“In the UK, statistics have shown that the menswear industry has been rising at twice the rate of womenswear since 2016 and is expected to grow more by 2021.”
STREETWEAR
Streetwear is an international creation, originating predominantly in 80s and 90s America as an underground style associ- ated with skaters, surfers, and hip-hop but its presence is now widespread. In the UK, statistics have shown that the menswear in- dustry has been rising at twice the rate of womenswear since 2016 and is expected to grow more by 2021. Te shift is largely due to an increase in younger consumers and the rise in streetwear-oriented prod- ucts, such as hoodies, baggy shorts, over- sized t-shirts and trainers, in the luxury sector. While quintessential streetwear brands were born from West Coast American DIY, there was a moment in the 1990s where brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and Polo Ralph Lauren were re- contextualised by the New York hip-hop scene. Te New England preppy associa- tions also became iconographic of a work- ing-class, black community from South Bronx. Now, however, luxury brands are specifically designing clothes with a streetwear aesthetic or engaging in collabo- rations where street and mainstream luxury merge – Louis Vuitton and Supreme in 2017 being an example. At the forefront of the past several years’
streetwear surge has been Demna Gvasalia of Vetements. Alongside products being a social commentary on mundane aspects of everyday life - think replica DHL delivery staff tops, a hoodie with the definition of a hoodie printed extensively on the back, and partnering with sports brands Umbro and Reebok in a way that’s centred purely on branding – there’s been the popularity
in the so-called “ugly sneaker”. Gvasalia, who was appointed head of Balenciaga in 2015, has helped spread the craze for chunky trainers with the thickest of soles and conventionally unflattering designs. Tey’re the kind of generic shoes that have never been considered fashionable but be- cause they’re branded with names such Balenciaga, Raf Simons and Kiko Kostadinov (a London-based designer who’s partnered with Asics) they became a subject of hype, discussion and value. It’s all part of a fashionable “plainness” that has naturally seeped into the creations by British designers, or put a spotlight on designers who have long been creating in this way. Martine Rose, for example, a Middlesex University graduate who launched her menswear brand in 2007, has garnered more attention over the past few years with her high-waisted trousers, sim- ple tailored shirts and colour block out- doorsy jackets. Streetwear is longstanding, due to its
comfort, simplicity and in some cases sub- cultural associations so therefore will con- tinue to be part of everyday British style. On the catwalk, its current peak has passed, with more formal garments and shoes likely to be present throughout fash- ion week in June. On the streets, however, casual baggy clothing and community brand affiliation will always be a part of male dress. As to the everydayness that has come to exemplify the streetwear aesthetic, it blurs a boundary between the “fashion- able” and “normal” meaning everybody walking around Britain is, in some way, a stylish individual.
TAILORING
Heritage and smartness are still attached to London and British style with the city maintaining its world-wide reputation for impeccably handcrafted suits. But there’s also a fresher approach to tailor- ing, one that draws upon relaxed dress- ing as well as notions of sexuality and race. Grace Wales Bonner has been trans- forming her theoretical and fiction read- ing lists into visual essays since graduating from Central Saint Martins in 2014, the neat slim suits, finely crafted shirts and luxurious retro track- suits representing black male identity and sexuality. But this is clothing that is also genderless in its reception, being as beloved by women as by men. In 2018, British designer Kim Jones was appointed the creative director of Dior Homme (now Dior Men) after leaving his role at Louis Vuitton where he had put emphasis on streetwear quali- ties like a collaboration with Supreme. His first few collections for Dior Men were a blend of comfortable suiting and sportswear silhouettes but he’s also vis- ited the Dior archive and has taken iconic elements of womenswear and in- corporated it into tailoring. Examples of this are the 1950s’ oblique construction, in which coats are diagonally wrapped with a tapered waist. Tese are being re- constructed in the form of blazers, along with the integration of traditional cou- ture techniques such as draping. A balance between casual and smart is very much the norm today but, for those
www.focus-info.org
FOCUS The Magazine 5
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40
