Approaching the Skylight Clarkson Square, I was both excited and uneasy.
The excitement was rooted from the revealing of the Perry Ellis 2016 Spring Menswear collection. However, still naturally apprehensive due to the beautiful men that would be wearing the clothing down the runway, conspicuously taunting and reminding me I am not the desirable, eligible bachelor I like to think I am (at least not in this room). Throughout those thirty minutes I clung on to one thing, repeating it over and over again, with an “oh and I love that jacket” in between. As each model walked passed, I comforted myself- He is probably not as funny as I am. I hope.
Creative Director, Michael Maccari summed up the collection on an Instagram post of a quote, which he made following the show. “The combination of workout clothes with wear-to-work clothes has become a new uniform.” The looks took a whole new approach to men’s fashion, combining serious and casual/sporty, which is embodied in the open shirts, compression tights under baggy shorts, and cropped bombers. Shades of blues and cool colors were very popular in the collection, though there were warmer colors thrown in as well. One particular favorite was a bold red suit, which was matched with a red button down of a slightly different shade. If you had pitched this idea prior, I would have probably made a joke about a tomato or stopping traffic. Actually seeing this look in person completely changed my mind and made me want to relive prom in it. Although, I am not a fan of the sandals Maccari matched with it, and other similar looks. The casualization of America is an excellent theme, but lets not get carried away. Unless going to the bathroom or the beach, a man shouldn’t be wearing sandals. If I still lived in Miami instead of NYC, I might feel differently.
The sweaters and jackets featured playful prints, ranging from explosive weaves to graphics. This contrasted with the suit silhouette, which was less edgy and more structured. A lot of the jackets, sweaters, and shirts were elongated, further embracing the casual look. One of my favorite designs was an elongated blue button-down, which was made of a see-through fabric. I am glad I haven’t been skipping chest day. Maccari also included printed neoprene, indigo-dyed fabrics, denim and canvas amongst many others. The hash-tag might have been #VeryPerry, however this year’s show was anything but.
A collection to remember, Maccari honed in on combining contemporary trendiness with the classic Perry Ellis style. The models looked great, but they were not funny. I did not hear one laugh in the audience.
photos: GPS Radar
