10 Strange Men's Fashion Trends
Bizarre Men’s Fashion Trends
1. This company is taking over the world by selling celebrities bizarre patterned suits that go viral
A bright patterned suit with a matching patterned tie. Who in the world would wear that?
Lots of people, as it turns out, including celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, Tom Hanks in an SNL Halloween skit, and too many sports teams to list.
Half joke and half wry sartorial comment — but always worn with the tongue placed firmly in the cheek — Opposuits' garments have become a kind of revolution for men who don't take their wardrobe choices too seriously.
"We created something that is somewhere in between fashion and novelty. It's much cooler than a costume and it isn't fashion either," Opposuits cofounder Jelle van der Zwet told Business Insider.
Let's be clear here: Opposuits' offerings are not for nine-to-five weekday warriors. And van der Zwet makes no bones about it.
"People are not wearing our stuff to work," he clarifies, adding that it's for those "who don't take themselves too seriously" yet "want to maintain a sense of style when they go to a party."
But the business behind it is no laughing matter. The Dutch company behind it says it sells hundreds of thousands of suits a year, with growth doubling year over year. Each ensemble, which includes the jacket, pants, and tie all in the same pattern, retails for $99.
It all started in 2010, when three friends from the Netherlands backpacking through Vietnam got the idea to create bright orange suits for the Dutch holiday King's Day. It took until 2012 for the idea to fully manifest. They created 2,000 of the orange suits before the 2012 UEFA European Championship football (soccer) competition. The suits sold out in two weeks.
Looking to the UK and the 2012 Olympics in London, Opposuits went international for the first time. With different styles, like one with a Union Jack flag print, the suits made a similar splash.
A year and a half later, Opposuits expanded to America, which has since become its largest market in terms of revenue and product sold. The company now sells virtually worldwide, with distribution centers in the Netherlands, UK, Canada, US, and Australia.
"We knew that we had a very universal and international type of potential with the product that we were [selling]," van der Zwet said.
This appeal has enabled the suits to go viral. It seems that every time a celebrity, group of friends at prom, wedding party, or sports team dons the suits, it becomes a viral news story.
"Organically the message and brand spreads itself very quickly because once someone has seen at a certain event or festival it's such a conversation starter that people would know about it right away," van der Zwet said.
He said that wearers of the suits get so much attention, they stick business cards advertising the company in the pockets of the suits before shipping them to customers, amping up the word-of-mouth effect.
Opposuits' offerings are both seasonal and evergreen, and it sells "ugly Christmas suits" in department stores during the holiday season — and at Halloween-themed costume stores in the fall.
It has expanded its offerings with the licensing of brands like "Star Wars" and, soon, Marvel superhero characters, which marks an important distinction between Opposuits and the companies that have sprung up to imitate it.
Off the back of the success of the men's line, Opposuits also launched a women's line last year. A line of suits designed to fit children is forthcoming this year, which van der Zwet said he sees as another "wow moment" for the company.
Are You Know?
10 Unbelievable Holiday Recipe Fails
8 Touching Letters To Santa
10 Hilarious End Of 2016 Memes
2. Rompers For Dudes Are Here And TBH I Don't Hate Them
RompHim, a line of rompers for men, was launched on Kickstarter by ACED Design in spring 2017 and exceeded its $10,000 goal on the first day. (ACED currently has $355,324 pledged!)
The guys behind the line collaborated with one of Chicago's "top fashion design consultancies" to bring men a piece of clothing that's "stylish and fun without also sacrificing comfort, fit, and versatility."
The "brompers" will retail for $119, though early adopters can get them for a little cheaper.
3. Lace Separates
Hot on the tail of the RompHim, a streetwear brand has introduced a line of pastel, see-through lace shorts and button-downs just for men for about $100 a set. The outfit, created by the Hoza Rodriguez under the Hologram City brand, comes in pistachio, pink, baby blue, violet, and yellow. The collar and white belt are the least see-through part of the ensemble, with tightie-whities peeking through the lace.
4. Square Toe Shoes
Men’s fashion bible GQ has launched a campaign to banish an item of men's footwear forever: the square-toe shoe.
