London Collections: Men - Round Up.

The fraternity of British menswear has often fallen under a magnanimous gaze from its continental cousins, having previously been afforded only a cameo role in the London Fashion Week calendar. Given the flourishing state that British menswear currently finds itself in, this seems entirely unjustifiable. However the arrival of the London Collections: Men at last heralds a firm recognition of both the conceptual and the classic qualities that British menswear has to offer, acting as a reward worthy of such an invigorating time for the designers and those who wear their creations with such verve. With the eyes of the international fashion world watching on, the event needed to tick all the correct boxes in terms of scheduling, direction and overall composition.

The elegant Hospital Club in Covent Garden was chosen as the central hub of activity and provided a sophisticated edge and non-contrived ambience. Spread across four floors, each with its own specific purpose, the hub's main focal point was that of the ready to wear collections. It was here that the cream of current British menswear could be found, encompassing a heady mix of contemporary and classic, tailoring and technical and a delectable fresh energy that was very much a tangible feeling throughout the event.

Among this hive of originality, stand out designers included the more conventionally inspired works of DS Dundee, whose colourful waxed outwear and aesthetically pleasing cuts suited to the tastes of the modern traditionalist, cut a contrast to the vibrant styling of Martine Rose and the vivid prints of Matthew Miller. Elsewhere, the eagerly anticipated and in-demand designs of Lou Dalton cut a sartorial dash, with her mid morning catwalk show being the subject of much positive conversation.

One of the most intriguing collections on show, and a name that has been on the cusp of up and coming talent for some time, was that of Christopher Raeburn, whose notion of recycling technical textiles such as parachute material and military grade fabrics to create imaginative yet wearable outwear pieces, bestow the military and innovative works of Massimo Osti and his SPW labels.

With such a vibrant and varied selection of ready to wear collections on show it was easy to acknowledge that this was an event that London, but more importantly the British menswear industry had been crying out for, and while walking around the buzzing floors of The Hospital Club among the patrons and disciples of the fashion world, the realisation of this fact was noticeable.

Aside from the main collections of apparel, the accessories room played host to a number of interesting, inspired and in some cases playful labels. Among them, the fine leather footwear offerings of Mr. Hare captured the classic elements of traditional English footwear, while adding a contemporary edge with the use of informal colour schemes.The presence of Jupe by Jackie and her endearing selection of hand embroidered ties and bows reminded us that this was indeed London, and the need for classic and traditional styling will always hold a strong important to the dandy within.

Most notable among the accessory collections was the elegantly displayed stand of Cutler and Gross, a celebrated entity within the realms of British style. They summed up the graceful and understated quality that they have forged their reputation on over previous decades.Most encouraging from Cutler and Gross was their passion for breakthrough British talent, having collaborated with the London College of Fashion to redesign their iconic 0734 frame, with the winning entrant receiving a one year tenure at the companies design studios.

The encouraging foundations laid by this highly significant event pays dividends by ensuring that British menswear has been faithfully restored to a respectable and healthy mantle which will hopefully continue to grow and flourish from season to season. And with the amount of innovative and creative designers spearheading this modern renaissance in British menswear, that can only mean exceptional things.

Saul Wilks

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