London Fashion Week Men's kicked off another round of international menswear shows at the weekend. We were there, and we've returned from the sartorial melee clutching five fresh trends with which to prime your AW17 wardrobe. Feast your eyes on these.
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The great outdoors
The convergence of the dadcore movement, the 90s revival and the all-consuming sartorial influence of Shia LaBeouf has seemingly led to a new fashionable embrace of the great outdoors. In similar vein to the hiking influence seen at PFW SS17, designers at LFWM explored the practicality of these campsite staples like quarter-zip fleeces, weather-resistant fabrics and hi-vis colour schemes.
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Cottweiler (above) took the more literal route, with waterproof trousers, elastic toggles and fleecy jackets, while Christopher Shannon focused on vibrant tones, durable textures and bulky trainers built to battle adverse conditions.
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Fisherman chic
From Craig Green’s trawlermen (above) to Phoebe English’s laundry boys, fashion week was once again awash with workwear. This time around, London’s leading talents aimed for an aesthetic that was part sophisticated seafarer, part urban angler, and the perfect way to protect yourself against the elements come AW17.
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At Craig Green, there were hoods, fisherman hats and drawstring macs. The designer’s fisher folk came clad in monochrome blue, mauve and black looks perfect for the fashion crew. Elsewhere, Alex Mullin’s buoys (above) sported more playful, split-colour takes on classic maritime silhouettes.
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Oversized knits
It’s no surprise that knitwear features in the autumn/winter shows but, according to JW Anderson, the next cold season will see our knits getting thicker, necklines higher and hems lower. The Irish designer placed statement, super-sized jumpers at the heart of his collection (above), extending the sleeves (along with the hems) floorwards.
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Designer duo Sibling (above) also ran with the oversized theme, sending models down the runway sporting longline, brightly patterned knits that could compete with your nan’s finest needlework.
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Bright blocks
We’re not always the brightest bunch in menswear, but things are about to get colourful. There was a general injection of colour across the board at the London shows, but it was the bold blocks of vibrant hues seen at Bobby Abley, Christopher Shannon and Christopher Raeburn (above) that really made a mark.
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At Christopher Raeburn, the designer’s usual military display came punctuated with hi-vis patches, and a statement grey and neon-yellow patchwork was worked through knits, scarfs and fleeces. Christopher Shannon, too, spruced up his standard shredded denim and slogan tees by mixing in boxy jackets and trousers with a Fresh Prince flavour (above). The Liverpudlian's riff on lad culture incorporated a range of splashy touches, from deconstructed blocks of colour on fleeces to flags covering faces.
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All the texture
If you've only just mastered 2016's advanced level menswear class in print-clashing, prepare to start your post-graduate programme. For AW17, it's apparently not enough to juggle two contrasting patterns like a pro – you've got to get inter-textural, too.
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Maison Mihara Yasuhiro added fuzzy embellishment to wool outerwear, Christopher Raeburn did the same with felt-like patches, and JW Anderson experimented with thick, ribbed knits and crochet. Casely-Hayford put tassles where you'd least expect them (suit jackets, trousers) while luxe-streetwear queen Astrid Andersen (above) threw every contrasting material she could think of (velour, fleece, suede, padding, fur) at her 90s-Puff-Daddy-video-worthy tracksuits. Get ready for all the feels.
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