The editors of the US edition of GQ published the call to arms on Wednesday, urging people to persuade their friends and family to stop wearing the “f***ing ugly” footwear.
But, the magazine’s revulsion against the style only starts there. Beyond a brutal article, they’ve actually launched a full-on movement involving social media - #NoSquareToes – and a campaign ad that cautions mislead men about the dangers of STS or Square-toe Shoe Syndrome.
Men’s fashion bible GQ has launched a campaign to banish an item of men's footwear forever: the square-toe shoe.
The editors of the US edition of GQ published the call to arms on Wednesday, urging people to persuade their friends and family to stop wearing the “f***ing ugly” footwear.
But, the magazine’s revulsion against the style only starts there. Beyond a brutal article, they’ve actually launched a full-on movement involving social media - #NoSquareToes – and a campaign ad that cautions mislead men about the dangers of STS or Square-toe Shoe Syndrome.
Balenciaga, Maison Margiela, and Gucci all showed the style in their spring/summer 2017 collections, which we’re sure the recent obsession with retro garb has something to do with.
But, let it be known – they didn’t work in the 90s and they certainly don’t work now.
Back in 2013, the menswear bible surely saw this coming and attempted to solidify its stance on the shape of men’s shoes.
5. We Warned You: Chokers For Men Are Here, Thanks To ASOS
So, men's chokers have, in fact, trickled down to fast fashion. You can now buy one (or a few) at ASOS. We don't want to say we told you so, but yes, the nostalgic necklace is fully coed now. Click through to see the trend that's sending Twitter into a tizzy (or to cop one of your own).
This story was originally published on July 17th, 2016.
Those of you watching Men's Fashion Month may have noticed something familiar on the runways. You know that necklace trend that celebrities (and their moms) are overexerting at the moment? The one from the '90s? Right, so chokers are the accessory of the moment, and it looks like very expensive neck-stranglers are happening in menswear for spring 2017.
Between Paris, London, New York, and Milan, chokers found their way to the necks of pretty boys in pretty clothes. And what you'll see in the slideshow ahead is evidence that they invaded the pages of lookbooks, too. They came in all shapes, sizes, and colors: collars, bandanas (a lot of them), chains, and more. Of course, trends have no gender these days, which is what makes them so versatile and, in turn, extends their shelf life in your closet. But man, this '90s thing is really wearing itself out.
6. HIPPIES ARE THE NEW HIPSTERS
You’ve probably seen her on your Instagram feed: a woman awash in natural light, wearing a cocoon-shaped dress in a shade of golden turmeric or faded paprika. She wears flat leather sandals, has unkempt-but-pretty hair, and is likely in the company of a handmade ceramic, a succulent plant, or a piece of avocado toast. She is LA’s Silver Lake shaman, and she’s coming soon to a city near you.
THE SILVER LAKE SHAMAN
The Silver Lake shaman is the heir apparent to the Brooklyn lumberjack—a lifestyle concept popularized by the young dwellers of New York City’s hippest borough. As Brooklyn became an international brand, selvage denim, artisanal whiskey, and Edison bulbs have proliferated in the “Brooklyns” of Paris, Chicago, and Tokyo. Although the reign of the Brooklyn lumberjack has felt eternal, it seems now that his final winter has waned (he flourishes in cooler months), and the springtime of a new aesthetic is upon us. Close your eyes and breathe in the Palo Santo.
In recent years, the cultural lens (and Instagram feed) has shifted its focus to Los Angeles, and to a very a specific idea of it at that. This is not the LA of spray-tanning, silicone, and Malibu mansions, any more than the Brooklyn lumberjack was related to the power suits of Wall Street in their Manhattan skyscrapers. No, the shaman’s natural habitat is more desert canyon than beach; more Duplass Brothers than Michael Bay; more feminine mystique than masculine posturing. It lies to the east of Hollywood, in the hills of Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and Echo Park—the epicenter of this easygoing wave, which is on the verge of becoming a global tsunami.
If the Brooklyn lumberjack was nostalgic for the 1870s, the Silver Lake shaman yearns for an imaginary era that melds the flowing gauze dresses and high-waisted dungarees of the 1970s with the minimalism of the 1990s. The SLS seems to long for a simpler life, where dyeing fabric with wildflowers or brewing coconut oil-based skin salves take precedence over dialing in to conference calls. (Same!)
