"Overall, I couldn't be more delighted" says Fern Mallis,
Executive Director of 7th on Sixth, about the success of the shows.
"We want to keep the dialogue going between the designers and the
press and create a venue for many of the young designers as well."
"I think it's great" says Oscar de la Renta, who is just
planning to introduce his collection to New York this season "It
facilitates and exhilerates the menswear industry to have everyone
showing together."
Joseph Abboud, who has been designing menswear for seven
years, states "we've always been as vain as women about the way
we dress-- we just haven't been allowed to show it.
Trends have taken a decidedly feminine turn this season in more
ways than one. The silhouette is elongated, with jackets that nip
at the waist and extend beyond the hips. Fabrics are sumptuous
in beautiful silks and silk blends, in everything from suitings to
casualwear. Color comes on strong in shades that are often called
"pretty" such as pink, blue and lavendar while prints are nostalgic,
in particular the popular gingham check.
At Calvin Klein, the collection focuses around "the new
tailored" silhouette. Proportion is key for this new look with
a jacket that falls close to the body, precisely fitting the waist
and accentuating the curve of the hip. Lapels, on both single and
doublebreasted models, roll to a new lower button stance. Pants are
flat front and narrow adding to the slimmer proportion. Colors, here,
are mostly monochromatic in various shades of grey, such as nickel,
pewter and slate.
Tommy Hilfiger, who loves to infuse bright colors into his
collection, goes wild this season with unorthodox combinations.
In one instance, a fuchsia silk sportscoat is paired with a red twill
trouser and green gingham shirt. On a quieter note, Hilfiger uses
color as an accent such as a lavender striped shirt shown with a
grey wool pinstripe suit.
For a collection that's very hip (he's dressed many a rock star in his
time) and totally unafraid to go feminine, look for Richard Tyler
next Spring. With lots of color and shiny fabrics, this line isn't
for the most conservative amongst you. Feminine touches come most
often in shirtings, such as the white cotton eyelet paired with a grey
tropical wool suit; or the sparkle gauze turtlenecks in pink, powder
blue or black, worn beneath various sportcoats. Many of the jackets
in the collection are rubberized, laminated or in patent leather for
extra shine.
Another much talked about theme during the collections is the idea
of casual Friday. Jhane Barnes, who is celebrating her
twentieth year in business this Fall, held an informal breakfast
presentation and talked about this area at length.
"If we want to help change the way men dress" says Barnes, "we must
redefine, not repackage their wardrobes." Barnes talked about her
morning commute into the city on the train and her observations of
"businessmen" especially on Fridays. She explains that casual dressing
at the office should not mean "a polo shirt and khakis" but rather
taking your style of dressing and going "one step down.
Using sixteen models, she brought them out individually and labeled
them: the financial advisor, the entertainment executive, the lawyer,
the architect, etc. During her collection, Barnes also talked about
the importance of luxury fabrics in "casual" silhouettes. She uses a
silk blend for a classic navy blazer, and a soft brushed cotton for
many of her pants. "Vest are also important" she says, because they
help "dress up" a no jacket look, and can miraculously hide those few
extra pounds.
Barry Bricken agrees with the idea of "dressing up" dress
down Fridays. "My collection has always reflected an elegant relaxed
attitude, that now, more than ever, is finding acceptance in areas of
business where once only a suit was deemed appropriate" says Bricken.
He feels a man should be able to go straight to a good restaurant
or the theater from his office and not have to go home and change.
Bricken uses beautiful pale colors and mixes them with various shades
of neutrals. Sportcoats and shirts are in pistachio, eggshell, cameo
pink and cloud blue, pairing beuatifully with pants and vests in colors
like woodash, cornsilk, dune and twig. The result is sophisticated
with attention to detail in the fabrics, such as a herringbone.
tattersall or waffleweave.
As we plod on towards the end of the millenium, men and society in
general are becoming more accepting of change-- alternative job
situations, alternative lifestyles, alternative ways of dressing.
Menswear, which is traditionally one of the slowest areas of change
in the fashion industry, is suddenly catching up. If this continues,
they may even stop and ask for directions.
