John Bartlett S/S 2013

By: Malik Warlick
Images by: Rebekah Schott

New York – based designer John Bartlett’s recent travels to India and Greece inspired his Spring/Summer men’s collection for 2013. The collection acted as a passport of sorts, with the most direct reference being a print showcasing the Om symbol, which was in white overlaid upon cobalt blues and sepia browns on various styles of pants. The sepia version of the print was also used on a blazer, which, paired with Bermuda shorts in the same hue, made for a spiritually opulent look.

Opulence was also a point of inspiration for the designer, as confirmed by the key hair stylist for the show, Jorge Luis. Luis stated that the original idea for the collection was “Expensive men that went to safaris in Africa, loved the outdoors, with a tribal feel for the hair.” As evident in the show, that was the first draft of the blueprint. Along with the destination change in inspiration, Luis also stated that he suggested the styling for the hair be more of a “matted, three days with no shower” look. Juxtaposed against the clean, green-friendly texture of the clothing, the hair brought it all together for a relaxed, yet affluent feel.

John Bartlett also took on the traditional men’s clothing of India, with a modernized galabeya in bright white, complete with a Polo collar. Also, Bartlett gave his spin on the traditional Indian man’s shirt and pants, adding an American touch with roll-up sleeve tabs and matching canvas slip-ons that were all the rage this summer.  Some of the pieces themselves chanted India as their derivative, the color palette all but screamed Greece and the Mediterranean, while the cobalt blues and bright whites mirroring the island-carved city of Santorini, and the draping and prints channeling Mumbai, John Bartlett’s collection magnificently hit the mark for men’s fashion this upcoming spring.

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William Okpo S/S 2013

By: Malik Warlick
Images by: Rebekah Schott

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s cosmopolitan glass palace housed William Okpo’s Spring/Summer 2013 presentation on Tuesday, September 11th. Minimalism was the main attraction with this collection, as conveyed by the bountiful use of standard denim, polka dots, and an overall rectangular silhouette.

Fruits and dirt served as the setting, while the hair was up-done messily, with a shock of teased hair, sprayed white. Aaron Grenia, the key hair stylist of Prive Salon, states that “Ethnic, kinky, organic texture, with a white flame on top” was Okpo’s intention, as he wanted to extend the organic feeling of the clothing into the hair. Driven home by the boxes of dirt and platforms of oranges the models were standing on, “organic” read through quite successfully, so much so that one in attendance would have believed they were on a farm, save for the backdrop of the city.

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Lars Andersson S/S 2013

By: Malik Warlick
Images by: Frank Rocco

Knitwear designer Lars Andersson presented his collection at the SoHo Grand hotel this past Tuesday. Form-fitting was taboo, as every piece hung away and draped from the body in a relaxed, yet romantic manner. Andersson paid much attention to the chest and torso, with peekaboo knit tops and dresses for the women, along with super-V neck sweaters and open flowing cardigans for the men.  Andersson stayed in the white family in his efforts this time around, with ecru, taupe, and eggshell as the main attractions.

Interestingly enough, the hair styling was decidedly unkempt for the females, with slate and sage colored ties running through single braids on each model’s head, while the styling for the men was well – coiffed and slicked back. The thread of the relaxed, yet naturally sensual feel of the clothing hit a snag here, in terms of overall cohesiveness of the female and male looks, but otherwise
flowed quite nicely.

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