Modern Resurgence

HUGOs menswear head Bart De Backer gave Mens Folio the lowdown on the resurgence of 1990s fashion and its relevance for his SS19 collection.

- Anis Taufik

A large, excited crowd comprising Europe’s fashionable elite and members of the media had gathered on the grounds of Motorwerk, Berlin for an exclusive first look of the HUGO Spring/Summer ‘19 collection. The runway show featured loose-fitting silhouettes and casual cuts in addition to slouchy suit jackets and athletics-inspired pieces with inspiration from the heydays of the 1990s. But the audience had gotten more than they bargained for during the night with highlights including a unique rave-like show featuring fashion luminary Presley Gerber on the catwalk as well as a surprise performance by American rapper Wiz Khalifa at the after-party.

In order to make sense of it all, Men’s Folio had a conversation with Bart De Backer, head of HUGO menswear, for a rare insight into the brand’s SS19 collection.

What was the inspiration behind the HUGO Spring/Summer ‘19 collection?

The inspiration [for the collection] was actually Berlin, especially the younger generation and the people who are currently coming to Berlin. I find it interesting that we have so many young people from all over Europe here. They’re the urban, creative types who don’t just have the urge to survive; they’re here to experiment and create something new. What you’ll notice when you look at Berliners is that there are a lot of individuals who express themselves in very individual ways. You can see it through how they dress – they experiment with their own sense of style to try something new. Sometimes, I feel like the people of Berlin are actually off the fashion-following radar. They just make their own fashion.