RUNWAY RUNDOWN: NYFWM 1.29.16-2.1.16
1.29.16/7pm: Joseph Mazzilli Presentation
To celebrate NYFWM a little early, we spent our Friday evening on the Upper East Side with luxury brand Joseph Mazzilli. The soiree was situated at the top of the infamous UES landmark, The Mark Hotel, on Madison Avenue, where Joseph Mazzilli debuted their brand new luxury knitwear collection for Fall 2016. Part #JockofAllTrades, part #CaptainKennedy, these luxurious sweaters were made from the finest marino wools and cashmere.
We talked to co-founder Karina Mazzilli (husband to the namesake), who told us about the collection's slimmer fitting sweaters that aren't baggy, slouchy, or boxy as sweaters normally are. "They are specifically made so that the back is tapered, almost like a dress shirt. Furthermore, we also do custom made fits for athletes who have different body shapes who want to really have something that has their own fit. With athleisure, the haven't gotten high end yet," Mazzilli told us.
To top off the evening, we had to ask about the most buzzed about item in the room, the white/cream cashmere sweater which Karina called "luxury at its finest." Dress it up or down," and most importantly will last you a lifetime because "If you take good care of cashmere, it will take good care of you."
2.1.16/4:30pm: New York Men's Day Presentations
It’s a Monday evening on New York Men’s Day (NYMD) as any lingering hormones from the afternoon are released in the heart of Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. Being the iconic art and event space that it is, Industria Superstudios welcomes fashion bloggers, photographers, and plus ones checking in at the happiest of hours. Inside, Studios 1 through 10 are scattered up a ramp and down a hallway as guests excitedly move through the maze of options. Looking closer, each room is prepped for its press release with a taste sponsored by Cadillac and curated by the night’s designers. And from one presentation to the next are the six menswear collections (and the many models) you should be tracking down on your radar. Seriously, cue Britney’s 2007 “On My Radar” and join us as we move through each studio, archiving the textured angles of a testosterone we happen to sometimes crave. Studio 1: Hvrminn FW16: Eponymovs Label
Awaiting salute and a crescendo of marching men, Studio 1 is lined up in muted, neutral toned suits and long-coats topped off with the occasional 1930s army cap. Strong and sharp double breasted suits are classic and dapper, tailored to the bottom until meeting simple dress shoes. Projected down the line of men onto a white wall are digital clips that trigger memories of grammar school history class documentaries. Sepia tones and saturated-deprived snow, guns, and soldiers are soundless as the backdrop to the stone cold masculinity. Models in mink fur muffs hint at Soviet influences, while moss colored vests are cropped, strapped with bondage at the back, and littered with convenient storage pockets. The subtle details of elastic drawn waists excite the softer side of this solidly angled line-up of men dressed to fight against a misunderstanding world. Studio 2 - Robert James FW16
To our advantage, the classics seem to always harmonize in the heavy layering battle against freezing winters. Here we see cheetah print, slick leather, buttoned-up houndstooth, sweater greys, and relaxed collars popping up only for the celebration of a universal favorite - the black and white color scheme. Bad boy models gave edge and mystique while others charmed on-looker smiles with freeing dance moves. Each personality was styled to a character with all of the aesthetics embodying class, mystery, and playful glamour. Studio 3 - Lucio Castro FW16: The Stonehenge Collection
The stand-out collection of the night sparks pin stripe wet-dreams, paisley turtleneck love, and Mick Jagger look-alike babes. Inspiration is in the details, or in so few adventures and words, the polaroids of UK vagabonds who had mystic gatherings at Stonehenge during the late '80s and early '90s. “People that lived in caravans, listened to music, and had spiritual experiences. There’s something slightly hippie about it. The photos are also slightly blurry so the colors are morphed together and just...off.” On trend and groundbreaking in the continuing gender fluid century we’re finally living in, the plaid kaftan skirts and oversized chain jewelry offer androgyny to the pastel palette. Bold, playful, nerdy, and reeking of '70s teen spirit meets after-school dance, acid green sunsets become common ground just as pattern mashing has always been second nature to UK brits.
