For the starting point of their fall collection, dubbed “Nostalgic Future,” Cmmn Swdn designers Saif Bakir and Emma Hedlund tapped the gawkiness of adolescence and its desire to be done with growing up by taking on the still ill-fitting trappings of adulthood. They certainly had the long-sleeved ungainliness down pat in this exploration of serious tailoring meets the brash colors of sportswear.
The London-based duo told their coming-of-age tale through modern silhouettes that acknowledged both ages of man. A gray checked suit looked fit to impress for that first job interview, while former outdoor hobbies were not forgotten by slipping a brightly colored parka over it.
Most well-adjusted were a navy car coat spliced with tartan, pin-striped cargo pants, brushstroke camouflage and hooded short-sleeved shirts. While not novel tropes, those were certainly uncommon enough to catch the eye, and will help the five-year-old brand weather their own growth spurts.
It wasn’t your dad’s suiting, and beyond the expected clash of sportswear and suiting, Bakir and Hedlund seemed to pose the question of what will be really worn in the office when the streetwear generation grows up. Their predictive answer was, in a nutshell, weird and wired.
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