Fall/Winter 2012 will mark an epoch is the poeticism of Parisian Runway Collections. This upcoming fall/winter Ann Demeulemeester’s Men’s Collection will be no different. From the exquisite foretelling that is her declarative aestheticism towards her unique and emotive style, comes a collection that breaks the silhouettes and shadow-lines of her previous men’s collections. Instead, Ann Demeulemeester draws her influence from the late nineteenth century poet Arthur Rimbaud(1854-1891).

In the opening act of this prologue, she opens with a waist-length top coat and fitted trousers with an ombre pattern that continues into the top of the trousers. Other looks include sharp-contrasting fabrics, silks, tie-dyed knits, exaggerated zip-cardigans, exquisitely detailed Napoleonic tailcoats.

This collection really emphasizes Ann Demeulemeester’s strengths in creating a men’s collection which stands on its own. It is more the state of transition, the middle point, rather than a beginning or an end.

Written Silvio Pinto and Martin Narrod

All Photographs Courtesy of Matt Reeves http://www.darkroomdemons.com

All Images Courtesy of Matt Reeves http://www.darkroomdemons.com

From the depths of a supernatural and surreal darkness emerges the mystic black figures of designer Tatsuro Horikawa’s collection Julius. In this upcoming seasons collection for Fall/Winter Horikawa moves away from the truly distressed and destroyed fabrics that emblematize his previous seasons; instead he utilizes the wholesomeness of wools, canvases, jersey, and cotton fabrics. Emphasizing oversized details, strong asymmetry, and overflowing long drapery refined with narrow trousers and slim-fitted sleeves to create counter-balance to the latent energy in each look.

Zippers, zippers, and more zippers. Verticality and the persistence towards form and functionality; Horikawa opposes the Bauhaus and instead enriches this collection with the decadent beauty of intense emotion and demonstrative progression of the inner self. The ego and the id.

Of all the collections that I’ve seen this past week, it was this collection that spoke volumes to me. Perhaps it was the Rachmaninov I listened to while viewing the show, rather I think it is the humanness and humanity that this collection expresses. In looking at the final walk of all the models, there is a definite poetry to their homologous relation to one other. From the pensive stoicism on the models faces to the exquisite balance in each pieces asymmetry, correlating to the majestic sentiment of a voluminous collar or three-quarter length coat, every piece relates to one other in a beautifully artistic and portentous manner. The fantastic cyclical evolution that does not only evolve into the darkness, but out of it as well.

Written by Martin Narrod

East-Asian, Slavic, African, and……barbaric? These may be some of the influences running through the mind of Croatian born, Paris-based designer Damir Doma in his Fall/Winter 2012 Men’s collection. The designer whose work is usually the facet of draping asymmetrical tops and trousers, dark Romanesque cuts, and distressed hand-knit fabrics really emphasized new notions in his design propriety in his collection for Fall/Winter 2012. Instead of his typically minimal flare for a soft and cool color palette of concretes and cool grays, dusts and soft browns, and matte blacks, this season the designer has pursued a ‘larger-than-life’ palette that uses sophisticated pattern and line, deep alizarins, radiant browns given intense texture with deep hues of charcoal, and balanced with opalescent cerise beads, and rectangular mother-of-pearl-like stones. Pushing beyond his comfort zone? We think so. This season Damir Doma uses a far more, international variety of models, each ranking his own vamped version of Damir’s vision.We were extraordinarily excited to see heavy furs introduced to this seasons collection. It’s a courageous motion towards development from the more minimal collections of the past. When the last few looks arrived, and we were presented again with Damir’s expert ensembles of black we oohed and ahhed. The designer’s ability to give exquisite texture and draping in head to toe black ensembles still takes our breath away. Carrot-trousers, slouched kepi caps, and beautifully laced black loafers finished off the collection with the same unspoken refrain, ” I trust myself enough to try new things.” Needless to say, we’re hoping for an early autumn this year.