While the tech bros of New York and San Francisco—and even the west side of LA, where Snapchat, Facebook, and YouTube reside—embrace uniform dressing via Uniqlo, Bonobos, and this J.Crew gingham shirt, the east side shamans’ clothing is distinctly anti-tech, with natural textures, sun-bleached colors, and finishings that suggest a human touch.
The Silver Lake shaman is no more an actual shaman than the Brooklyn lumberjack felled trees for a living, but the lifestyle does include supplies a person might find in a healer’s tipi: crystals, smudge sticks, and essential oils among them. (And she might well sip “a copper cup of silver needle and calendula tea” for breakfast.)
7. How ‘alt-beauty’ became the hottest trend in men’s fashion
kranian model Danyl K thinks he looks like “a pig”. Maksym, another model from Kiev, describes himself as “alien-like”, while, the day before, his almost namesake Maksym P was scouted in a crowd, having just shaved off his hair. And yet these models are three of the biggest emerging faces on the catwalk and a sign that unconventional “alt-beauty” is the latest trend in men’s fashion.
For these models, symmetry is not a requisite. A slightly sallow pallor is ideal, wonky oversized features are also fine; the bigger the nose, the ears and the lips – the better. Modelling trends, like fashion, vacillate wildly – and the physical nuances often reflect the mood of the industry. In the 90s, the industry big guns (Armani, Versace) reigned, as did the Supers – instantly recognisable, conventionally beautiful models such as Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss were muses, and as famous as the clothes they modelled. There was the male equivalent, too, with Swede beefcakes such as Alex Lundqvist and Marcus Schenkenberg dominating. Dishearteningly, bar Tyson Beckford, almost all of the big names in male modelling have been white, a trend that continued into the 00s. They have also tended towards the pretty and slight, or hyper-conventional, like David Gandy. Aided by social media, this It generation, paved the way for a new era of Insta-models this decade, with names such as Gigi Hadid and Lucky Blue Smith cultivating as large a presence online as on the catwalk. But while their rise through unconventional channels has possibly helped enable a more diverse aesthetic, few would have predicted the alt-model to be this season’s look. Or that they would overwhelmingly come from former Soviet states.
The trend was arguably propelled by Eva Gödel, who runs the German agency Tomorrow Is Another Day. She has described the boys she scouts as “guys who may not consider themselves good-looking enough to apply”. She prefers to focus on “the way people move, how they dress and do their hair, how emotion crosses their faces”. Gödel discovered Paul Hameline, now Vetements muse, standing at an ATM in Le Marais, Paris. Like most alt-models, he was reluctant (most are baffled at being scouted, although this was the fourth time Hameline had been approached), but he has since walked for labels including Kenzo and Hood By Air. Another model signed to Gödel’s agency is Berliner Steve Morell, who recently walked the Balenciaga show. “I have a characteristic face, cheekbones, big eyes,” he says. “It’s like an elegant, bizarre, 80s character.”
Avdotja Alexandrova founded the Russian agency Lumpen in 2014; it follows a similar aesthetic. “I think that the time of faceless models is over,” she says, adding that the defining characteristic of those on her books is that they are unglamorous. Meanwhile, Kiev-based agency Cat-b – home to Danyl and the two Maksyms – is run by Marija Pogrebniak, who says there is no look to describe her models – they are all “blossoms in one vase”. She recently scouted someone because they looked like a squirrel; another because of the way they smelled.
The shift towards an alternative look isn’t new. Casting real people in catwalk shows became so close to the norm that the term “nodels” was coined by the industry in 2015. Designers such as Nasir Mazhar, Kanye West and Eckhaus Latta have all used models that were not cast from the western beauty mould, often found on Instagram or, more commonly, “the street”. If the look is esoteric, then it’s supposed to be. Most of these models have second jobs, often artistic ones, as it’s thought to add an edge.
