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Tag archives for Ubi Sunt

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Stockholm A/W 2012: Menswear Trend Report

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The fashion circus is over for this time as you know having read Sabrina’s post from yesterday and as hectic as they are (especially if you are, as I was, reviewing some of the shows over at Bon.se and trying to get the review up within two hours) they are also great fun.

In many ways Sweden’s men are the true fashionistas of Sweden, so a proper look at what was happening over the three days that go under the name of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Stockholm needs to include the biggest fashion trends for male consumers.

Ubi Sunt A/W 2012

1. Turtle necks

On the first day of the week, at Filippa K Man, designer Morgan Sundberg explained to me that the turtle neck was back. His words were to be proven true in almost every menswear show over the following days and worn in any way possible from chunky, as at Whyred and Boomerang, to thin, as at Ubi Sunt, or in between: Oscar Jacobson.

J. Lindeberg A/W 2012

2. Quilted

Techno looks were mixed up with more natural-looking materials and the synthetic vibe often came in the way of quilts. Most innovative were J. Lindeberg who showed quilted cargo shorts worn over trousers or leggings, but the material were spotted at Josefin Strid, Boomerang, The Local Firm and V Ave Shoe Repair.

Whyred AW 2012

3. Sixties silhouette

It’s the Mad Men influence that keeps trousers cropped and suits sharp. It was no wonder that it was the mod aficionados at Whyred who did the look in its most clear way, but the cropped trouser suit turned up at Oscar Jacobson and Tiger of Sweden as well.

Josefin Strid A/W 2012

4. Eastern influence

Most obviously seen at the Cheap Monday show where jumpers were wrapped around heads in a way reminiscent of Afghani mujaheddin, Eastern dress styles kept being alluded to throughout the week. Long shirts, reminiscent of the Pakistani kameez were seen at Carin Wester while sarongs popped up at Josefin Strid.

Oscar Jacobson A/W 2012

5. Dandy

The autumn in many ways seem a bit more dressed up than previously, it was a trend we could see at the international shows and it was also evident here in Stockholm. Capes at Oscar Jacobson, Karl Lagerfeld collars at Ubi Sunt and all-grey double-breasted ensembles at Carin Wester – it signals a move away from the more outdoorsy urban looks we’ve seen recently.

V Ave Shoe Repair A/W 2012

6. Styling

In a couple of shows there was a return of styling as a way of making clothes look fresh and interesting. It signalled that fashion designers think we should have some fun with the clothes and adapt them, turn them around and wear them in unexpected ways. This was seen as Cheap Monday, V Ave Shoe Repair and The Local Firm.

All photos by Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of the ASFB.

 

Daniel Björk - Fashion

February 5, 2012

Oh! You Pretty Things

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Josefin Strid A/W 2011

My husband’s parents and aunt and uncle have been in town. They loved Stockholm – the sights, the food, the cleanliness compared to England – but all they could talk about by the end of the trip was how they were having a hard time distinguishing between the men and women. It seems as though Stockholmers are an androgynous bunch.

I can understand their confusion. From what I can see, Swedish males wear much slimmer silhouettes than their Anglo counterparts. They aren’t afraid to show a bit more skin either (low-neck t-shirts or tailored shorts way above the knee, for instance). And in terms of personal grooming, there are hordes of guys with artfully styled hairdos versus what I can only deem as “functional” in England. In short, Swedish men are “pretty.”

The females, on the other hand, aren’t adverse to voluminous pieces that happen to de-emphasise their “womanly” curves. Or what the Black Eyed Peas lovingly refer to as “Lady Lumps.” But I digress. Sweden is also home to “difficult” items of women’s clothing such as flatforms (flat platform shoes), maxi-length skirts and boxy coats. When donned, it looks like a statement – deliberate or otherwise – against the need to look “sexy.”

I believe this “confusion,” however, is accurately representative of Sweden’s progressive attitude towards gender equality. Notions of “male” and “female” roles and qualities are not so black and white here. Or quite the polar opposites. I personally don’t like to buy into gender stereotypes either. Hence all the quotation marks I’ve been using.

Which brings me to fashion’s current fascination with androgyny. Yes, this season several women’s collections showed full-on trouser suits, brogues and ties (Dolce & Gabbana and Paul Smith leap to mind), while Jean Paul Gaultier and Rick Owens are still trying to advance the idea of skirts for men. But whereas female models looking boyish is nothing new (Stella Tennant, Agyness Deyn), people are now talking more and more about Lea T (the transgender model and muse of Givenchy’s designer Riccardo Tisci) and Andrej Peijic (“the prettiest boy in the world”).

Ubi Sunt S/S 2012 (photo: Kristian Löveborg, courtesy of ASFB)

Swedish designers are doing their part, too. Josefin Strid showed skirts for A/W 2011 and even dresses for S/S 2012 – for men. Ubi Sunt employs a type of draping that is usually reserved for womenswear. But perhaps it’s not as primitive as simply “borrowing” elements from the opposite gender. Because another strength of Swedish fashion is its unisex nature. Universal, even. So as androgyny continues to capture the imagination of designers, watch Swedish fashion become an even stronger point of reference. Fashion for all!

Sabrina Shim - Fashion

September 3, 2011