Menswear has never been so on trend, and with the Fall/Winter 2017 shows poised to take over the fashion capitals of the West this January, there is change in the air. Here’s what you need to know.
City-hopping
The traditional fashion calendar has been well and truly shaken up over the past two years, with several major brands abandoning seasonal shows for a ‘see-now-buy-now’ approach. City-hopping is also hot right now, and the Fall 2017 menswear circuit will feature multiple calendar changes, such as Moschino taking to Milan to unveil its menswear collection for the first time during Jeremy Scott’s tenure as creative director for the luxury Italian house, on January 14. The brand will use the opportunity to reveal its women’s pre-fall collection on the same day. Meanwhile WWD reports that US brand Coach, which has shown for the last three seasons at London Collections: Men, is opting out this year and heading back to New York for a special show on December 8, which will simultaneously debut the brand’s 2017 collection and honor its 75th anniversary and new Fifth Avenue store. Ex-Dior and current Calvin Klein designer Raf Simons will also be showing his eponymous Fall/Winter 2017 men’s collection at New York Fashion Week: Men’s, making it the brand’s debut on the US city’s catwalks.
New shows
All eyes will be on UK designer Paul Smith in January for the launch of his contemporary new line PS by Paul Smith, during Pitti Immagine Uomo in Florence, the Italian menswear tradeshow that acts as an unofficial prequel to Milan Men’s Fashion Week. The new line fuses high-end design and performance characteristics, technical fabrics and ergonomic cuts, and will be unveiled via a special installation at the event. Meanwhile in the UK, singer Tinie Tempah is rumored to be putting on a catwalk show at London Collections: Men for the first time with his label Disturbing London. The star told The Evening Standard earlier this week: “I just want to take some of the influence of things I’ve seen not only in Italy but when I’ve gone to Victoria’s Secret shows, just incorporating everything into one exciting show. It will happen in the second week of January.”
Going Unisex
Another major trend of the year has been for brands such as Burberry to unite menswear and womenswear collections under a singular show, twice a year. Vivienne Westwood is jumping on the bandwagon, and will be blending her men’s and women’s designs for the first time during London Collections: Men. Bottega Veneta also told British Vogue earlier this week that it intends to follow suit — opting out of Milan men’s to show the collection during the city’s women’s ready-to-wear fashion week in February, instead, while the same month will see Calvin Klein head to New York to show both male and female lines simultaneously.