Designers offer variety of looks for men

Last week I touched a bit on what to expect in menswear fashion. The Spring 2018 shows have given us ready-to-wear looks by Hugo and Cedric Charlier.

Hugo's collection featured a number of loose fitted lightweight suits paired for a cool casual feel. Charlier's collection opted to give us "nonchalance and sophistication" said the designer for the collection, Todd Knopke.

His looks featured a a pinstriped and white-bibbed blouson and a bomber jacket with fragmented flowers sewn in detail across the back. His look were created to give what he called an ""overlap" between men’s and women’s wear — each was distinctly its own group, but closely related."

For the Balenciaga show, Demna Gvasalia, creative director, was inspired by watching young dads with their kids. The collection began by taking a lot of pictures of them. One inspiration wore: "a white shirt, a drapey teal jacket, a pair of bleached jeans. On his feet, a pair of brown leather shoes were quite regular-looking until you spotted the gilt fifties-script Balenciaga logo on the strap."

The Vivienne Westwood show was more theatrical than anything. This one was quite difficult to grasp, with clown-inspired hair and make-up and fishnets that looked like they were stuffed with wadded up paper and other trash. Dresses and pants were patched with off-cuts of fabric and sequins. But I learned that Westwood's own activism to highlight and decry climate change was her inspiration for the show.

On a lighter note, the Louis Vuitton show by Kim Jones featured Velcro-strapped sandals and scuba shorts paired with loose shirts. The Vuitton man is breaking all the rules of fashion with socks and sandals, denim bucket hats and seashell necklaces.

D’Nieka Hartsfield writes for The Eastern New Mexico News. Contact her at [email protected] or find her on Instagram and Facebook.