with very little colour denim, black and white other than one or two bright red crush velvet pieces and some print the AW20 collection celebrated community. Denim was manipulated from trousers into aprons and even skirts but looked concise in its approach.

The designer said “Our need for to find community and belonging is now more necessary than ever”

Ahluwalia

The AW20 season for Ahluwalia titled ‘Frequency’ showcased not only a beautifully detailed collection but also set-design with each outfit on a model standing within their own booth. Looking to 1965 for inspiration. Designer Priya who’s background in half UK India half Carabian states “Only you will know what is unique to you” and this unique outlook and inspiration is powerfully translated into this collection. Patchworking was the answer to her cultural heritage

Vinti Andrews

Vinti Andrew’s AW20 collection set the scene in ‘A field near Bristol – After the rave’ drawing inspiration from the early 90’s UK rave culture. Think sweat dripping onto a cold body on that journey home. This was reflected in the collection via bright neon hues, dyed fabrics, and functional details of zips and hoods. Layered garments all reflective of the morning after, even down to the hair and beauty details of wet-look hair and imperfect looks.

Qasimi

For the AW20 the idea of renewal is at the heart, taking inspiration from the sun, every sun has to set -in order to rise again. This was the last collection overseen by Khalid Qasimi before his tragic passing. Taken over by sister Hoor Al Qasimi, resulting in a celebration of not only Khalid’s life and last collection but her first. The collection featured an overall dark or muted colour palette, with a suit filled collection with oversized coating. In a variety bold textures and fabrics, creating a luxurious high shine timeless collection.

Astrid Anderson

Astrid Anderson celebrates the new year and new decade, as this also celebrates the ten-year launch of her label. The collection for the AW20 season takes nostalgic inspiration from the designers’ childhood home. Denmark and specifically from the first-ever Freetown Christiania. (We wrote about in in the Steve Bicknell Issue) 70’s prints and patterns were injected into sport luxe silhouettes and the beautiful bold coats. The day one trend of jewellery detail transfered over to day two via pearl features in Anderson’s flamboyant collection.

Kaushik Velendra

From Backstage. Front stage. World stage, was the collection title and inspiration for the AW20 collection. Tailoring was at the heart of this collection, alongside cutting edge innovation materials, hardware and construction. sending models down a catwalk that was pure red carpet vibes. Artisanal and embroidered details added delicate details to the black and white collection with high shine tailored elements. Very much about moulded shapes and forms

Art School

The AW20 collection from Art School titled ‘fearless Love’s was a celebration of textures. In collaboration with British artist Maggi Hambling many pieces feature recycled materials from previous collections – acknowledgements to the importance of the past. The collection featured smocks, belts, tailoring and metallic high shine fabrics in a colour palette of black and white. Also collaborating with artist Richard Porter for a second season running to create sculpture pieces that are worn as jewellery.

Martine Rose

As a celebration into the new year, Martine takes a look back at her previous collections, her references remixes them into the AW20 season. Glitter, mesh, fleece all present themselves on the catwalk in the black colour palette trend of the season. Setting the show in her own daughter’s school, the atmosphere of optimism was at the heart. Mixing black leather with cowboy boots to experimenting with proportions this AW20 was a celebration of what’s to come.

Fiorucci by Daniel Fletcher

Held as a presentation at the Ned in the city. The starting point for Daniel Fletcher’s debut collection for Fiorucci began with a visit to the archive. Here, the designer unearthed pieces that spoke of the brand’s disco past by way of original sketches, denim handpainted by Keith Haring and personal artefacts belonging to Elio Fiorucci.
These archival tributes are met with inspiration pulled from New York nightlife in the 1970s and London’s club scene.

Day Three

A short day with much of a summary of what has come before, but no less powerful.

A-C-W*

A Cold Wall is taking its AW20 collection to Milan this season. But in order for the Londoners to not miss anything Samuel Ross created an installation of garments on an industrial setting. Fuses modern-day streetwear, with a Savile Row approach to garment making.

Day Three

It was a smaller day than the others with only a couple of shows but lots of presentations

Lou Dalton

Lou Dalton presented her AW20 collection by bringing a bus stop inside. The queen of using diverse models in a true ready to wear style. The collection heavily featured outerwear as well as knits in collaboration with John Smedley and taking inspiration from her previous collections and working-class background. Showcasing patchwork, ombre knits and reversible and removable hoods.

Feng Chen Wang

The AW20 collection from Feng Chen Wang was inspired by a recent trip to the Wuyi mountains. The colour palette for the collection came from colour seen at dawn on the mountain. Graphic prints came in greys and blues contrasting against reds, layering fabrics and garments – including knit and outerwear in the form of trench and puffer all handmade.

Studio ALCH

Sustainably is always at the heart for brand Studio ALCH. Creating functional pieces to help minimize waste, like removable carrier bags. Held in a suburban gym, the overall black and white collection featured metal eyelet details across knitwear. With outerwear coming in forms of utility vests, trench coats and denim jackets.