There was a new lightness and fluidity to Christopher Raeburn’s lineup, with the designer saying that he’d imagined his signature all-weather garments as being able to withstand “desert wind and sun.”
That starting point came from “The Long Walk,” a book Raeburn had read “as a kid,” an account by the late Polish army lieutenant Slavomir Rawicz of escaping a labor camp in Siberia in 1941, and walking through the Gobi Desert, Tibet and the Himalayas to India.
On the runway that meant a suitably windswept look, with even the models’ hair styled to look as if it was “blowing” over their faces. That also meant billowing mackintoshes in shades of white, red and black layered over tracksuits or shorts, and loosely tailored coats in the same filmy fabric. The light-as-air quality of the coats was no surprise, given that Raeburn had fashioned them from pre-flown kites, in collaboration with Italian company Exkite. As a heavier-duty counterpoint, there were camouflage print shorts and field jackets, and substantial-looking jersey shorts and track tops.
Taking the idea of lightness further still, Raeburn worked up track tops, shorts, jackets and hoodies in tulle netting — for men and women — hemmed with logo tape bearing the

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In celebration of London men’s fifth birthday, Topman Design gave carte blanche to a group of video artists, photographers, poets and filmmakers, which included Nick Offord, Max Wallis, The Rhythm Method and Ben Cullen Williams, to explore the meaning of “the new British masculinity.”
Guests meandered through the Old Truman Brewery past video messages, poems and installations before arriving before a gang of “Modern Romantics” — this season’s theme — who struck a dazzling pose for spring.
One of the best things about Topman is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously as a brand, and this playfully off-kilter lineup was abound with visual impact. Referencing “boys with a don’t-care attitude and fashion spirit,” the retailer took a trip to the Eighties, when orange eye shadow, dark eyeliner and questionable hairstyles centered around red, lilac and platinum blond set the tone.
As for the clothing, a striped ensemble featuring balloon pants with a sailor knit looked like a number Duran Duran might have fancied back in the days, while a long and fluid striped shirt done up as a poncho struck a solid balance between vintage and modern.
And though the brand couldn’t do without the occasional synthetic tracksuit or asymmetrically zipped jackets —

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A dose of American Fifties optimism — and Ellsworth Kelly paintings — made this collection buzz with life and color just as the company turns the page under its new owner, Charles S. Cohen, the real estate and film entrepreneur.
Toby Lamb, design and brand director, said he was thinking of Kelly’s contributions to the Whitney Museum’s Young America exhibition in 1957, and the freshness and optimism they telegraphed at the time.
The result was a collection filled with ice cream sundae colors, lots of texture and abstract prints inspired by rocket ships and bits of machinery.
Lamb worked his Fifties aesthetic into trousers with high waists and cuffs, slightly boxy jackets and cardigans in a rich palette of pistachio, raspberry, cream and coffee.
Short-sleeve shirts came hand-embroidered with abstract, Kelly-like swirls while scarves boasted busy patterns of rings, circles and dots.
There were matte fabrics galore, as in a nubby micro bouclé — that looked from a distance like terrycloth — for a short bomber-style jacket, while Lamb worked a crosshatch one into a double-breasted suit.
Outerwear included a sand-colored suede trench and a cobalt blue jacket with a drawstring waist.
For more on the men’s spring/summer 2018 season, watch this:

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“Digital despair,” was how the designer described the current moment, with so many reliant on speedy communications, strangers’ digital judgment and opinions, and virtual relationships and tribes.
Chalayan said the collection — an elegant mix of streetwear, Middle and Far Eastern dress — was a reaction to that, and a signal to slow down.
The piece that best reflected his mood was a cobalt blue sweater with the black silhouette of a plant sprouting on the front. What appeared to be a text message conversation appeared in different colors on the front.
“They’re embroidered text messages. Each person has to wait for an embroidered response. It’s time to slow down,” said the designer.
Silhouettes recalled the East: Some trousers had long swooshing panels, recalling the look of a shalwar kameez, while sculpted jacket sleeves took their cues from the kimono.
Other shapes were more spare, as in a white blouse with a triangular fold at the front held in place by a single button; a pair of crinkly trousers with buckle and strap details, and hoodie jackets with subtle leaf jacquards or prints, a wink to the natural world and an antidote to speed and stress.

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In a nod to its new Covent Garden home, Kent & Curwen staged a presentation on Floral Street a few doors away from the brand’s first, new-generation flagship which is set to open in September.
The barn-like venue, with its Tudor-style wooden beams, soaring ceiling and inner courtyard, was an impressive mix of old and new, like the brand.
Models paced around a gym floor that was covered with brightly colored court markings, and then gathered for a team picture at the end. David Beckham, whose company Seven Global has invested in K&C, and Daniel Kearns, the creative director, watched from above.
Looks included a crinkly cotton great coat — a riff on the wool one for winter — a new, slimmer spin on the cricket trouser done in lightweight flannel, knee-length shorts with contrast tape details, and faded rugby shirts with patches that looked as if they’d been attached by hand rather than machine.
Sweaters were artfully distressed — Beckham himself was wearing a green cardigan with moth-eaten edges — while models wore cricket and tennis sweaters that had a similar degree of faux damage at the bottom. Models also wore fluid cotton trousers — some in K&C’s signature carrot shape.
“This brand is

