SAMO discusses his overall Men’s FW19 standouts

SAMO discusses his overall Men’s FW19 standouts

Firstly, my sincerest apologies for leaving my personal creative outlet SAMO dormant for so long. A couple of mental health hiccups, my freelance work for Spree’s “The Thread” which sadly liquidated, work responsibilities and overall existential dread has led to me being as silent as a mouse on my own cultivated space.

But what better than Men’s FW19/20 season to bring me out of my creative sabbatical, right? Below I discuss three of my most fire collections to show during the season, so sit tight and enjoy!

3. “Demna’s Balenciaga came to the fort once again with an exhilarating showcase”

Tracing back to my first article, you should by now know that I am an avid Balenciaga supporter. Demna Gvasalia’s most recent Fall/Winter collection was again no exception, as the designer continued to prove his influential showmanship and prowess through his garments. With the stage set in Paris (of course), the designer showcased an astounding 73 looks within the collection; which is an astonishing feat for any designer.

Firstly, the collection was characterised by the designers love for denim; a trait which we have seen replicated countless times with his other fashion project Vetements. Secondly, this collection reinforces the designers obsession with distortion and ugliness. This is actually a concept called “anti-fashion”, which arose through influential fashion creative groups such as The Antwerp Six and individual designers like Martin Margiela. This type of fashion breeds a rebellious nature to how your garments are produced and how they are meant to be perceived and consumed as well. The looks depicted below are an example of this, with Demna opting to have an unusual twist on the form and fit of the coat, shirt and jacket on these models.

Lastly, the designers usage of accessories and symbolism clearly hit the mark. “Consumerism” is a concept which Demna has not made a secret of being obsessed with and that is clearly reflected through the gimmick of having the models walk with “bags” as if they have just purchased Balenciaga items fresh from the store.

The clearly plastered “BALENCIAGA” logo on the coat of the model below plus the black square-shaped smooth boot with the “BB” logo on it shows you that Demna has mastered the art of subtle, yet overt marketing.

2. “Kim Jones is clearly re-defining what the blueprint for the modern Dior Man looks like”

I am STILL geeking over this collection and that is simply because two different things; the first being that Kim Jones literally brought out all of the models on conveyor belts.. Yes I said it, fucking conveyor belts bro! Such a simple yet precise concept but one which I have not witnessed being replicated before, by any other luxury fashion house.

Now zooming into the clothes a bit more, you can see exactly what Kim Jones is doing. Looking at his first collection up until now, he has essentially started from scratch and re-defined the essence of the modern “Dior Man”. An extremely bold move from a foreigner to the French House, which is historically known for its strong-standing reputation within Haute Couture. Kim has literally made us forget who Dior Homme’s predecessors were and totally hone into his vision for the future of the luxury house.

His FW19/20 collection was filled with extremely well-tailored suits and coats, with shiny metallic colours which ensured that they were able to stand out even more. The British designer is no stranger to high-quality accessories (i.e sling bags and pouches) and this collection was no different, as his overall blanket choice of accessory was unmatched. The looks were all rounded off perfectly with the slick, leather boot that the designer has began to master during his stint at Dior.

This collection from Kim? Gets a resounding fuck yes from me!

1. “Die hard Raf Simons supporters are smiling from each and every corner of the globe”

Eight months after the Belgian designer Raf Simons made his highly controversial exit from the position of creative director at Calvin Klein (before his contract had even expired), murmurs took flight whether the designer was actually done with fashion and about to call it quits. Little did the fashion critics expect that Raf would go and deliver yet another youth inspired and charismatic collection; what he is essentially known and revered for amongst his fans and industry peers as well.

I absolutely love this collection for the mere fact that Raf is actually being himself and designing within his own skin. The looks include a lot of extremely well-cut, oversized coats and jackets – a trend which (of course) he birthed himself. Each and every coat or jacket which came down that runway was so well executed in terms of tailoring and you can tell that the Belgian’s stern hand was doing overtime with all of these garments.

Another facet which you could see shine through in this collection is Raf’s never failing expression of love for youth culture. My personal soul is inherently that of an 80’s kid, so to see Raf reference icons such as David Lynch and Joy Division within the artistry of the collection was fulfilling, but yet not even surprising to say the least. The forward thinking nature of the designer has always ensured that he is relevant and referenced amongst the youth culture of today, with notable appearances from Rick Owens and Frank Ocean in front row of the designer’s show.

Finally, what drove me to pick this collection as number one would most certainly be Raf’s consistence and stoic resilience. Exiting such a large American brand like Calvin Klein (again, before his contract had even expired!) must have not been an easy occurrence to digest. But regardless of this metaphorical “fail” plus other seemingly unsuccessful stints at luxury houses such as Dior, he still remains at the forefront of the fashion industry as an overall pioneer and continues to create trends that the remaining designers simply have to follow.