Mr Start / Mr Hare S/S 2014 by Dom&Ink
Presentations are MEGA. You turn up, the PR staff are much calmer and more friendly and they give you a beer. You get to see collections up close, finger a few posh tops, chat to your pals, take a few photographs and then jog on.
There were loads on day one of London Collections: Men. I zipped between them by bike, trying to cover the ones that were staged specifically on that day. There are showrooms dotted all over the city with hundreds of designers showcasing their wares, but I can’t cover bloody everything. I ended up breezing past some of my favourite designers in the official showrooms, but hopefully there’ll be some interviews with them coming up soon. For now, here’s the lowdown on Sunday’s exhibits:
Nicholas Kirkwood S/S 2014 by Dom&Ink
NICHOLAS KIRKWOOD
S/S 2014 will be Kirkwood’s second collection of shoes for men after launching his now well established label for women in 2005. This was probably the jazziest presentation I’ve ever seen. Each new pair of shoes was given it’s own rotating vinyl platform with spotlights. The room was in darkness and I felt like I was viewing the crown jewels.
All photography by Matt Bramford
A diverse range of footwear was on offer; grey and terracotta loafers with metallic details, derby shoes in contrasting colours, studded Oxfords and platform slip-ons in luxurious leathers.
I briefly dropped in on Ada + Nik – a new label from our pal Ada Zanditon and fashion creative/TV personality Nik Thakkar. Ada + Nik sees Ada Zanditon move into menswear for the first time, a move welcomed by her existing fan base, me included. It was very dark in there. Nik took me through the ‘Greco-Roman Punk’ collection: a luxurious range of tops and bottoms in fine materials with leather details, including discrete hemming around t-shirt sleeves and short pockets. A dramatic, sexy video starring porno legend Aiden Shaw (above) accompanied the presentation, and I spent perhaps a little too long watching it whilst necking Snow Queen cocktails.
HENTSCH MAN
Hentsch Man S/S 2014 by Dom&Ink
I’m a big fan of Hentsch Man. It’s become a strong label, supplying basics with an innovative twist. This season, presented in a disused garage in Covent Garden, a sea of long-haired models with envy-inducing beards donned Hentsch Man’s collection, chatting amongst themselves as a load of us pointed cameras at them.
Printed shirts with matching bottoms carried geometric designs and cartoon illustrations. Stripes were exposed behind open, tailored blazers and an awesome grey bomber with contrasting cuffs. Loose-fitting tapered chinos complimented plaid shirts and casual t-shirts including a simple ‘Mr. Cool’ motif that went straight to the top of my S/S 2014 wishlist.
Mr Start has become synoymous with strong tailoring and a cool, relaxed approach to menswear. This season was no exception. A group of handsome gents occupied one room of the opulent House of St. Barnabas venue, modelling crisp jackets, printed shirts and clean bombers.
In a second room, a row of DJs and more crafted shirts appeared, with Mr Start himself talking would-be buyers through this season’s offering.
In a third room of the House of St. Barnabas venue, Mr Hare showed off his S/S 2014 output. Pretty much every style of shoe and material were covered here across two ranges – blues and browns. Derbys, Oxfords, monks, tassled loafers, you name it, Mr Hare’s got it.
Tags:
Ada + Nik, Aiden Shaw, Covent Garden, cowboys, Dom&Ink, footwear, Hentsch Man, House of St Barnabas, LCM, LCMSS14, London Collections Men, Matt Bramford, Mr Hare, Mr Start, Nicholas Kirkwood, S/S 2014, shoes, Snow Queen, tailoring
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