Studio 4 - Matiere FW16
In Studio 4, practical ease and adaptation with each new excursion requires layers volumized to the 10th power. Muted tones of black, grey, and ecru are layered down the line of tree climbing boys where at the end we find a warm toned pop of color standing for Matiere’s reputation of modern yet highly functional outerwear. Mixing the natural with laid-back urban styling, the designers use cashmere, kid mohair, and crinkled jersey as comfort materials in the staple line. Contemporary silhouettes embody texture and classic plaid patterns for the wearer’s casually adventure strewed lifestyle.
Studio 5 - CWST FW16: CWST to Orcas Island
Setting your eyes and nose on the weathered Douglas Firs littering your path through this studio calms any cellular, zig-zag buzzing brought into the room. Wanderers rejoice for comfort layered mohair ponchos that peak out and under from hectic geometric patterns. Bundled up in grey stripes, plaid trousers, and subtly-shadowed cheetah printed button-ups, the models exhibit turtleneck hair and sleepy eyes. Beanies cap their warmth as dew makeup glistens on those who yawn under stage lights. Cuffed sleeves match cropped bottoms for hikers stepping over the natural foliage that always seems to sprout up in abandoned studio rooms.
Studio 10 - Chapter FW16: Admission
Self-discovery craves a confidence that’s meant to keep you going past all pop-up road blocks that appear on your path. Through the dark and while encountering strange faces, Chapter’s “Admission” collection takes on the challenges, asking for more experiences and more rich wool. Transformation and revival takes place in dropped rise pants and high-density overlock hems. Think toughened leather, zipper trims, and baggy distance. Signature colors are derived from the earth as the individual digs out a new path of rebirth to find emerald greens, clay burgundies, and waterlogged mud puddles.
Max 'n Chester Presentation
Max ‘n Chester continues its design philosophy into Fall/Winter 2016, providing men with clothing they can wear from day into night. Founder Peter Trainor made an unprecedented 54 pieces, including contemporary outwear, plaid shirts (100% cotton flannel), and the use of hard and soft textures. The modern interpretation of the color palette was illuminating, which included this season's favorite heather gray, charcoal, and a unexpected pop of a rich indigo. Trainor tells us that the trick to the texture is that he introduced a "quilted cashmere/cotton blend fabric which comes in two different weights," which can be seen in both the suiting and contemporary wear. He continues to say that he was thrilled to "maintain the four pillars of our brand philosophy; fabric, design, silhouettes, and comfort," which perfectly exemplifies the brand. To add one last surprise, Trainor debuted a complementary women's collection, so now you and yours can shop together.
PLAC Presentation
Titled "Retro Spectrum," PLAC's F/W16 collection gains inspiration from our favorite era ever - 1990s grunge of "Britpop" and Madchester underground music scene. Contemporary mens fashion at its finest, the unconventional use of typical materials is a PLAC trademark. Oversized hoods, sweater-scarves, and asymmetrical jackets really set the line apart from other menswear lines. The use of their "simple" color palete of black, white, and olive in a modern way that blurred them seamlessly together was simply pure genius. While we always yearn for the '90s era to come back, if we get some of our #UrbanKing men to dress in PLAC, then we will be set.
Walking into the studio space, we were transported to a different era. The David Hart F/W16 collection is inspired by Blue Note Jazz and the effortlessly cool musicians like Jimmy Smith, Art Blakey, and Max Roach. Suiting being the name of the game, these could be worn in the office and then right out to latest NYFWM after party. The diversity of the models was a refreshing standout, which wasn't lost on us at all. Not sticking to simply one color palette, Hart was inspired by photographs from legendary record executive and photographer Francis Wolff. The standout pieces for us were the two different plaid pants both with yellow (a color you rarely see in menswear), and the white pants paired with a leather coat - yes you can wear white pants after Labor Day and David Hart says so!
By Nisim Frank + Gwen Leogrande
Photographs by Gwen Leogrande + Provided by Agentry PR
