Adrian’s Top 5 Fall 2008 Menswear Collections

1. Raf Simons
It’s arguable whether this is his magnum opus, but it is indubitably one of those rare collections that is so incisive in its approach that it coincides with seismic shifts in both architecture and design. And so futuristic-cut jackets were rendered in simple burlap, proposing a convincing symbiosis between nature and technology. Simons’ signature blouson-crotched pants were there, too, this time breaking gently on top of the season’s standout footwear, the creeper. The autumnal colour palette evoked the season’s transitional state - a fitting comparison as he nears the title of fashion’s most important menswear designer.
2. Yves Saint Laurent by Stefano Pilati
Since his departure, the question of what a modern Yves would wear has remained largely unanswered. With Mr. Saint Laurent’s personal aesthetic, so unique and deepyl intertwined with the label’s core, lingering vividly in the public’s consciousness, Stefano Pilati is faced with the difficult task of moving forward whilst not playing ducks and rakes with the house’s heritage. After several seasons of limbo, he’s delivered his most convincing - and confident - response yet. It was, yes, blatantly referential at times, but as a collection, it was neither retro nor wholly foreign. And the sharp-shouldered jackets and fluid pants, which characterize the house’s namesake, looked surprisingly fresh against the season’s wiry silhouettes.
3. Jil Sander by Raf Simons
Since assuming the reigns in 2006, Raf Simons’ collections for Jil Sander have consciously worked to thaw, alter, and then refreeze the vision of the Jil Sander man. For Fall 2008, Mr. Simons wasn’t focused as much on establishing the house’s vocabulary as he was on introducing its peripheral lyricisms. And this season, those were primarily prints – particularly the vermicular marble print that bedecked everything from weekenders to oversized topcoats. But for the notoriously pervicacious men’s market, loyalty to his signature aesthetic - boxy overcoats with high stances and bold shoulders - was both shrewd design and business.
4. Prada
Let’s forget the strap-on tutus and peek-a-boo harnesses for a moment. Because runway gimmicks and the obvious Margiela references aside, the collection was one of the most palatable reconsiderations of menswear staples – collared shirts, double-breasted suits, crew neck knits – of Ms. Prada’s oeuvre. Button-less suits that slithered obliquely around the body suggested a new male sensuality, free of the aggressive, and dated vulgarity of her Italian contemporaries. And as for the tutus and harnesses, Miuccia’s convinced the fashion world to negotiate on her terms - gimmicks included. And for that, I applaud her.
5. Ann Demeulemeester
Despite criticisms that designers have castrated their male customers this seasons, Ann Demeulemeester offered a surprisingly masculine interpretation of floral prints and poetic romance. It succeeded in being slouchy without becoming vapid, non-discriminatory in its references without becoming a nimiety of amalgamation. And her inclusion amongst fashion’s most powerful forces in the January 2008 issue of US Vogue signalled a synchronization of her longstanding aesthetic with le mode du jour. If nothing else, her recognition of a man’s perdurable quest to become Jack Sparrow is surely laudable.

Photos: Style.com