ENTER THE NEW DAWN OF SUBVERSIVE STYLE AND MULTIDIMENSIONAL FASHION

The future of menswear is revolutionary. 2023 is about going beyond fundamental ideals and aesthetic appeal to embrace a refreshing chapter of sartorial reinvigoration. The collections from Spring/Summer '23 exemplifies how menswear continues to evolve on a trajectory of transformation. Designers bid farewell to convention while providing recognizable motifs and reimagined house codes to satiate our desire for something new. Dior honours heritage while Louis Vuitton pays homage to the late Virgil Abloh. JW Anderson toys with the metaverse while Rick Owens believes the apocalypse is upon us. Delve into the new stylistic lexicon that is reshaping how we view menswear.

- SANJEEVA SURESH

FLORA, FASHION AND FAUNA

There is a primitive history between humans and their relationships with animal skin. In Greek mythology Hercules wears a lion's skin as a form of protection and he embodies some of the supernatural power that comes from the lion. While anti-hunting laws and protection against animal cruelty have come a long way since the era of Greek heroes, perhaps animal prints continue to have a subliminal meaning in our sartorial choices. Tom Ford opted for a series of loungewear and outwear pieces in zebra, tiger and cheetah prints. Celine, Versace and Rick Owens had models donning a mix of faux snakeskin from Celine's metallic rock-glam to Versace's bright neons and a coruscating lilac jerkin (made from fish skin) from Owens' apocalyptic showcase. JW Anderson tackled the "state of human consciousness" both in his namesake label and in his role as creative director at Loewe. Teetering the line between realism and futurism, Anderson went down the route of the bizarre as a means to reflect the muddled state of current world events, particularly the relationships humans have with their digital devices. Loewe's Spring/Summer '23 saw a fusion of fashion and greenery. Chia plants sprouted out of shoes and off the side of jackets while Nepeta cataria (catswort) trailed up the trouser legs of tracksuit bottoms to create a new organic, hyper-realistic silhouette. In a celebration of the late Virgil Abloh, the Louis Vuitton design team delivered a stunning display of jacquards particularly with thistle and floral embroideries. The four green-sequined finale looks were inspired by lavish 18-century French Impressionist fields of delicate wild flowers and poppies (a call back to Abloh's 2018 debut collection perhaps?). A triumphant final tribute.

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