107 | LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN - SPRING/SUMMER 2015

As I heard about the London Collections: Men (LCM) Spring/Summer 2015, I wasn't that excited to see the runway pictures because London is very predictable couple seasons back by bringing floral prints to the runway. But things happened when I accidentally tracked down the show on Instagram.

Because FINALLY there are less floral prints for Spring/Summer ! If I could say, lists of designers might learned something from past seasons because the audiences are getting pretty bored with the prints. So what they did for next Spring is still about prints of course, but each designers got their own twists for their collections.

Let's start with Burberry. Christopher Bailey is pretty innovative in couple seasons back by sending down metalic, geometric print woven, even Batik in the past seasons. But now, Bailey did a pretty good exploration by doing denim on the whole collection.

The accesories designs are also improved with those fishing hat look a like, scarves & tote bag combined with handwriting typography & very fresh vibrant colors for Summer like light orange, ochre, pastel green and light red. I seems like Bailey always know the tiny spot for him to get noticed on the whole scene.

We'll be able to see mens skirt next season like; they are still there. KTZ brings down mood of a modern gladiator by doing sleeveless shirt, hand gloves, caps and mens skirt in a masculine cut. And the interesting thing is, KTZ did it in orange and black. It's kinda daring color combination but well, KTZ is being KTZ, though.

Things happened with Sibling by doing another gladiator silhouette. The items are pretty feminine like the feather necklace, mens skirt in light fabrics and somekind of laced tops. It's pretty feminine but it's all worn by some muscular models and they showed lots of skins & abs that makes is still masculine; or I could say it's another daring gender bending concept.

Down with its menswear debut, Jeremy Scott changed the famous label of Moschino into Fauxchino gold typographic prints in black outfits that makes it pretty noticed if you are wearing this in a public place. Jeremy Scott himself sticks with his womenswear aesthetics by doing lots of jewelries, bling blings and things.

Christopher Shannon is trying to get the attention couple seasons back. And the way he execute his latest collection is pretty fresh. He's doing a type as image prints on several items entitled the label itself "Christopher Shannon". And it creates a rustic, daring, rebellious kind of thing.

I noticed this 2 designers did the concept of maximalist prints but with their own design aesthetics. After last season's overexposed florals & laced, Sarah Burton did something really unique for the brand Alexander MQueen by doing an artsy line art prints, considering about the negative space of the whole look as well.

And again for Jeremy Scott, the King of Maximalism; I could say, he put almost like Coca Cola and the other summer drinks into a blazer and pants with obvious Brazillian summer kind of palettes, also with the classic smile icon printed down to several national flags.

These 2 designers has been noticed as the masters of gender bending. For me, J.W. Anderson almost dressed all these skinny male models in womenswear because his design is that feminine to be worn for a men. But if I'm talking about how artsy J.W. Anderson could be, he's the man. It's quite hard to combine the Japanese inspired pattern & a feminine masculine silhouette and he did it smooth and beautiful.

Seeing muscular black male model in one shoulder top and a long straight hair is very rare already. That's what Astrid Andersen did in her previous collection. And this one ? She went with Japanese kimonos, and a keso mawashi-- an apron that is usually used by a sumo wrestler. And fuck yeah, she execute it very well and bring it down to the runway !

Lots of sun in summer and spring of course; so that is why you might need a proper head cover. Designer James Long did hooded sweatshirt in a pretty light fabric for next Summer. Combined with DIY denim shorts look a like, lots of colors, long haired male models; pretty much like hippies in the sixties.

Lee Roach's strong silhouette has been his design DNA from his previous items as well. A monotonic colour in one look; light brown head to toe complete with the hoodie attached on its outerwear. Fresh read, black tiny belt, and a pair of moccasins. It looked like a uniform but he re-create the uniform concept itself into a more ready to wear attire.

No matter how good the prints I've mentioned before, London has came long way with its classic sartorial items. We still able to find these kind of items because these 2 designers Christopher Kane & Lou Dalton did some sartorial experiments in their collections. Like what Lou Dalton doing, a modified long coat with thin line checked pattern combined with a futuristic visor.

Also with Christopher Kane, I can see this one is his simplified version of his past collections. Those line arts are getting simplified on some of its trousers and blazers. Also the graphics are a little bit more minimal on its form, but a little bit twist he did by doing more colourful minor items used as an emphasis at the whole look.