#bestinshow is a feature in which Prancing Through LIFE contributors collate their five favourite collections from New York, London, Paris and Milan each season. We could go on about it a bit more but that’s about it really.
1. Umit Benan
Who would have thought that teal pinstripe could work so well? Umit Benan knows exactly how sportswear for the sophisticated gentleman should be done. Using a spectrum of blue and green of the Cote d’Azure, from periwinkle to indigo, Benan makes every outfit look fresh while sticking with accents of the crispest white. I really enjoy the statement of bold colour on formal wear, but the overruling sporty mood toned down the loudness without paling the palette in a way that I found really refreshing.
2. Paul Smith
This collection has everything I love in the world of textile and print – sexy silks and satins, STRIPES (my one true graphic love), a bit of ombre (in rainbow colours to keep it playful rather than depasse) and an awesome hand illustration reminiscent of that time Harry Styles wore that Ashley Williams T shirt at Topshop’s last S/S show. But the most important thing for me was that everything looked comfortable. Plus, by wearing a little bit of unexpected colour such as a the Paul Smith ombre scarf, one looks fashion forward and not a bit gaudy. Top marks for Mr Paul Smith.
3. Y-3
Yohji Yamamoto’s latest collection in collaboration with ADIDAS ticks all the boxes: there’s florals, metallics, many a jacket and also some tailoring thrown into the mix of the predominant tone of classic mens sportswear. I loved the dramatic opening of all-black-everything ensembles which relaxed into a silvery metallic shirt layered over a golden floral print. It was new, but also familiar as sportswear did what it does best, making the avant-garde into the everyday simply with the addition of a slick pair of sneakers. Also note Yamamoto’s interesting take on the pool slide – with a textured lining on the soles and asymmetrical strapping.
4. Ami
This was definitely the collection which stood out as having a teen-vibe, a collection very much aimed at reworking the typical college outfit and generally celebrating youth culture. It was sassy – the models had evidently been briefed by designer Alexandre Matiussi to wear a cheeky smirk in order to get the mood across. These clothes aren’t serious, but they do look sexy. Love the fluro orange coat, and wish I could pull it off. Plus, who on earth couldn’t adore a striped man clutch?
5. Miharayasuhiro
So I found this collection very interesting. It was artistic – if you thought there couldn’t be another way to ‘do’ denim, then think again, because Mihara has succeeded in creating a sort of delicate patchwork of one shade with the anomaly of a square of black or print. Also had you noticed that white shin-length socks are coming back in? Wimbledon wear seems to be leading the worldwide trends and I ain’t complaining.
Charlotte Dawnay
Charlotte Dawnay is the ART & FASHION Editor of Prancing Through LIFE. She also studies French and Spanish at Edinburgh University. She loves the work of surrealist artist Joan Miró and has a terrible addiction to avocado. This we’ve noticed is a common problem and although we cannot recommend anything to treat this addiction, we do sympathise.
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(Images sourced from: www.style.com)