Mood board: Across the men’s collections this season there has been a sharpening of line and a smattering of jewellery. As gender boundaries have eased, elaborate embroideries have been liberally applied to otherwise simple, archetypal men’s clothes. How can you channel minimalism that speaks to the times? Can quiet clothes still be seen in a sea of logos and cross-cultural collaboration? At Hermès, Véronique Nichanian is the doyenne of radical minimal line; the richness of her clothes comes from their tactility. The decoration is sparing but graphic. Every seam, every button, every cuff, every zip has purpose.
Best in show: Casual pants were cinched at the cuff, loosened fine-knit jumpers had contrast graphic colour at the neck. Blousons were in soft calf skin. Standout were neat shirts with knotted collars in cotton, baggy cargo pants and thick rubber tredge boots. Proportions were roomier – double greys were layered and paired with tones of peat, ebony and vanilla.
Finishing touches: Nichanian has cited the architects Tadao Ando, Le Corbusier and Frank Gehry as influences on her approach to making clothes. Speaking to L’Express in 2008 about her view on modernity she said: ‘…clothes must follow us in our lives. It is also a matter of fair proportions, which makes a black sweater immediately appealing, because there is the right V, the right armhole, the right length or the right ribbing. I like simple things, but with a search for details, structures and materials. Neither ostentatious nor complicated.’ A/W 20 channelled this sense of uncomplicated line, the minimalist geometry of a gently padded charcoal suit. Glitched chevron pattern and psychedelic swirl shirting gave the clothes a sprightly elegance.
