It's That Time Again ... June 2026

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume" or "performance"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

Here is the season schedule (London is quite late this year)...

JUNE 2026 FASHION SCHEDULE -- FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2027

Pitti Uomo -- Simone Rocha is this year's guest designer
June 16 - 19, 2026
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/

Milano Moda Uomo
June 19 - 23, 2026
https://www.cameramoda.it/it/milano-moda-uomo/

Paris Fashion Week Homme
June 23 - 28, 2026
https://www.fhcm.paris/

London Fashion Week
September 17 - 21, 2026
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

It's That Time Again...January/February 2026

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume" or "performance"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

Here is the season schedule...

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 FASHION SCHEDULE -- FOR FALL/WINTER 2026-2027

Pitti Uomo -- Hed Mayner is this year's guest designer
January 13 - 16, 2026
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/

Milano Moda Uomo
January 16 - 20, 2028
https://www.cameramoda.it/it/milano-moda-uomo/

Paris Fashion Week Homme
January 20 - 25, 2026
https://www.fhcm.paris/

London Fashion Week
February 19 - 23, 2026
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

It's That Time Again...June 2025

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume" or "performance"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story. And there are a lot of stories to tell at this particular point in history, a lot to reflect, a lot to call out. Some might say that at such points in history, things like mere "clothing" or "fashion" seem trivial, but I say it is precisely at such points that the arts and expression--and protest--are needed the most.

Here is the season schedule...

JUNE 2025 FASHION SCHEDULE -- FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2026

Pitti Uomo
June 17 - 20, 2025
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

Milano Moda Uomo
June 20 - 24, 2025
https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it

Paris Fashion Week Homme
June 24 - 29, 2025
https://www.fhcm.paris/en

And London isn't until September!

London Fashion Week 

September 18 - 20, 2025

https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

It's That Time Again...January/February 2025

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume" or "performance"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

Here is the season schedule...

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025 FASHION SCHEDULE -- FOR FALL/WINTER 2025-2026

Pitti Uomo
January 14 - 17, 2025
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

Milano Moda Uomo
January 17 - 21, 2025
https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it

Paris Fashion Week Homme
January 21 - 26, 2025
https://www.fhcm.paris/en

London Fashion Week
February 20 - 24, 2025
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

It's That Time Again...June 2024

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume" or "performance"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

Here is the season schedule...

JUNE 2024 FASHION SCHEDULE -- SPRING/SUMMER 2025

London Fashion Week
June 7 - 9, 2024
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

Pitti Uomo
June 11 - 14, 2024
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

Milano Moda Uomo
June 14 - 18, 2024
https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it

Paris Fashion Week Homme
June 18 - 23, 2024
https://www.fhcm.paris/en

It's That Time Again...January/February 2024

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

Here is the season schedule...back in the day it started with London but that has moved to the end, in February. We now start with the Florentine trade show Pitti Uomo and then move on to Milan and Paris.

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2024 FASHION SCHEDULE -- FALL/WINTER 2024-2025

Pitti Uomo, Florence
January 9 - 12, 2024
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

Milano Moda Uomo
January 12 - 16, 2024
https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it

Paris Fashion Week Homme
January 16 - 21, 2024
https://www.fhcm.paris/en

London Fashion Week
February 15 - 20, 2024
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

It's That Time Again...January/February 2023

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

Now that COVID seems to be a little bit--a tiny bit?--under control, physical shows are returning. Here is the schedule, below...the season used to start with London but I notice it is now at the end.


JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2023 FASHION SCHEDULE -- FALL/WINTER 2023-2024

Pitti Uomo, Florence
January 10 - 13, 2023
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

Milano Moda Uomo
January 13 - 17, 2023
https://milanofashionweek.cameramoda.it/it

Paris Fashion Week Homme
January 17 - 22, 2023
https://parisfashionweek.fhcm.paris/en/menswear-fall-winter-2023-2024/

London Fashion Week
February 17 - 21, 2023
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

It's That Time Again...Summer 2022

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

Things seem to be returning to some level of normalcy after the pandemic. We are back to physical shows on the traditional calendar, but many designers are still using digital presentations. We will see what the following weeks have in store:

JUNE 2022 FASHION SCHEDULE -- SPRING-SUMMER '23

London Fashion Week (Men and Women)
June 11 - 13, 2022
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

Pitti Uomo, Florence
June 14 - June 17, 2022
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

Milano Moda Uomo
June 17 - 22, 2022
https://www.cameramoda.it/en/milano-moda-uomo/

Paris Fashion Week Homme
June 21 - 26, 2022
https://fhcm.paris/en/

Stay tuned!

