It`s not easy designing menswear. If designers go out on a limb, the question becomes: ”But who will wear it?” Yet if they present ”real”
clothes, a long yawn will surely follow.
Last week, the men`s spring `93 fashion previews provided a balance between fashion and reality. Sure Donna Karan showed sarongs, Richard Tyler did cowboy bankers and Perry Ellis went for rock `n` rollers. But, hey, you need a little excitement to balance the otherwise ho-hum world of menswear.
The week started with controversy. While the showings were originally set for late August, at least half the designers moved up their presentations when they heard Giorgio Armani would be coming to town with his men`s and women`s spring collections.
The scheduling split caused panic among retailers who had to decide between coming to New York in July or August. The punctuation mark of the calendar debacle came later; Armani`s show went on, but the man himself decided to stay home in Italy.
Held in the recently revamped Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Armani show featured both men`s and women`s styles from his Le Collezioni lines. It was the first time his menswear has been shown in the States since 1979. Armani took liberties with a man`s suit, mixing up colors and patterns, all with an effortless ease.
Jacket`s were slightly longer and pants were softly relaxed, and everything was in a featherweight.
The real news of the collection lay in its styling: traditional dark suits were casually worn with sporty shirts or crewnecks, under braided suspenders, or left untucked. Emphasizing banded collars or buttoned-up shirts, there was hardly a tie to be found on the runway. Armani`s soft leathers in pale colors were some
the best of the week.
Indiana Jones, Jimmy Stewart and Gary Cooper were just a few of Karan`s inspirations for spring. Gone were the sleek black suits of her first men`s line. Instead, the Karan man is ready for rugged adventures, with handsome spice-toned, mismatched suits that looked both comfortable and wrinkled.
As for her sarongs, they sound more controversial than they looked. Reminiscent of the kind of pareos men wear on tropical islands, they are casual and carefree, held up with a big belt.
Karan roughed up even her banker`s grays, navys and pinstripes with brown thick belts and knit ties. Other Karan highlights: the short belted trench, the khaki suede hacking sport coat and the buttery plaid sport jacket. ”There`s no reason he can`t take his sporty side to the office,” the designer said at her informal showing, which included some 40 models lounging around on platforms.
Nice and easy
Calvin Klein`s man, however, is not headed to the office anytime soon. At least not in the manner with which he presented his breezy linen looks to his celebrity-packed audience which included Bianca Jagger, Carl Bernstein, Diane Von Furstenberg and Klein`s new backer, record producer David Geffen.
Skullcaps, Birkenstock sandals and ropes in place of belts were just a few of Klein`s accoutrements to his collection. Nothing was tucked in or confined. To underscore the point, Klein`s three-piece suits skipped the shirt and tie altogether and left the vest unbuttoned as well.
Will Klein`s liberated man sell in Peoria? Sure. Klein is no fool: under all the styling existed easy, fluid suits that will keep their cool, even with something as mundane as a shirt and tie.
Speaking of cool, Joseph Abboud, his own best model, exemplified the modern spirit of his collection wearing a white linen suit with an ivory band- collar shirt at his showing, held at the New York Public Library.
As for his line, Abboud stuck with what he does best: luxuriously textured sportswear in natural earth tones. Shown on headless mannequins, he favored crisp navy and ivory sportswear, worn separately or mixed together. Suede vests, nubby sweaters and sporty overcoats added a masculine accent to Abboud`s traditional suits.
Michael Kors set out to design clothes that could go ”from the boardroom to the bedroom, depending on how it is worn.” While it`s hard to imagine any one piece in both places, he did present sportswear that doubled as suiting. A navy double-breasted blazer topped a gray sweatshirt and navy gabardine drawstring pants. He even updated the Waspy light blue seersucker suit with a matching shirt, tie and drawstring anorak thrown over for good measure.
Even Kors had his far-out side: a fleece jumpsuit, gold metallic leather jeans and a head-to-toe white pique suit that left you in the mood for ice cream.
The new Perry Ellis look
Would Perry Ellis approve, or would he applaud the fearless interpretation of his menswear as presented by new designer Andrew Corrigan?
That was the question.
Held outdoors in a sweltering Central Park, the British-born Corrigan
(who took over for the late designer Roger Forsythe) presented a rather funky take on Ellis` label.
Perry Ellis` signature happy-go-lucky dots and stripes were replaced by stretch jeans and leggings, mambo shirts, fishnet tops and a whole bunch of
`60s-inspired red, orange and fuchsia sportswear. Long hair, Star of David pendants and crucifixes added the finishing touches.
Not to miss out on the week`s commotion, Richard Tyler set up shop at the Macklowe Hotel. You may remember, he`s the hot L.A. designer who dresses the likes of Mickey Rourke, Bruce Springsteen, Bobby Brown, Luther Vandross, along with other Hollywood movers and shakers.
While Tyler`s designs are not the stuff of middle-management attire, his suits are packed with attitude and personality. Striking details like shaped jackets, cowboy pockets, side belts, English vests and high-waisted pants will keep his high-profile customers and their wannabes quite content this spring. Salvatore Ferragamo`s menswear line, which opened a year ago, offered a reality-check in a season chock full of fashion statements. Maybe the smartly tailored lightweight suits and easy silk trenches won`t exactly make headlines, but as to whether real men will wear them, the answer is a resounding ”yes.”