What is new, however, is the dominance of former Soviet countries, as designers look to cast their models from the same region, so as to reflect the same aesthetic. The last few years has seen a generation of “eastern bloc” designers, most famously Demna Gvsalia of Vetements and now Balenciaga. Gosha Rubchinskiy, a Russian designer and one of the first to cast almost exclusively non-models (most were skater friends from Russia) has spoken of how “models can be part of the look, the styling”. His clothes fall under a category now known as gopnik, a Russian word meaning roughly “yob” – which unfortunately tends towards all-white casting, and for which Gvsalia has been criticised.
Of course, pairing a particular look to a region is problematic. This fetishisation of post-Soviet style has been growing in the west – since joining Balenciaga last year, Gvsalia has instilled his unique, oversized, 90s-infused look into the once trad, historic French fashion house to steady critical rapture. For the models themselves, this lumping together of countries that have little in common bar a traumatic past is troubling. “This so-called eastern bloc is just a new space for western people,” says Maksym P, who feels the shift resembles a modern-day orientalism.
What’s more, diversity is not without its limitations. These models may not be conventionally handsome, but they conform to the usual sizing, are predominantly white, and are uniformly odd-looking.
Still, it does mark a shift in some standards in the industry. And while 2017 may not be a banner year for relations between Russia and the west, it is, in striking contrast, a good year for fashion – and its models.
8. Oversized Sleeves
“Pagan knights in shining armor. Layers on layers as a defense mechanism. Something knitty and cozy—the epitome of British craft.” Jonathan Anderson was in succinct mode when explaining the makings of his Fall menswear collection. His models—more fresh-faced squires than battle-hardened knights, really—were certainly a touch medieval, what with their elongated tabard-shaped tops and the heraldic symbols and patches depicting stained glass windows sewn to their sweaters and jeans. Still, there was a sense of cool, lanky elegance about them as they strode around in their fluid flares, trailing their super long sleeves and long cable-knit scarves. Well, elegance that can exist in the same sentence as the homespun crochet blanket, that is.
Where do these strands originate?
An instinctive reflex in these apocalyptic times is to picture our days as a descent into the Dark Ages—surely a prime reason for the brutal resonance of Game of Thrones. Part of Anderson's brain has drifted in that direction recently. He's reportedly a voracious accumulator of arcane historical research, trawler of antique markets, and bric-a-brac hound. His last womenswear collection had jackets based on Henry VIII's doublets. Perhaps he bumped into the crochet blankets on a church stall back home in Northern Ireland? Crochet squares aren't something you'd think you could finesse, though—they are what they are, even if adapted as over-shoe coverings. On the other hand, Anderson and his stylist, Benjamin Bruno, stared at them long enough in the studio for something else to occur to them. “Ben and I thought, actually they look like iPhone apps!”
Be that as it may, as ever, Anderson's knack comes down to his crystal clear commercial clarity about simple, wearable items. In this case, there's no doubt about the standouts. One: the immediate desirability of this season's deep side-pocketed sailor flares, which he'd do well to continue in his womenswear. And two: the camel granddad cardigan with two patch pockets in grandma crochet, a souvenir of this collection, rendered down to its essence.
9. GQ Trend: Haircuts with Bangs for Men in 2017
GQ is also coming out against bangs, which are making a comeback, thanks to celebs like Jared Leto and Justin Bieber. At best, they call to mind E.R.-era George Clooney's mid-90s often-copied Caesar cut. At worst, they look more than a little sleazy.
10. Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Men’s Fall 2017
As America watched Donald Trump prepare to be sworn in as America's 45th president, Kawakubo provided a spectacle all her own.
Rei Kawakubo was ready to play, with a collection called “Boyhood” that sparkled — in parts — like Dorothy’s ruby slippers while models wore party wigs — in pink, lime or screaming yellow — and carried rubbery kids’ toys like jelly molds on their asymmetrical tailcoats, oversize T-shirts and high-top sneakers.
As America watched Donald Trump prepare to be sworn in as America’s 45th president, Kawakubo provided a spectacle all her own, one that was filled with contrasts: dark and bright; long and short; matte and sparkly; innocent and sinister.
She put her individual stamp on so many of the trends that are emerging this week — protective layering for turbulent times, deconstruction, ath-leisure-inspired ease — and lots of playfulness.