BEAUTY: Clothing--JordanLuca

The digital version of London Fashion Week 2021 just wrapped and it was a short affair this year--only three days. And as I noted last season, it seems like there are few designers left to participate in LFW. The big names have all left to show in Milan or Paris. But there are still a few interesting designers and brands left to explore.

This SS '22 collection for Digital London Fashion Week by brand JordanLuca (headed by Jordan Bowen and Luca Marchetto) has some really interesting cuts, details, and embellishments worth a closer look. I like that this sort of exhausted, white-flag-surrendered punk look is presented in an automobile junk yard. And I really love the trains on jackets, as well as the mini- and maxi-kilts!

JordanLuca SS22, in all its glory, continues to hone in on the precious nature of the present. On the rare occasion an eclipse is visible from the earth, it’s transient, ephemeral, and commands attention. Why do we so often forget to take the same pleasure in our own fleeting moments?

This collection is a reflection of the multitudes we each hold within ourselves: anger, grief for all we have lost, yet also longing, joy and elation for the ways in which we have made it here, all colluding in a triumphant celebration of life and vitality.

There’s strength in vulnerability, and catharsis in the resolution of trauma. SS22 speaks to the power and thrill inherent to renewal – it turns the self-destructiveness of addiction on its head, by reimagining masculinity in the most visceral, jubilant and effervescent way possible.

A considered colour palette of whites, jade green, saffron and flashes of pillar box red create a delicate, somber mood, and 1950s Cuban silhouettes stand in stark contrast to underlying themes of British movements: skinheads, postage stamps, bunting, memorabilia, and crucially, pride.

Union jacks are stitched in mono-colour onto cream jersey shorts, frayed and with raw edges, while machine stitched tulle roses adorn vests and biker jackets, quietly commemorating London’s subcultural heritage without ever feeling nostalgic or sentimental.

This is a personal jubilee, a punk-inflected white flag of surrender, interspersed with crisp silk suits and long bridal trains, fine nanny corset knits, rich organza and summer weight knitwear. There are dainty kilts offset by chunky snakeskin patterned boots, white platforms and studded clogs, while figure-hugging mesh tops are cinched in at the waist by buckled leather belts.

Things as we know them will probably never be the same. SS22 channels this feeling through each garment, each one representing a rebirth, a reckoning, and a revelling in the here and now.

https://www.jordanluca.com/

It's That Time Again...June 2021

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous suffering and change to the world. And the fashion industry has seen major seismic shifts not only in presentation but also in philosophy. Many houses have decided to cut the number of shows they present per year. Most have decided to gang men's and women's shows into one. And most major brands are taking hard looks at how they do business in terms of waste and sustainability: many brands and designers are increasingly recycling/upcycling and using dead stock. These changes seem as if they will be permanent.

But for now, at the tail end of the pandemic, there will be some differences. At Milano Moda Uomo, only three designers will be presenting actual physical presentations: Dolce & Gabbana, Etro, and Giorgio Armani.

JUNE - JULY 2021 FASHION SCHEDULE -- SPRING/SUMMER 2022

Digital London Fashion Week (Men's and Women's)
June 12 - 14, 2021
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

Milano Moda Uomo
June 18 - 22, 2021
https://www.cameramoda.it/en/milano-moda-uomo/

Paris Fashion Week Homme
June 22 - 27, 2021
https://parisfashionweek.fhcm.paris/en/calendar/

Pitti Uomo, Florence
June 30 - July 2, 2021
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

Yes, It's That Time Again, 2021

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous suffering and change to the world. And the fashion industry has seen major seismic shifts not only in presentation but also in philosophy, due not only to COVID but also due to a perfect storm of issues of sustainability and waste and over-consumption. Many houses have decided to cut the number of shows they present per year. Most have decided to gang men's and women's shows into one. And most major brands are taking hard looks at how they do business in terms of these issues of waste and sustainability. These changes seem like they are not just put in place during the virus...they seem to be permanent.

