Take a closer look at the trends from Menswear Fashion Week 2016 with our edit of the best A/W ’16-17 collections. Exaggerated and oversized outerwear, trench-style tailoring and bright colours came to the forefront. Shiny fabrics were seen making their way into collections, hinting at the ’80s, while influence of the 1970s still prevailed. Bombers and knit cardigans were popular in addition to shaggy coats and puff jackets as outerwear was once again the focus of many collections with many designers, barring the bold, in favour of more wearable garments. Most of the standout trends for autumn/winter 2016-17 collections were very accessible like the largely relaxed aesthetic of the tracksuits and tailoring of formal wear. FFT explores…
Plaid it Well
Checks are back on the menswear runway, as a popular pattern, which is often represented in various sizes, colours and silhouettes – from duffel coats, polo necks and shirts to trousers. Dior used checks to reinvent grunge with red and black hues on coats, Valentino did the same on his wool plaid coats and Gucci followed suit by mixing shades of brown with red on their double breasted coats. At Lanvin, touches of checks and plaid rendered the collection to a more relaxed appeal, with loose-fitting outerwear. It was Fendi who featured a bold head-to-toe tartan look, pairing a blue coloured knit with roomy pants and the best version was Etro’s who styled a plaid trench coat with a plaid suit – combing formal with casual.
Track Star
Sporty chic enjoyed its over-extended stay for 3 years and athleisure seems to be replacing the trend slowly yet completely. But menswear designers went a completely different route by offering purely sport suits that resemble the ’80s athletic wear trend. The palette swinging between blues, reds and greens – all in primary shades – Kenzo sent out models dressed in tracksuits with graphic prints on the jacket, Wales Bonner used surface ornamentation and his jacket flaunted of a turtle-neck, Christopher Shannon used dual button down detailing on his jackets and track pants. Gucci mixed a bit of ’70s interiors to his version with an inception print; whereas Burberry’s differential factor was brought in with a fully sequined red jacket worn with denims.
Puff Power
The puffer jacket has been on the radar for quite a few seasons now and has finally reached the centre stage as it experiences growth in size and weight. Designers weren’t afraid to experiment with colour this time around as shades of canary yellow, deep purple and chocolate brown were played around with. While Burberry and Raf Simons were simple and styled with all-black ensembles, Dior and Coach used fur trimmings on the hood for a more plush appearance. Astrid Anderson was the designer who truly took it a notch above the rest by combining the metallic trend with the inclination for shearling – his piece stood out for its golden sheen and fur trimmings on the neck and sleeves.