Kawakubo’s boys, their heads adorned with mop-top wigs, sported patchwork tailcoats paved with ruby sparkles, or dusted with bright blue ones. Shiny quilted flowers — or matte flocked ones — blossomed across the fronts of some jackets while embroidered white horned skulls or spiders and colored, rubbery molds in the shape of animals and toy trains popped on the backs and fronts of others.
Some tailcoats had only one tail — the other side was lopped off — while other jackets were so wrinkled they looked as if they’d been slept in for at least a week. They were layered over long and fluttery cotton tunic shirts or tight crop tops, fur vests and dark frilly ones, too. When she wasn’t working her palette of black, Kawakubo was dabbling with print — specifically an abstract camouflage one — in primary brights that mirrored the colors of the rubbery toys.
Those toys were by Scott Hove while the Nike Air Force 1s were customized by the house. The prints were by Candida Alvarez.
Trousers came in exaggerated shapes and sizes, including ballooning Charlie Chaplin ones that tapered around the ankle and wide and floppy shorts that hit just past the knee.
Did her show rival the one unfolding on the steps of the U.S. Capitol? Probably not, but it was an attention-grabber nonetheless and proof that Kawakubo remains a fashion superpower.
1. This company is taking over the world by selling celebrities bizarre patterned suits that go viral
 |
| Getty Images |
Lots of people, as it turns out, including celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, Tom Hanks in an SNL Halloween skit, and too many sports teams to list.
Half joke and half wry sartorial comment — but always worn with the tongue placed firmly in the cheek — Opposuits' garments have become a kind of revolution for men who don't take their wardrobe choices too seriously.
"We created something that is somewhere in between fashion and novelty. It's much cooler than a costume and it isn't fashion either," Opposuits cofounder Jelle van der Zwet told Business Insider.
Let's be clear here: Opposuits' offerings are not for nine-to-five weekday warriors. And van der Zwet makes no bones about it.
"People are not wearing our stuff to work," he clarifies, adding that it's for those "who don't take themselves too seriously" yet "want to maintain a sense of style when they go to a party."
But the business behind it is no laughing matter. The Dutch company behind it says it sells hundreds of thousands of suits a year, with growth doubling year over year. Each ensemble, which includes the jacket, pants, and tie all in the same pattern, retails for $99.
It all started in 2010, when three friends from the Netherlands backpacking through Vietnam got the idea to create bright orange suits for the Dutch holiday King's Day. It took until 2012 for the idea to fully manifest. They created 2,000 of the orange suits before the 2012 UEFA European Championship football (soccer) competition. The suits sold out in two weeks.
Looking to the UK and the 2012 Olympics in London, Opposuits went international for the first time. With different styles, like one with a Union Jack flag print, the suits made a similar splash.
A year and a half later, Opposuits expanded to America, which has since become its largest market in terms of revenue and product sold. The company now sells virtually worldwide, with distribution centers in the Netherlands, UK, Canada, US, and Australia.
"We knew that we had a very universal and international type of potential with the product that we were [selling]," van der Zwet said.
This appeal has enabled the suits to go viral. It seems that every time a celebrity, group of friends at prom, wedding party, or sports team dons the suits, it becomes a viral news story.
"Organically the message and brand spreads itself very quickly because once someone has seen at a certain event or festival it's such a conversation starter that people would know about it right away," van der Zwet said.
He said that wearers of the suits get so much attention, they stick business cards advertising the company in the pockets of the suits before shipping them to customers, amping up the word-of-mouth effect.
Opposuits' offerings are both seasonal and evergreen, and it sells "ugly Christmas suits" in department stores during the holiday season — and at Halloween-themed costume stores in the fall.
It has expanded its offerings with the licensing of brands like "Star Wars" and, soon, Marvel superhero characters, which marks an important distinction between Opposuits and the companies that have sprung up to imitate it.
Off the back of the success of the men's line, Opposuits also launched a women's line last year. A line of suits designed to fit children is forthcoming this year, which van der Zwet said he sees as another "wow moment" for the company.
Are You Know?
