For spring 2009 there are commonalities throughout the men's collections, despite each of their unique offerings. Slim fitting trousers, interesting tech fabrics and updated '80s inspired looks are just a few. Colors of the season are predominantly neutral (putty and grays) with splashes of color such as pink (from dusty to bright) as well as oranges and yellows. Black is also featured, a color I would normally associate with fall.
Sportswear and Americana are synonymous with Michael Kors, and for his spring 2009 collection he turned out some of his best work. There are amped up country-club classics with turtlenecks, jackets and pants in cobalt blue and bright yellow while trousers are cropped into clam diggers. Black and white prints and solids dominate the spring line up, but with aforementioned infusions of bright color.
The Civil War meets punk in the spring 2009 collection for Diesel’s new brand, Black Gold. Military details include soldier hats, epaulets, jackets while punk details include exposed zippers as pinstripes on leather pieces, shredded jackets and treated denim. The show also featured the Black Gold accessories line which included jewelry and burlap and leather bags.
The Z Zegna spring 2009 collection doesn’t disappoint, as I would have expected. The color palette is soft and easy on the eyes with soft pinks, blues and clay tones. The silhouettes are clean and have a historic look to them but are modernized by using current fabric technology and interesting printing techniques.
Yohji Yamamoto’s line for Adidas might be considered athletic-wear, but it’s more like sporty high fashion. This isn't the kind of gear you would actually do anything athletic in considering the price, but rather wear at the country club or wear while kickin' around the city.
The Rock & Republic spring 2009 collection is shown entirely in black and white which makes for a visually striking presentation of the clothes. The collection has an '80s rock and roll sensibility with skinny ties, fitted shirts, slim jackets and skinny pants. This is a great collection for guys who like to dress simply but fashionably.
The spring 2009 collection marks the 20th anniversary of DKNY. Donna Karen herself was there as well as a variety of celebrities. Clearly more attention was put into this collection. The details are more interesting with more of a variety of designs than in previous seasons. These are clothes that DKNY customers will be excited about.
I’m not normally that inspired by Lacoste, mainly because it’s so predictable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But for spring 2009, Lacoste seemed fresh. I loved the color palette--think clay tones, blasts of sherbet colors then black and white. The overall feel of the collection was resort-like and sporty.
English mods and rockers are reborn in the the Rag & Bone spring 2009 collection. There’s a dash of Americana Too. This is one of those collections that has a cohesive theme throughout and with every ensemble being strong in its own right, a quality many collections lack. Applause to Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, the English lads behind the label.
One thing is for certain, Duckie Brown never disappoints in terms of getting a strong reaction out of me. The two designers behind the label are no doubt very creative. I often feel their designs are more like wearable art than actual clothes--the graphic details are always interesting. Even with this mind, I am perplexed by the spring 2009 collection.
For Perry Ellis spring 2009, the color palette was very spring-like with the use of lavender, pink, blue and orange with khaki tones throughout. I am particularly glad to see so much use of pink, a color more men should try to wear. The pieces in this collection had their usual all-American quality and the clothes were casual, comfortable and stylish. What more can you ask for?
The Buckler spring 2009 collection is purportedly inspired by medieval knights and fencing but with the usual indie/glam rock undertones. There are ‘80s inspired pieces such as pants with zipper details on the legs, asymmetric tailoring, pointed shoes and vests of all sorts. It sounds like a bizarre mix of things but it comes together in an original and unique way. Thus designer Andrew Buckler never disappoints when it comes to breaking the monotony seen in many other collections.