So the usual compact show schedule is a little wonky this year. In the past, the season always started in London, then went to Florence for the Pitti Uomo trade show, picked up in Milan, then finished in Paris. Not so this year:

We've already had Milano and Paris last month so e are on to London and Florence:

 
FEBRUARY 2021 FASHION SCHEDULE--FALL WINTER 2021-2022

London Fashion Week (Men's and Women's)
February 19 - 23, 2021
https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

Pitti Uomo, Florence
February 21 - 23, 2021
https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

As you can see, London is a genderless week, featuring shows for both sexes. And I am sure we can expect many innovative on-line films and lookbooks from designers. It is an exciting new medium to explore, one with the capacity to reach so many more people.

Stay tuned...we will all be exploring this newly transformed world together.

Yes, It's That Time Again, 2021

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

But the COVID-19 pandemic has brought tremendous suffering and change to the world. And the fashion industry has seen major seismic shifts not only in presentation but also in philosophy. Many houses have decided to cut the number of shows they present per year. Most have decided to gang men's and women's shows into one. And most major brands are taking hard looks at how they do business in terms of waste and sustainability. These changes seem like they are not just put in place during the virus...they seem to be permanent.

So the usual compact show schedule is a little wonky this year. In the past, the season always started in London, then went to Florence for the Pitti Uomo trade show, picked up in Milan, then finished in Paris. Not so this year:

JANUARY 2021 FASHION SCHEDULE--FALL WINTER 2021-2022

Milano Moda Uomo

January 15 - 19, 2021

https://www.cameramoda.it/en/milano-moda-uomo/

Paris Fashion Week Homme

January 19 - 24, 2021

https://fhcm.paris/en/paris-fashion-week-en/fashionshows-schedule/

FEBRUARY 2021 FASHION SCHEDULE--FALL WINTER 2021-2022

London Fashion Week (Men's and Women's)

February 19 - 23, 2021

https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/

Pitti Uomo, Florence

February 21 - 23, 2021

https://uomo.pittimmagine.com/en

As you can see, London is a genderless week, featuring shows for both sexes. And I am sure we can expect many innovative on-line films and lookbooks from designers. It is an exciting new medium to explore, one with the capacity to reach so many more people.

Stay tuned...we will all be exploring this newly transformed world together.

BEAUTY: Clothing--Xander Zhou

A staple of London Fashion Week Men's, designer Xander Zhou is at once a futurist, a visionary, and a scientist at heart. His thoughts and hopes and fears for and about the future are on display in his clothing (see his "Supernatural Extraterrestrial" collection based on Zen aliens here, and his collection based on the impending explosion of cloning and genetic modification here). He has always been a designer of pared down, sleek, futuristic garments but we are seeing the future unfold before our eyes with the advance of extreme climate change and the transformation of societal and racial ideas. And of course the thing that has had a direct impact on fashion designers is COVID-19. As you know, London Fashion Week Men's is being presented on a digital platform this year, and many designers do not have fully formed collections to present, either via Lookbook or film, since the world has been quarantining for many months now. Designers have not been able to visit their studios and ateliers, nor have they been able to work with their team to manifest a collection.

So for Spring Summer '21 at London Fashion Week Men's, Xander Zhou presented a film that was a redux of his last Fall Winter '20-'21 collection called titled "Homo Multiversalis" (seen here), where Zhou played with the idea of not one future but many futures. There is a concept in quantum physics which posits many universes parallel to our own. Each of these universes represents a slight shift from what we know in this universe. There is one where I am a famous author, one where I am homeless, one where I was killed in a war, one where I have a wife and a family, one where I am a murderer, one where I died when I was three years old of a flu...you get the idea. All of these versions of ourselves exist yet never meet. But in Zhou's imagination, we get to see a split-screen view of men from these mulitverses, hence the title "Homo Multiversalis."

This split was represented by pieces of clothing halved down the center. One side dressy, the other side casual. One side light, the other dark. The models faces displayed different skin tones and eye colors and merged two different beings from different universes into one...an idea that embodies the ultimate manifestation of inclusivity. We also get to see pieces of clothing that look like they come from a very different universe, a place where beings of sufficient scientific knowledge know how to traverse the rift between universes. Body suits that look like components of digital machines, padded trusses, numerical equations, and Tron-like light lines highlight the alien/futuristic feeling. Pixelated images of faces support the idea of a myriad of human beings (even underwear gets pixelated). And the idea of two halves torn asunder and joined in the middle is manifested in the zig zag edges of puffer jackets, coats, and shirts. The final look seems to be an image of a rift in time and space itself.

