Words: Camilla Harrison

My main interest and knowledge within contemporary fashion is womenswear, so I was excited and curious when faced with the prospect of attending two menswear shows.

Christopher Shannon
My first show was Christopher Shannon at the BFC Show Space at Somerset House. I usually decide to watch the show before reading the designer’s press release; I prefer to make my own judgements before reading about the designer’s influences and aims for his collection. Somewhat unorthodox but I feel that this way you can be truly objective.

Opening with a fantastic soundtrack, the collection was very much focused on a sportswear theme, mainly due to the use of fabrics and design details; the main pieces included low-slung trousers, flat caps and track tops. However, the unexpected crept in, by combining these urban looks with knitted jumpers and shirts with frilled detail. I think the mainly monochrome palette worked well and I was particularly fond of the use of quilting in the jackets; a very popular look at the moment.

To my eye, there was something that didn’t quite work with what Shannon had aimed to do. The various patterns and textures didn’t complement each other (which of course isn’t a prerequisite for a successful collection) but the contrast didn’t result in something aesthetically pleasing. However, after reading about Shannon’s ideas for the collection, I appreciated what he was aiming to achieve.
Shannon’s influence and inspiration is that wherever you look in the world, sportswear seems to creep in, for example; old track tops that appear on landfill sites, are worn by tribes alongside their traditional garments.

One of the aspects of the show I liked very much was the rucksacks and across the body bags; these were a wonderful mix of urban cool and traditional prints. Personally, this show was not a favourite of mine; and with all due respect to Mr Shannon, it didn’t quite give me the excitement I had hoped for!

D.GNAK
D.GNAK at Vauxhall Fashion Scout was certainly more to my taste. Korean based designer Dong Jun Kang is known for his exotic twist on tailoring; and his A/W 2011 collection was definitely highly anticipated by many.

What I adored about this collection was how immaculately tailored the garments were, yet there were imperfections; for example, lapels were left un-hemmed and the vents at the back of the jackets were rough edged and sometimes unlined, letting them flap as the models walked down the catwalk. I adored the fabrics that Kang made use of; heavy mustard corduroys combined with checks and tweeds.

The collection reminded me of an Oxford University Professor who had somehow lost his way. Models wore their tailored suits with trainers (provided by New Balance) and I thought this gave the collection a real charm. The standout pieces for me were the duffle coats and the caped coat (Kang himself describes it as the Sherlock Holmes coat), and I predict big things for this style. The way I would describe these garments is as ‘pieced together tailoring’; with mix and match textures such as shearling, corduroy and luxury wool.

A favourite amongst most of the audience would have to be the rucksacks; made of patent leather in a variety of colours, they were childlike while at the same time very practical and urban. There was even a space for your umbrella, a necessity for the modern gentleman!