10 Unbelievable Holiday Recipe Fails
8 Touching Letters To Santa
10 Hilarious End Of 2016 Memes
2. Rompers For Dudes Are Here And TBH I Don't Hate Them
 |
| Getty Images |
The guys behind the line collaborated with one of Chicago's "top fashion design consultancies" to bring men a piece of clothing that's "stylish and fun without also sacrificing comfort, fit, and versatility."
The "brompers" will retail for $119, though early adopters can get them for a little cheaper.
3. Lace Separates
 |
| Getty Images |
4. Square Toe Shoes
 |
| Getty Images |
The editors of the US edition of GQ published the call to arms on Wednesday, urging people to persuade their friends and family to stop wearing the “f***ing ugly” footwear.
But, the magazine’s revulsion against the style only starts there. Beyond a brutal article, they’ve actually launched a full-on movement involving social media - #NoSquareToes – and a campaign ad that cautions mislead men about the dangers of STS or Square-toe Shoe Syndrome.
Men’s fashion bible GQ has launched a campaign to banish an item of men's footwear forever: the square-toe shoe.
The editors of the US edition of GQ published the call to arms on Wednesday, urging people to persuade their friends and family to stop wearing the “f***ing ugly” footwear.
But, the magazine’s revulsion against the style only starts there. Beyond a brutal article, they’ve actually launched a full-on movement involving social media - #NoSquareToes – and a campaign ad that cautions mislead men about the dangers of STS or Square-toe Shoe Syndrome.
Balenciaga, Maison Margiela, and Gucci all showed the style in their spring/summer 2017 collections, which we’re sure the recent obsession with retro garb has something to do with.
But, let it be known – they didn’t work in the 90s and they certainly don’t work now.
Back in 2013, the menswear bible surely saw this coming and attempted to solidify its stance on the shape of men’s shoes.
5. We Warned You: Chokers For Men Are Here, Thanks To ASOS
 |
| Getty Images |
This story was originally published on July 17th, 2016.
Those of you watching Men's Fashion Month may have noticed something familiar on the runways. You know that necklace trend that celebrities (and their moms) are overexerting at the moment? The one from the '90s? Right, so chokers are the accessory of the moment, and it looks like very expensive neck-stranglers are happening in menswear for spring 2017.
Between Paris, London, New York, and Milan, chokers found their way to the necks of pretty boys in pretty clothes. And what you'll see in the slideshow ahead is evidence that they invaded the pages of lookbooks, too. They came in all shapes, sizes, and colors: collars, bandanas (a lot of them), chains, and more. Of course, trends have no gender these days, which is what makes them so versatile and, in turn, extends their shelf life in your closet. But man, this '90s thing is really wearing itself out.
6. HIPPIES ARE THE NEW HIPSTERS
 |
| Getty Images |
THE SILVER LAKE SHAMAN
The Silver Lake shaman is the heir apparent to the Brooklyn lumberjack—a lifestyle concept popularized by the young dwellers of New York City’s hippest borough. As Brooklyn became an international brand, selvage denim, artisanal whiskey, and Edison bulbs have proliferated in the “Brooklyns” of Paris, Chicago, and Tokyo. Although the reign of the Brooklyn lumberjack has felt eternal, it seems now that his final winter has waned (he flourishes in cooler months), and the springtime of a new aesthetic is upon us. Close your eyes and breathe in the Palo Santo.
In recent years, the cultural lens (and Instagram feed) has shifted its focus to Los Angeles, and to a very a specific idea of it at that. This is not the LA of spray-tanning, silicone, and Malibu mansions, any more than the Brooklyn lumberjack was related to the power suits of Wall Street in their Manhattan skyscrapers. No, the shaman’s natural habitat is more desert canyon than beach; more Duplass Brothers than Michael Bay; more feminine mystique than masculine posturing. It lies to the east of Hollywood, in the hills of Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and Echo Park—the epicenter of this easygoing wave, which is on the verge of becoming a global tsunami.
If the Brooklyn lumberjack was nostalgic for the 1870s, the Silver Lake shaman yearns for an imaginary era that melds the flowing gauze dresses and high-waisted dungarees of the 1970s with the minimalism of the 1990s. The SLS seems to long for a simpler life, where dyeing fabric with wildflowers or brewing coconut oil-based skin salves take precedence over dialing in to conference calls. (Same!)