This current SS '21 collection titled "AW20 CRITICAL UPDATE / SS21 PUBLIC BETA VERSION" also utilizes silhouettes from the Fall Winter '19 collection and the superhero padded shorts from the Spring Summer '19 show. The film features a computerized synthetic voice narrating the garments...I love how the speech becomes glitched and incomprehensible for SHOWCASE 4, the section of pixelated images on clothing. The film ends with a non-sequitir of a string of random numbers. The whole thing feels slightly ominous...it feels like a future that is going to calmly and indifferently eat us alive...

https://www.xanderzhou.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Tíscar Espadas

London Fashion Week Men's is on a solely digital platform this year due to the ongoing global pandemic. The shift has ushered in some other changes too, mainly the integration of the menswear and womenswear collections. The shows are now for both men and women, or are being presented as genederless clothing. And there is also some speculation that LFWM might stay on a digital platform from now on. That idea is both intriguing and saddening. It seems on one hand, there are exciting new opportunities in working with a new medium, but on the other hand, I am already missing the live presentation aspect of the shows, which come with atmospheric ways of reinforcing a theme or concept. I love to go and see films, but I also love the immediacy and viscerality of live theatre.

Oh, well.

Anyhoodles, here is a film of a really great collection by Spanish designer Tíscar Espadas that touches on historical and regional Spanish references. I love the music choices (the Alan Lomax-esque field recordings of Flamenco along with Andalusian wind) almost as much as I do the amazing cut of all the trousers!

https://www.tiscarespadas.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--University of Westminster MA 2020 Menswear Graduates

Well, this is different...

Because of COVD-19, London Fashion Weeks Men's is a solely digital platform, and I was expecting Lookbooks and films of collections...perhaps an experimental film or two presenting a collection in a much more stylized, theatrical setting seeing as film allows the collection to go "on location" as it were, and roam around outside the catwalk.

But instead what we are getting are interviews with designers, podcasts, music mixes, documentaries (some of them very nicely done and timely, discussing racial inequality and justice)...and very little clothing. But as I thought it through, I realized that the world has been on lockdown for the last 3 months, and when has any designer been able to go to a studio or atelier, and been allowed to work with cutters and fitters...no one has had the opportunity or means to make a fully realized Spring Summer 2021 collection.

So with that in mind, it is a miracle that anyone is presenting anything at all. But this film of the work of graduate students from the University of Westminster menswear program is pretty interesting. The inflatable pieces that open the video are quite useful in this pandemic! Ultimately, it is lovely and inspiring to see a new generation of creators pushing ethnic and gender boundaries. Wait until the end of the video for a Lookbook recap of all the designers.

Yes, Its That Time Again! Well, Sort Of...

Regular readers know that twice a year, I blog about all the fascinating, beautiful, mesmerizing, strange, puzzling, outrageous, outstanding, unusual, artistic, inspiring sartorial creations coming out of the exquisite imaginations of designers, and down the runway. Regular readers may have also gleaned that I follow fashion the way some people delve into the art world. I think of "fashion" as "costume"--as a way to convey an idea or a concept. I appreciate what some designers do the same way one appreciates what an avant garde sculptor or painter or performance artist does. And in a way, these designers are performance artists. For me, it is not about what is hanging on racks in stores, but what these artists are creating and the ideas and concepts they are working with as an influence on their marvelous creativity. It is moving sculpture. It is theater. Fashion and clothing at this level serve as a kind of visual shorthand. A piece of clothing in the hands of a designer can evoke a place, a region, a country, a specific time or an entire era, a work of art such as a novel or film or painting, a class of people, even a social, financial, or spiritual element... and the combination of such pieces of clothing, as well as their harmony or contrast, can tell a fascinating story.

The usual time frame for the shows is in January and June, but our world has been on pause for many months now while we all figure out how to survive. So the June shows have been moved to on-line presentations.

JUNE-JULY-SEPTEMBER 2020 FASHION SCHEDULE--SPRING-SUMMER '21

The string of shows usually starts with London Fashion Week Men's and they retain their position.
London Fashion Week Men's
June 12 - 14, 2020
https://www.londonfashionweekmens.co.uk/

The next two fashion weeks will not be presented until July.

