My education into menswear continues... The Prada Man aka the stylish über nerd

Always one to offer an alternative aesthetic, Prada, has once more delivered an odd form of brilliance with its recent NY menswear collection for autumn/winter 2013/14. 

Muiccia's focus on 'perfection' for this collection was certainly evident in individual pieces; jumpers, jackets, trousers, were excellent renditions of staple menswear items but viewed all together and the look is evocative of a mathematician in his fifties on Redbull. Smart, sure, but clumsy. Oh and I'm pretty sure the fifth model down the catwalk was Mr Gilbert from my old secondary school.

In persuit of mathematical perfection Prada autumn/winter 2013/14

It would be wrong to call the Prada aesthetic weird. Charmingly odd perhaps. Whatever you’d like to call it, Prada certainly has a knack at capturing the audience’s interest, albeit in a 'I can't quite help but look' kind of way. 

Don't get me wrong, I liked parts of the collection. The above-ankle pleated to perfection trousers, the slightly iridescent black/blue wool jackets. 

I also loved how Muiccia used typically punchy punk colours and patterns (blood red, blue and yellow checks) and managed to make them look so, well, uncool; which of course, unequivocally and by its very definition makes it cool. 

Thanks Prada, for making me appreciate the unexpected. 

And may the über nerd live long and prosper. 

v

How the boys do.

So in the process of thinking of another blog post I found myself asking my other half what I should write about. Of course, the inevitable... "Write about me." Said he.

Of course, I laughed off the proposal. Not that I wouldn't love to tell you all about my beloved; his funny little ways and lovable nature, but that's not really the purpose or intention of this blog. "Hmmmm, I don't really write about men's fashion." I replied, dotingly.

Which got me thinking. Why don't I write about men's fashion? Is it because I'm a woman? Is it because it's just not as interesting as women's fashion? Am I close-minded? Never.

Women's fashion is itself never-ending, an engulfing black hole of astounding creation; do I have time for men's fashion? My brain constantly whirs with fashion's transient images and starry names. Isn't the draw of women's fashion already too much to fathom? 
 
The answer to that is yes. But, that said, it is in my very nature to find out more; to immerse myself in new wonders of creativity and style.

So, I took delve into a world of testosterone, quiffs and chiselled bone structures. And what with the men's collections in London taking place just last week, what an apt time to embark on such an astute and exciting learning curve.

I started with the London Collections: Men. Autumn/Winter 7th to 9th January 2013. Here's a little of what I found, stay tuned for more:

I thought I'd start with familiar territory (you know, because new things can be scary, so best to stick with what you know) and perused Christopher Kane's A/W offering for our friends with extra body parts.

Putting a bloke in a skinny jean or aristocratic smoking slipper can be problematic... a dash too girly, or a tad too gaudy. However, Mr Kane has totally rebuffed any notion of over-feminising the collection with gothic colours of sewer grey and bat black, not to mention the use of classically scary Frankenstein and Dracula amid animalistic prints.

Nicely done too, because the collection, as Christopher Kane manages so wonderfully with women’s clothing, is wearable. A little geeky, dark and gothic perhaps, but casual and toned down enough to transfer to the high street. Topman will be jam-packed with literary horror references come Autumn 2013 without question.

Scary monsters at Christopher Kane London Mens Collection AW 13/14

And me, I'll be secretly hoping the other half buys his very own snake-skin clutch and monster-print hoody, so I can borrow them. And wear black lipstick. And totally rock.


And if like me, you need to know more about how the other half dress, watch this video from the London Collections. Interesting and David Gandy makes a cameo. Nuff said.

http://www.londoncollections.co.uk/men
v