BEAUTY: Clothing--Haider Ackermann

This Spring Summer '15 menswear collection is only Haider Ackermann's third but we again see a gloriously loose, unkempt, slouchy silhouette. But unlike last season's English Dandys or French Symbolist poets, this season's inspiration was revealed to be Keith Richards! And Ackermann's vision was tweaked just enough to reflect a kind of decadent, louche, languor. Ackermann recently attended a Rolling Stones concert and said, "They're not my generation, but their energy was beyond fantastic. Keith took my scarf and wrapped it around his waist. There was just a natural decadence." He caught Richards' disheveled, whatever-is-at-hand uniform but interpreted it in his usual sumptuous silks, satins, and brocades. I adore the dropped crotch trousers, and the layering of texture and pattern. It still feels a bit like a Dandy or a Symbolist poet, despite the rock n' roll overtones. Just like Yamamoto, Ackermann can't help but make a collection that is romantic...

http://www.haiderackermann.be/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Haider Ackermann

Paris Fashion Week for men is underway. The outrageous, eye-popping shows are coming fast and furious, so let's jump right in.

Hard to believe that his '14-'15 Fall-Winter collection is only Haider Ackermann's second for men. His debut men's collection for the SS '14 season, seen here, was pretty amazing, and this follow-up does not fall into a sophomore slump. We again see a gloriously loose, unkempt, slouchy style, buoyed by the innovative cuts of his clothing (check out those incredible trousers in the third set of photos down, on the left). But new is the sense of Dandy-ism. Indeed, these men rolled and layered in beautifully patterned jacquard, silk, flannel, and wool (I love that tight geometric black and white pattern) could be drugged out Symbolist poets of old France, debauched and drunk Edwardians, or they could simply be New York City rockers on a morning walk of shame in their disheveled clothing--and amazing scarves, all of which I covet--from the night before. Except they have no shame, just a knowing, confidently sexy sense of decadent style.

http://www.haiderackermann.be/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Haider Ackermann

Although he has been designing women's fashion since 2001, Haider Ackermann just showed his first official menswear collection at Paris Fashion Week (he showed a one-off collection at Pitti Uomo in 2010). Here, his '14 Spring-Summer collection is at once classic Ackermann and not. Present is the simple, avant-garde cuts in luxurious fabrics like duchesse satin, jacquard, and silk. But enhancing this is a pretty forthright, potent, almost challenging masculine sexiness. Despite the luxe materials and fringed scarves, Ackermann's models are almost all uniformly--and heavily--tattooed. These louche rockers, Teddy Boys, and all-around dudes dripped an indolent attitude that indicated they could either fight you or have sex with you, it is all the same to them. Trousers are cut tight with a looser, dropped crotch (my favorite: the black silk pair embroidered with green dragons), and jackets and coats are sophisticated and slouchy at the same time--witness a sleeveless smoking jacket. The clothes created the attitude, and the attitude created the clothes. A decadent collection for rough bad boys...the contrast works perfectly.

http://www.haiderackermann.be/