Paris Fashion Week Homme
July 9 - 13, 2020
https://fhcm.paris/en/

Milano Moda Uomo
July 14 - 17, 2020
https://www.cameramoda.it/en/milano-moda-uomo/

The usual second stop on the fashion itinerary is the trade show Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence but from what I can tell, that has been postponed until September.
Pitti Uomo, Florence
September 2 - 4, 2020
https://www.pittimmagine.com/en/corporate/fairs/uomo.html

We will see how this all works out. It's not like we have a choice if we want to keep people safe and alive. And who knows, on-line presentations, digital lookbooks, and artful videos could prove so successful that a return to presentations and runway shows might not happen!

The fashion world seems to be changing quickly anyhow. Just when it was settled that menswear deserved its own collections and shows, many designers have been folding menswear into their womenswear shows. This is a trend I don't like as it seems to once again cast menswear as something marginal which was the original struggle, I feel. An interest in clothing and style is seen as something feminine to begin with and reducing the visibility and viability of menswear rubs me the wrong way. But what helps ease this change is the emergence of unisex or gender neutral clothing. Another change happening in fashion, and one that is long overdue, is a total re-think of the formula of collections and presentations. The grueling year-long schedule is not only difficult to maintain for anyone who works in the industry, but it also turns out that fashion's dirty little secret is producing too much merchandise, so much so that brands will actually destroy mountains of unsold product rather than sell it off, in order to maintain the "luxury" status of the house. This waste contributes to environmental damage and climate catastrophe. So there seems to be a rebellion brewing among designers. What finally pushed Alessandro Michele, creative director at Gucci, into completely new territory is the global pandemic we are all living through. He says he and Gucci will no longer create and show five collections a year but two, presented at irregular times.

Michele said, "Two appointments a year are more than enough to give time to form a creative thought, and to give more time to this system.

"We understood we went way too far. Our reckless actions have burned the house we live in... We usurped nature, we dominated and wounded it.

Now that the devastation caught us unprepared, we have to think about what we would not want to be the same as it was.

Our history is littered with crises that taught us nothing. With economic collapses and social devastations that were tackled by imposing the same recipes from which they originated.

This present, then, entrusts us with important responsibilities... this crisis has somehow amplified such transformative urgency, which can't be deferred anymore.

"I will abandon the worn-out ritual of seasonalities."


Fascinating transformations.
Stay tuned.

BEAUTY: Clothing--Misc. London Fashion Week Men's

Here are a few elements worth noting from the Fall Winter 2020-2021 collections at London Fashion Week:

A strangely appealing trench/puffer from Feng Chen Wang.

Martine Rose showed some great shoes with oversized, irregular, geometric soles.

https://fengchenwang.com/
https://martine-rose.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Xander Zhou

Xander Zhou is a futurist, a visionary, and a scientist at heart. His thoughts and hopes and fears for and about the future are on display in his clothing (see his "Supernatural Extraterrestrial" collection based on Zen aliens here, and his collection based on the impending explosion of cloning and genetic modification here). But for this FW '20-'21 collection at London Fashion Week Men's titled "Homo Multiversalis," Zhou played with the idea of not one future but many futures. There is a concept in quantum physics which posits many universes parallel to our own. Each of these universes represents a slight shift from what we know in this universe. There is one where I am a famous author, one where I am homeless, one where I was killed in a war, one where I have a wife and a family, one where I am a murderer, one where I died when I was three years old of a flu...you get the idea. All of these versions of ourselves exist yet never meet. But in Zhou's imagination, we get to see a split-screen view of men from these mulitverses, hence the title "Homo Multiversalis."

This split was represented by pieces of clothing halved down the center. One side dressy, the other side casual. One side light, the other dark. The models faces displayed different skin tones and eye colors and merged two different beings from different universes into one...an idea that embodies the ultimate manifestation of inclusivity. We also get to see pieces of clothing that look like they come from a very different universe, a place where beings of sufficient scientific knowledge know how to traverse the rift between universes. Body suits that look like components of digital machines, padded trusses, numerical equations, and Tron-like light lines highlight the alien/futuristic feeling. Pixelated images of faces support the idea of a myriad of human beings (even underwear gets pixelated). And the idea of two halves torn asunder and joined in the middle is manifested in the zig zag edges of puffer jackets, coats, and shirts. The final look seems to be an image of a rift in time and space itself.