While the tech bros of New York and San Francisco—and even the west side of LA, where Snapchat, Facebook, and YouTube reside—embrace uniform dressing via Uniqlo, Bonobos, and this J.Crew gingham shirt, the east side shamans’ clothing is distinctly anti-tech, with natural textures, sun-bleached colors, and finishings that suggest a human touch.
The Silver Lake shaman is no more an actual shaman than the Brooklyn lumberjack felled trees for a living, but the lifestyle does include supplies a person might find in a healer’s tipi: crystals, smudge sticks, and essential oils among them. (And she might well sip “a copper cup of silver needle and calendula tea” for breakfast.)
7. How ‘alt-beauty’ became the hottest trend in men’s fashion
 |
| Getty Images |
For these models, symmetry is not a requisite. A slightly sallow pallor is ideal, wonky oversized features are also fine; the bigger the nose, the ears and the lips – the better. Modelling trends, like fashion, vacillate wildly – and the physical nuances often reflect the mood of the industry. In the 90s, the industry big guns (Armani, Versace) reigned, as did the Supers – instantly recognisable, conventionally beautiful models such as Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss were muses, and as famous as the clothes they modelled. There was the male equivalent, too, with Swede beefcakes such as Alex Lundqvist and Marcus Schenkenberg dominating. Dishearteningly, bar Tyson Beckford, almost all of the big names in male modelling have been white, a trend that continued into the 00s. They have also tended towards the pretty and slight, or hyper-conventional, like David Gandy. Aided by social media, this It generation, paved the way for a new era of Insta-models this decade, with names such as Gigi Hadid and Lucky Blue Smith cultivating as large a presence online as on the catwalk. But while their rise through unconventional channels has possibly helped enable a more diverse aesthetic, few would have predicted the alt-model to be this season’s look. Or that they would overwhelmingly come from former Soviet states.
The trend was arguably propelled by Eva Gödel, who runs the German agency Tomorrow Is Another Day. She has described the boys she scouts as “guys who may not consider themselves good-looking enough to apply”. She prefers to focus on “the way people move, how they dress and do their hair, how emotion crosses their faces”. Gödel discovered Paul Hameline, now Vetements muse, standing at an ATM in Le Marais, Paris. Like most alt-models, he was reluctant (most are baffled at being scouted, although this was the fourth time Hameline had been approached), but he has since walked for labels including Kenzo and Hood By Air. Another model signed to Gödel’s agency is Berliner Steve Morell, who recently walked the Balenciaga show. “I have a characteristic face, cheekbones, big eyes,” he says. “It’s like an elegant, bizarre, 80s character.”
Avdotja Alexandrova founded the Russian agency Lumpen in 2014; it follows a similar aesthetic. “I think that the time of faceless models is over,” she says, adding that the defining characteristic of those on her books is that they are unglamorous. Meanwhile, Kiev-based agency Cat-b – home to Danyl and the two Maksyms – is run by Marija Pogrebniak, who says there is no look to describe her models – they are all “blossoms in one vase”. She recently scouted someone because they looked like a squirrel; another because of the way they smelled.
The shift towards an alternative look isn’t new. Casting real people in catwalk shows became so close to the norm that the term “nodels” was coined by the industry in 2015. Designers such as Nasir Mazhar, Kanye West and Eckhaus Latta have all used models that were not cast from the western beauty mould, often found on Instagram or, more commonly, “the street”. If the look is esoteric, then it’s supposed to be. Most of these models have second jobs, often artistic ones, as it’s thought to add an edge.
What is new, however, is the dominance of former Soviet countries, as designers look to cast their models from the same region, so as to reflect the same aesthetic. The last few years has seen a generation of “eastern bloc” designers, most famously Demna Gvsalia of Vetements and now Balenciaga. Gosha Rubchinskiy, a Russian designer and one of the first to cast almost exclusively non-models (most were skater friends from Russia) has spoken of how “models can be part of the look, the styling”. His clothes fall under a category now known as gopnik, a Russian word meaning roughly “yob” – which unfortunately tends towards all-white casting, and for which Gvsalia has been criticised.