Written by Martin Narrod

All Photographs Courtesy of Matt Reeves http://www.darkroomdemons.com

All photographs courtesy of Matt Reeves www.darkroomdemons.com

In 2006, Spanish-based designer Boris Bidjan Saberi of Parisian-Germanic descent released his Men’s Collection, after establishing a name for himself with his provocative leather collection and accessories brand, U CAN FUCK W, which he released while still involved in an internship. His men’s line derives from his intense passion for a street-style, dark hip-hop aesthetic flared with sophisticated casual dress and post-gothic influence. He is considered to be one of the most avant garde menswear designers to date.

This year, his Fall/Winter 2012 Collection is no exception. Emerging from the shadows is the urban rambler, the flanure, the modern drifter, a bedouin-like traveler who journeys through time and space. Oversized-hoods draped with asymmetrical cuts, long drawstrings, exposed closures, and many variations of desert-dwelling head-garb. Each character plays his own version of an apocalyptic warrior, each pant exposes a new twist to the chaos with subtle notes of mauve and dark green against soft grays and piercing blacks. Even the trousers vary, from a very slouchy and voluminous mountain man to the weary tapered and slim scavenger. Each pursuing a provocative story line, each perhaps stolen right from the 12 Monkeys or The Book of Eli. At a second glance we see a gentler celtic undertone to the collection, long socks, brushed suedes, and cooler colors interspersed between full head coverings and one-piece jumpers.

We are very excited to be introducing Boris Bidjan Saberi to our Fall/Winter 2012 Collection. His rigid use of line, multi-textural overflowing drapery, and asymmetric and unbalanced qualities fall into the ranks perfectly with the other designers we carry at Bonnie&Clyde’s. This collection will arrive perfectly on-time for the Mayan calendar to end. Mesh eyewear, thickly layered overcoats, and industrial footwear will provide the much needed protection from the pre-apocalyptic elements, while the beautiful and courageous aspects of his thick leathers and fantastic shearling coat unbalances the smoother qualities of some of the other looks. This collection had me on the edge of my seat- starkly asking myself where these exotic characters would render themselves in my world, or really, whether or not I would become them.

Denmark’s own Henrik Vibskov revels on-point again, or rather off point. This season’s show was more a performance for the eyes- cutaway drum sets painted bone white replete with drum mallets sounded off as the men walked over uneven footing and sounded off nearly inaudible drum beats.

This season the Danish designer pursued a more limited palette than in his Spring/Summer 2012 collection. When Nowfashion’s Alice Pfeiffer inquiries Vibskov about his limited palette he responds, “Yes, I counted how many colors I used for the show and tried to do less of that – white is the keyword.” Nearly all the looks are comprised of primary and secondary colors. The poignant fuchsias, ceruleans, and sea foams were largely left out of this Fall/Winter 2012 Collection. Instead the collection consists of intense line verticality, block-color knits, loose riding pants, speckled wool cable sweaters, and even black and dark colored frock coats. Each of the looks presents a street-style version of the 1920′s women’s cloche-hat, except in the vain of Henrik’s eccentricities, each cap has an abbreviated bill and all the ears of the hats are cut out. Additionally, unlike previous seasons, this season all the models are wearing white sock covered loafers with frilled toe and heel accents in black.

In looking at the show I can’t help but imagine a correlation between this collection and that of a merged theme: Literary Cycle Culture and Surrealism. Without delving into too many specific works, at first glance all of the bass drum basins, uneven planks, and gaudy brass and crystal chandeliers screams of an ode a la “Persistence of Memory” by Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dali. Every piece of clothing in the show accentuated the use of line, from the cuneiform-like hieroglyphic lines in the scarves and the cardigans, to the diagonal zippers in some of the trousers, and the smooth curved lines of the blazers and suits, even the hats had bowing lines from ear to ear. Yet again, Henrik Vibskov inspires the eyes, skin, and heart. This fantastical collection still expresses the same kookiness and vibrance that we have come to expect from this visionary designer, whose work exemplifies artistic conceptualization, ingenuity, and colorful expressiveness.

Written by Martin Narrod

All photos courtesy of Matt Reeves www.darkroomdemons.com