https://www.xanderzhou.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--John Alexander Skelton

At London Fashion Week Men's, John Alexander Skelton's Fall Winter '20-'21 collection was shown in a dramatic presentation instead of a traditional runway show. Much like Vivienne Westwood, his collections are based on research into English heritage and folklore, and the traditions of textiles and manufacturing industries. Working closely with weavers and mills across England, Skelton creates handcrafted silhouettes that draw reference from 19th-century menswear such as frock coats and high-waisted trousers. Treatments like hand-dying, hand washing and patching are recurrent features in his collections, lending a romanticism to his work which I just love.

But this collection at the Zabludowicz Collection in Kentish Town was special: with the pieces on mannequins hidden beneath white sheets, each look was revealed while the play “Under Milk Wood"--a 1954 radio drama by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, commissioned by the BBC and later adapted for the stage--was recited. As the narrator progressed, he uncovered one mannequin after another, lifted them, whirled around, and placed them one by one.

“It is a poem that I have been obsessed with for a really long time and I had wanted to work it into [my collection] because I love it so much and I listen to it as I would listen to music I suppose,” Skelton said.

The designer said he was interested in how creative, artistic people like Richard Burton, who voiced the poem for BBC, and artists Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon distinguished themselves via ordinary clothes.

“Dylan Thomas was really famous for being very scruffy and he would wear these kinds of thick knotted artists necktie, which was one of his sister’s scarves or something. That is one of my interests looking into how you can create something interesting out of something very banal and how the artists set themselves apart from the rest of society,” he said.

I had to spend some time eyeing this collection to fully appreciate it. I urge you to click on the pictures here. Look at the cuts, the high stance of the jackets, the multiple buttons, the rich patterns and texture, and a glorious, overall near-swashbuckling sense. It's a truly lovely collection.

https://www.johnalexanderskelton.com/

BEAUTY: Clothing--Chalayan

Hussein Chalayn's inspirations can be quite cerebral and he can express those inspirations with fabric in equally cerebral ways. For his Fall Winter '20-'21 collection at London Fashion Week Men's, he looked to the idea of Australian Aboriginal songlines as a way of perceiving his own surroundings in a new way. Aboriginal songlines are absolutely fascinating.

"Within the animist belief system of Indigenous Australians, a songline, also called dreaming track, is one of the paths across the land (or sometimes the sky) which mark the route followed by localised 'creator-beings' during the Dreaming. The paths of the songlines are recorded in traditional songs, stories, dance, and painting.

A knowledgeable person is able to navigate across the land by repeating the words of the song, which describe the location of landmarks, waterholes, and other natural phenomena. In some cases, the paths of the creator-beings are said to be evident from their marks, or petrosomatoglyphs, on the land, such as large depressions in the land which are said to be their footprints.

By singing the songs in the appropriate sequence, indigenous people could navigate vast distances, often travelling through the deserts of Australia's interior. The continent of Australia contains an extensive system of songlines, some of which are of a few kilometres, whilst others traverse hundreds of kilometres through lands of many different indigenous peoples — peoples who may speak markedly different languages and have different cultural traditions.

Since a songline can span the lands of several different language groups, different parts of the song are said to be in those different languages. Languages are not a barrier because the melodic contour of the song describes the nature of the land over which the song passes. The rhythm is what is crucial to understanding the song. Listening to the song of the land is the same as walking on this songline and observing the land.

In some cases, a songline has a particular direction, and walking the wrong way along a songline may be a sacrilegious act (e.g. climbing up Uluru where the correct direction is down). Traditional Aboriginal people regard all land as sacred, and the songs must be continually sung to keep the land 'alive'." *

From this jumping off point Chalayan said, "I asked myself, Could I look at my environment through that sentiment, and actually describe the environment, or use it as a means for designing?" He came up with the idea of traversing the negative space around a body with extra "lines" of fabric, hence the extra pleats, double lapels that emerge from inside jackets and coats, and shoulder sheaths seen here. In another reference to ways to record a landscape, Chalayan created a black and white pattern that looks a bit like Morse code. He also looked to Asian ceremonial wear as another connection to the idea of using negative space around a body. The utilitarian/monastic results are architectural, meditative, and minimal.

https://chalayan.com/

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songline