Of course, pairing a particular look to a region is problematic. This fetishisation of post-Soviet style has been growing in the west – since joining Balenciaga last year, Gvsalia has instilled his unique, oversized, 90s-infused look into the once trad, historic French fashion house to steady critical rapture. For the models themselves, this lumping together of countries that have little in common bar a traumatic past is troubling. “This so-called eastern bloc is just a new space for western people,” says Maksym P, who feels the shift resembles a modern-day orientalism.
What’s more, diversity is not without its limitations. These models may not be conventionally handsome, but they conform to the usual sizing, are predominantly white, and are uniformly odd-looking.
Still, it does mark a shift in some standards in the industry. And while 2017 may not be a banner year for relations between Russia and the west, it is, in striking contrast, a good year for fashion – and its models.
8. Oversized Sleeves
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Where do these strands originate?
An instinctive reflex in these apocalyptic times is to picture our days as a descent into the Dark Ages—surely a prime reason for the brutal resonance of Game of Thrones. Part of Anderson's brain has drifted in that direction recently. He's reportedly a voracious accumulator of arcane historical research, trawler of antique markets, and bric-a-brac hound. His last womenswear collection had jackets based on Henry VIII's doublets. Perhaps he bumped into the crochet blankets on a church stall back home in Northern Ireland? Crochet squares aren't something you'd think you could finesse, though—they are what they are, even if adapted as over-shoe coverings. On the other hand, Anderson and his stylist, Benjamin Bruno, stared at them long enough in the studio for something else to occur to them. “Ben and I thought, actually they look like iPhone apps!”
Be that as it may, as ever, Anderson's knack comes down to his crystal clear commercial clarity about simple, wearable items. In this case, there's no doubt about the standouts. One: the immediate desirability of this season's deep side-pocketed sailor flares, which he'd do well to continue in his womenswear. And two: the camel granddad cardigan with two patch pockets in grandma crochet, a souvenir of this collection, rendered down to its essence.
9. GQ Trend: Haircuts with Bangs for Men in 2017
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10. Comme des Garçons Homme Plus Men’s Fall 2017
As America watched Donald Trump prepare to be sworn in as America's 45th president, Kawakubo provided a spectacle all her own.
Rei Kawakubo was ready to play, with a collection called “Boyhood” that sparkled — in parts — like Dorothy’s ruby slippers while models wore party wigs — in pink, lime or screaming yellow — and carried rubbery kids’ toys like jelly molds on their asymmetrical tailcoats, oversize T-shirts and high-top sneakers.
As America watched Donald Trump prepare to be sworn in as America’s 45th president, Kawakubo provided a spectacle all her own, one that was filled with contrasts: dark and bright; long and short; matte and sparkly; innocent and sinister.
She put her individual stamp on so many of the trends that are emerging this week — protective layering for turbulent times, deconstruction, ath-leisure-inspired ease — and lots of playfulness.
Kawakubo’s boys, their heads adorned with mop-top wigs, sported patchwork tailcoats paved with ruby sparkles, or dusted with bright blue ones. Shiny quilted flowers — or matte flocked ones — blossomed across the fronts of some jackets while embroidered white horned skulls or spiders and colored, rubbery molds in the shape of animals and toy trains popped on the backs and fronts of others.
Some tailcoats had only one tail — the other side was lopped off — while other jackets were so wrinkled they looked as if they’d been slept in for at least a week. They were layered over long and fluttery cotton tunic shirts or tight crop tops, fur vests and dark frilly ones, too. When she wasn’t working her palette of black, Kawakubo was dabbling with print — specifically an abstract camouflage one — in primary brights that mirrored the colors of the rubbery toys.
Those toys were by Scott Hove while the Nike Air Force 1s were customized by the house. The prints were by Candida Alvarez.
Trousers came in exaggerated shapes and sizes, including ballooning Charlie Chaplin ones that tapered around the ankle and wide and floppy shorts that hit just past the knee.
Did her show rival the one unfolding on the steps of the U.S. Capitol? Probably not, but it was an attention-grabber nonetheless and proof that Kawakubo remains a fashion superpower.
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