Review: New York Men's Day

Pt.1
New York Fashion Week: Men's started off with a bang as several designers gathered once more to show their Fall/Winter 2016 collections. Take a look at some of my favorites presentations including Krammer & Stoudt, Max n' Chester and PLAC. They take us to worlds of whimsy and ultra cool. See for yourself!

Krammer & Stoudt

Model- Josh Beech

Max 'n Chester

PLAC

Photography by Phillip Van Nostrand

New York Men's Day: Round Up

One of the highlights of New York Fashion Week is the New York Men's Day. This year there were 12 emerging designers who presented their Fall/Winter 2015. It's a feast for the eyes and there is so much energy as all the editors and stylists are running from one presentation to the next in one building and across the street. Here are a few of my favorites from NYMD.

First off is Mexican designer GARCIAVELEZ, this is my first time viewing his collection and I immediately loved it. The color palette of black, grey, and navy were right up my alley. The collection has a strong architectural influence and he juxtaposes different fabrics and textures.

Next is CADET, their F/W 2015 collection was inspired by wartime in the 1940's. You'll find single and double breasted suit, jackets and trousers. Their collection is all about form and function.

Last but not least is LUCIO CASTRO, the collection took cues from the made-for-tv movie "Ubu Roi" by Jean-Christophe Averty in 1965 (It's ok, I've never heard of it either) it's based on the play by Alfred Jarry. "We were taken by it tension between serious and playful, innovative and primitive. And also a sense of alluring repetition that is so relevant right now through the extensive use of gifs and memes."

Photos by: Phillip Van Norstrand

Very different concepts and source of inspiration but that's the great thing about fashion and the growing number of menswear designers. You will be able to find something that speaks to you. As for me these designers are just some that spoke to me and have me looking forward to Fall 2015.

Ernest Alexander Fall/Winter 2015

Add this to your to-do list, get some Ernest Alexander! While taking a trip to upstate New York designer Ernest Alexander stayed at a cabin owned by an artisan who lived there for most of his life. From the sculptures and photographs throughout the cabin he found inspiration and created a story about wandering traveler. In the words of Ernest Alexander, "Ultimately, this Fall/Winter '15 Collection celebrates the exploration and discoveries of a curious voyager - reminding us that the journey itself is truly the reward."

There's a lot to love from this look, the double sided zipper and great plaid pants are just a few.

This is love at first sight- an ombre peacoat. I didn't know I wanted one until I saw this.

It's all in the details. What a great mix of patterns.

Photos by Phillip Von Norstrand

Carlos Campos Fall/Winter 2015

I spoke about the casting process for the Carlos Campos in the previous post. Now see the finished product! The Fall/Winter 2015 collection came about from two artists inspired by each other. Artist and Art Director Rafafans created a series based on Carlos' Gaucho-inspired Fall 2014 collection. Carlos was then inspired by the image overlay and technique Rafafans used in his series. Staying true to his tailoring and minimalist DNA Carlos Campos has created another beautiful collection. Take a look at a few of my favorite looks.

Qing- wears the double breasted suit with a bomber. Take note of the cropped suit.

Toni- A huge fan of the color block and tuxedo pants.

Mac- Probably one of my favorite looks. This is a jumpsuit partnered with a neoprene gilet!

Patrick- Color block tunic with dropped rise trouser.

BTS: The Carlos Campos FW15 Presentation

Have you ever wondered how a fashion presentation is put together for New York Fashion Week? I was invited to sit in and see first hand how menswear designer Carlos Campos and his team get ready to present the Fall/Winter 2015 collection and choose the models for New York Men's Day in NYC. This is what I learned.

• In a span of 2 days the casting team sees 100 male models from all over the world.
• 13 of the top agencies in NYC send their guys including Wilhelmina, VNY, New York Models, Soul Artist.
• Models walk in one at a time, present their book and comp card. (contains sample of their work in editorials and ad campaigns).

Toni Petkov, Wilhelmina

• Models are asked to walk and try on one of the blazers or coats.
• They are looking for THE Carlos Campos Man, more often then not they know as soon as they come in to the room. Trade Secret! This particular casting director keeps three boxes in front of him to organize the model's comp cards for future reference. The boxes are not labeled but they are designated as yes, maybe, and no. The suspense, I know!

• Once the models have been seen the casting team including the designer look through the boxes and choose their final models.
• The comp cards are placed on the wall for further review throughout the casting and fitting process including alternates.

• Once the models have been selected and available they are asked to come in for a fitting.
• Fittings take about two work days. Each model needs about 30 mins per fitting.
• The fittings are to figure out which looks work best for each model and to make any alterations to the clothing as needed. Trade Secret! At Carlos Campos, they tailored every look so it will look perfect on every model.

Chris Moore at Wilhelmina

Photos by: Miguel Martinez

Want to see more behind the scenes pictures? Visit Adentro Style Annex.

Carlos Campos Spring/Summer 2015 Collection

The spring 2015 collection presents Carlos Campos' tailoring with the addition of modern sportswear.  We had a moment to chat about his collection before the presentation got underway. His inspiration came from a Spanish "public space artist" called El Tono (The Tone). Campos applied the artist's technique of overlaying geometric shapes as seen on his shirting and throughout the collection. Also, he continued working with neoprene by bringing more intricate stitching and mesh layering details to the sweatshirts and shorts. I noticed the models were very diverse and asked him about his selection process. He said he looks for guys that compliment his clothes with their personality. Below are a few of my favorite looks with notes about the collection.

Guerino/ Travis
Love the the frame trim on the Pima cotton shirts.

Frenando
Neoprene is found throughout the collection like on this sweatshirt.

Will
Keeping true to his tailoring roots the collection includes amazing blazers and trousers.

Alessio
You'll find great quilting details on sweatshirts.

Alex/ Chris
Neoprene bomber jackets with double-layer mesh, color-blocking to the next level.

Lucio Castro Spring/Summer 2015 Collection

New York Men's Day or NYMD for short was a huge success. It gave opportunity for a slew of menswear designers to showcase their collections under one roof and maximize exposure for all. I had a moment to speak with Lucio Castro about his collection. One of the things that sparked the beginning of this collection was a conversation he had with a friend about his life in eastern europe in the 70's and 80's. Castro references "Soviet summer" and the desolate beach towns of Odessa and Sopot. You'll find     somber colors like tan, navy and grey and some more bright colors like teal and pink. Castro shared a couple of interesting facts about the construction of the clothes which are described below.

Love the extra long ribbing on the sleeve on this polo.

Grey looks great all year round.

This hoodie was made out of a towel the designer found himself in Croatia.

This polka dot pattern was made using wax, dyeing it and then taking the wax off. No two circles are the same.

The polka dots were used throughout the collection including as lining for blazers and coats.