ALEXANDER WANG – 2010 MENSWEAR COLLECTION
Picture it. An urban metropolis, a playground of new styles and creations, where the male urbanite roams, sporting the new fashions by Alexander Wang.
The overall feel for his first menswear collection for 2010 communicates freedom, clothing for the sporty, rebel identified dresser and is infused with a style that reflects a trendy, everyday, ready to wear get-up . The feel of the clothing- from hooded tops to extra large tank tops and metallic black shorts styled with a backward sports cap- is reminiscent of hip-hop culture, street culture and the casual, sporty man. Some of Wang’s inspirations come from skater culture, music and realism, capturing an urban style for the younger, trendy rule-breakers that make fashion statements with their out-of-bed look. Is dressing down the new dressing up?
From his cutting edge, illustrious designs in womenswear, Wang has explored new territory in fashion design. His up-and-coming menswear collection has been fixated on a monotone colour palette, grey, beige, white, black- a safe yet diligent variation, a variation that is more blendable and workable with other clothing in a man’s existing wardrobe.
The silhouettes reflect his themes in reaching out to the casual man- the loose-fitted, baggy everyday clothing, but still retaining a sense of maturity. A mundane choice of colour selection and cut you may say, but a smart move for his first menswear collection, offering something that is accessible and necessary to a casual man’s daily attire.
Wang concentrates on delivering a limited structure in his menswear designs in relation to comfort and ease, something he wants to get across through the cut and materials used in this collection yet never trying to over complicate. Wang has gone from catwalk couture to the everyday man, a designer on the pulse of what’s around him. His womenswear collection is much more edgy, using more expensive, luxurious fabrics. His key looks can be striking, from his first womenswear collection in 2007 to some of his many magazine editorials with Vogue, V, I.D, W, Bazaar, Tank, and Elle. Wang infuses his love for raw, escapist chic, which transcends into mini statements, setting new trends within fashion.
The 2010 menswear ensemble is more of a mirror image of Wang’s personal style and vision, from the streets of New York to the catwalk. Designing since he was 15, Wang is a designer that has evolved, like many designers, going from womenswear to a menswear range. Very much a commercial designer, Wang still designs to stand out in the commercial, ready to wear fashion market. The style for his new collection is a clean, minimal mix. Wang has designed a collection for the cosmopolitan man, the city enthusiast, the skater, the band member, someone who wants to be stylish, but without too much effort. Wang’s 2010 collection is a Jil Sander throwback with a twist. A simple, modernist approach for the male urbanite that enjoys simplicity and a relaxed, non-suffocating feel to his sense of style and fashion.
Words Joseph Tehrani