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MARKING MEN’S: “It’s an incredible achievement for the BFC,” boasted London Fashion Week Men’s ambassador David Gandy at a reception hosted by the British Fashion Council to mark the fifth anniversary of London Fashion Week Men’s on Sunday. Held at the Designer Showrooms at Store Studios, the event also honored the design talent that has taken up space at the Designer Showrooms to showcase their collections. Guests included Gandy, Caroline Rush and Daniel Fletcher.
“I’ve been here since Day One,” said Gandy of London Fashion Week Men’s. “There have been changes in format for the shows and seasons. Everyone has been affected in Paris and Milan. We have to see how it spans over few years. Just having a platform and show space like this for emerging designers is brilliant anyway. Whatever happens, this has to continue because it is such an important role. We have the best fashion schools here. To have a platform for the younger generation during fashion week — which isn’t the easiest thing — it’s very important.”
“I think a lot of brands are waiting to see how it goes,” he added. “We might end up merging the men’s and women’s together and streaming it to the

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SHANGHAI – A former aircraft hangar in Shanghai’s West Bund arts district was given a glamorous blue-and-white makeover to celebrate 70 years of Dior on Saturday evening.
More than 500 guests joined Dior’s artistic director Maria Grazia Chiuri and a slew of Chinese celebrities and influencers — including Angelababy, who boasts 81.6 million followers on Weibo and was tapped to be a Dior ambassador in April — for the launch of “I Feel Blue,” a three-part exhibition that will show over only two days in Shanghai.
As well as a display of a dozen pieces from Dior’s archives, sourced from the brand’s seminal 1947 to 1957 period and designed by Christian Dior himself, and a display of porcelain Lady Dior bags in various shades of blue created by Chinese contemporary artist Liu Jianhua, a big screen video projection of Chiuri’s latest ready-to-wear collection for the brand was shown.
Prior to the event, Dior chief executive officer Sidney Toledano told WWD the French luxury house is continuing to build on its consistent performance in the Chinese market.
“I don’t give numbers but business is going very well. We have been doing well since we started here and we are improving on improvements,” Toledano said.
“With the

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MAN IN THE STREET: Socks were the most flamboyant part of the St. James’s open-air catwalk during London Fashion Week Men’s. They came in bright orange and turquoise or boasted micro-patterns, courtesy of London Sock Company at Fortnum & Mason, which took part in the group show on Saturday morning.
The men’s wear retailers of London’s Jermyn Street and neighboring Piccadilly have never been about flashy trends, but rather classic, timeless dressing, regardless of the occasion or the trends of the season.
To wit, the show opened with a two-piece cobalt blue suit by Sunspel, followed by some equally summery options from Jigsaw and Emma Willis. There were plenty of ultralight polo shirts, cardigans and chinos, in a mostly subdued palette of blues, whites, greens and beige.
More opulent were the evening options, which included a beautifully crafted silk jacquard bathrobe in deep ocean blue by New & Lingwood, with a matching shawl belt and a generously sculpted black velvet collar.
Although this strip of London retail is all about the well-dressed man, as the nearby statue of Beau Brummell attests, it was the street-style outerwear — cue a multipocketed safari jacket by Barbour International and a splendid Norwegian Rain parka — that left a

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DOWN IN DALLAS: Coach wined and dined 50 Dallas fashion and art elites, influencers and philanthropists Thursday at The Joule Hotel. The teaser for the new, expanded store, opening June 30 at NorthPark Center, was also a celebration of the brand’s commission of work by Dallas artist Arthur Peña. It was the first such collaboration for Coach, and the artist created colorful abstract murals for three branded billboard-like banners around town plus an exhibition that runs through early July in the mall. NorthPark is known for its museum-quality collection of modern and contemporary art, and Dallas is a hotbed of contemporary art collectors.
“We were trying to find a way to be locally relevant, to cut through,” said Coach North America marketing director Alexis Kirk. “We wanted to do [the artwork] in the community and then bring it back to the center.”
Dallas Contemporary exhibition director and senior curator Justine Ludwig linked Peña with the brand. “Stuart Vevers [Coach’s creative director] brings art and music together in a really beautiful way, and that’s what Arthur does in his practice,” she said, noting Peña’s openings regularly feature a band. “Thank you, Coach, for having faith in Dallas-based talent.”
Guests included Lynn McBee, Jane Aldridge, Michelle Nussbaumer, Maxine

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Fashion’s affinity for streetwear and the broader world of hip-hop came into clear focus for the second and final day of Made Los Angeles.
If experiential is the future — since it certainly is the present — Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Yung Jake and A$AP Ferg, along with designers from Rochambeau, 424, Joyrich and Pleasures among others, came together Saturday to merge fashion, music and commerce to cap the two-day festival.
Perhaps it was a bit symbolic than when rapper Snoop Dogg came out to kick off the day’s first show playing the single “The Next Episode” to cheers from the crowd. The rapper, whose real name is Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., continued to sing along to several more tracks in the center of the theater as some models danced around parked Chevy Impalas while still others walked to show off the collection from his collaboration with Los Angeles label Joyrich, where the rapper’s son, Cordell Broadus, served as creative director.
“Doing this collection was all fun,” said the younger Broadus. “It was my first time doing something like this. It was very important for me to bring my family in so I wanted to involve them in the whole show.”
Broadus, who walked out

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